If you run a B2B sales team, you already know that sending out proposals, contracts, and quotes is a slog. The right document automation tool can save you hours and headaches, but picking one—well, that's a whole new headache. Between flashy marketing and endless feature lists, it’s hard to know what actually matters.
Let's break it down. This guide isn’t just for IT or ops folks. It’s for sales leaders, ops, and even founders who want to move fast, close more, and not get burned by a clunky tool. We'll compare Pandadoc with its main competitors and show you how to make a call you won’t regret.
1. Know What B2B Sales Teams Actually Need
Before you dive into demos and free trials, get real about what your team actually does and where things get stuck.
The must-haves: - Templates & Reuse: Can you build and reuse templates for proposals, quotes, and contracts? - E-signatures: Is collecting signatures dead simple for your clients? - Collaboration: Can sales, legal, and others comment or edit without a mess of email threads? - Integrations: Does it connect with your CRM (like Salesforce or HubSpot), and does that actually work in practice? - Tracking: Can you see when clients open, edit, or sign a doc? - Access control: Can you lock down sensitive info so reps and clients only see what they should? - Ease of setup: Can you get it working without a full-time admin?
Watch out for: - Bells and whistles you’ll never use—AI writing tools, interactive videos, or “advanced analytics” that nobody reads. - Overly complicated workflows that might look powerful but slow down your team.
2. The Main Contenders: Pandadoc vs. The Rest
Let's look at the real options sales teams usually consider:
- Pandadoc: Easy templates, solid e-signature, strong integrations, decent tracking. Good for teams who want to move fast.
- DocuSign: The e-signature giant. Reliable, but templates and workflow features are less flexible for sales teams.
- HelloSign (Dropbox Sign): Simple, easy to use, but not as full-featured for document generation or sales workflows.
- Proposify: Built specifically for sales proposals. Slick editor, but can get pricey and less customizable.
- Qwilr: Modern, web-based proposals with interactive elements. Great for design-forward teams, but can be overkill for basic contracts.
- Adobe Acrobat Sign: Enterprise-ready, strong compliance, but not built for sales teams’ daily grind.
Pro tip: Ignore anything that isn’t battle-tested by real sales teams. If you can’t find reviews or case studies from companies like yours, move on.
3. How to Run a Reality Check on Features
Most tools claim to “streamline your workflow.” Here’s how to see past the hype:
a. Set Up a Test Deal
Take your most common doc—say, an NDA or a proposal. Try to build it in each tool. Don’t just watch the sales demo. Actually click through it yourself.
- How many clicks to build and send?
- Can you make changes without a designer or IT?
- How easy is it to pull in client or deal data from your CRM?
- Is sending it to the client intuitive, or do you need to explain it over email?
b. Test with Real Team Members
Get a couple of sales reps (not just your admin) to use the tool for a week. Watch for: - Complaints about slow loading or confusing steps. - Workarounds or hacks they invent to get things done—these are red flags.
c. Involve Legal and Ops Early
Don’t wait until rollout to get your legal or compliance team involved. Make them try the approval and redlining process. If it’s not simple, your deals will stall.
4. Honest Pros and Cons: Pandadoc and Its Rivals
Let’s cut through the sales pitches. Here’s what actually works—and what can bite you.
Pandadoc
What works: - Templates are fast to set up and easy for reps to use. - CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive) are robust and don’t constantly break. - Commenting and redlining are pretty intuitive. - Pricing is fair for small to midsize teams.
What doesn’t: - The document editor can feel clunky on large, complex docs. - The design options are... fine, but nothing fancy. - Occasional bugs with formatting when importing from Word or PDF.
DocuSign
What works: - E-signature is rock solid. - Compliance features keep legal happy. - Enterprise-grade security.
What doesn’t: - Templates and workflows are less flexible for sales use. - Interface feels dated. - Expensive for what you get if you only need sales workflows.
HelloSign
What works: - Super easy to use. - Good for simple signature collection.
What doesn’t: - Not built for full document assembly or sales collaboration. - Weak on complex workflows and integrations.
Proposify
What works: - Strong proposal-building and analytics. - Nice for teams focused on presentations and design-heavy docs.
What doesn’t: - Learning curve is steeper. - Less flexible for contracts or non-proposal docs.
Qwilr
What works: - Beautiful, interactive web-based proposals. - Impresses design-conscious clients.
What doesn’t: - Can feel like overkill for straightforward sales documents. - Limited export and offline options.
Adobe Acrobat Sign
What works: - Trusted name, strong compliance. - Handles big, complex documents well.
What doesn’t: - Not built with sales teams in mind—setup takes time. - UI feels heavy; not for teams that want to move fast.
5. Don’t Ignore These Common Pitfalls
- Overbuying: It’s easy to get sold on “enterprise” features you’ll never use. Pay for what you need now.
- Underestimating change management: If your team hates the tool, they’ll revert to old habits—Word docs, PDFs, messy email chains.
- Not testing integrations: Just because a tool “integrates with Salesforce” doesn’t mean it does it well. Test it with your real data.
- Ignoring support: Fast, helpful support will save your skin when something breaks at quarter-end.
6. Make the Call: A Simple Checklist
Here’s how to actually choose:
- List your top 3 workflows (e.g., proposal, contract, NDA).
- Test each tool with those workflows—don’t just watch demos.
- Bring in real users from sales, legal, and ops for feedback.
- Score each tool: Ease of use, integrations, support, price.
- Ignore “maybe someday” features. Focus on what solves your pain today.
- Start small. Roll out to a few reps first, then expand.
Summary: Don’t Overthink It
Document automation isn’t magic, and no tool will fix a broken process. Start simple. Pick the tool your team will actually use, not the one with the flashiest demo. If it solves your biggest workflow headaches and doesn’t annoy your reps, you’re on the right track. Test, learn, and don’t be afraid to switch if it’s not working—iteration beats perfection.