The CPQ in Salesforce Breakdown of Features [& How to Optimize the Platform for Better ROI]

The CPQ in Salesforce: Breakdown of Features [& How to Optimize the Platform
for Better ROI]

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The CPQ in Salesforce (Salesforce CPQ) is a strong contender among CPQ solutions, thanks to its
multitude of features, Salesforce’s strong reputation, and the overall quality of products.

For those in the market for a CPQ solution, these reasons may be enough to sway their decision. And we
admit. It’s a solid choice.

But there are two sides to every coin. And when it comes to Salesforce CPQ, there are several
shortcomings to be aware of and–therefore–room for improvement.

Keep reading for a breakdown of the best CPQ in Salesforce features, including what it’s lacking and
how to improve its performance for optimal results.

In this blog, you’ll learn:
• About Salesforce CPQ
• Salesforce CPQ Features: Configuration, Pricing, Quoting
• Downsides to Salesforce CPQ
• How to Optimize Salesforce CPQ

What is Salesforce CPQ?
Salesforce CPQ is the native CPQ software for Salesforce (hence the name). It’s housed in the platform’s
Sales Cloud.

Like other CPQ options on the market, Salesforce CPQ aims to shorten the sales cycle, increase customer
satisfaction and retention, and help close more, bigger deals–all thanks to the automation of the configure,
price, quote process.

With Salesforce CPQ, users can easily pull data from the inventory management and customer
relationship management (CRM) Salesforce systems. This seamless integration nixes the need to toggle
between solutions for all your business needs.

Let’s break down the features in the CPQ in Salesforce according to each stage: configuration, pricing,
and quoting.

Salesforce CPQ — Configuration Features
The following is a summary of core features available on the platform when configuring products:

Guided Selling
Guided selling uses carefully crafted prompts to “guide” sales reps step-by-step down the path to
purchase. Automating the sales process ensures the final purchase matches customer needs with the ideal
product configuration.

Guided selling opens the door to larger deal sizes through the use of AI-driven recommendations (think:
upsells, cross-sells, etc.) Sales reps that lack experience or extensive product knowledge can become top
performers and trusted advisors. Ramping new hires is quicker and easier.
Configuration Rules
Configuring products and orders in Salesforce CPQ is governed by configuration rules–bits of logic
coded into the software’s back-end. Configuration rules ensure the proper configuration of highly
complex orders and remove the possibility of non-viable selections.

Thanks to configuration rules, every design that passes downstream from sales to engineering, and,
ultimately, the shop floor is optimized for customer satisfaction and manufacturing efficiency.

Dynamic Pricing
Dynamic pricing calculates (and recalculates) prices for configurable products in real-time. As reps
configure products, dynamic pricing gives them instant pricing feedback, which they can pass on to
prospective customers if they choose.

Product Catalog
Salesforce CPQ allows users to search, filter, sort, and select items to be added to a quote. All with a
couple of clicks.

Salesforce CPQ — Pricing Features
The CPQ in Salesforce boasts some pretty powerful pricing features as well. Here is the gist of a few
staple ones:

Pricing Flexibility
Salesforce CPQ has the flexibility to accommodate complex pricing models for one-time and recurring
purchases.

Discounting
The platform also lets users manage discounts, at the quote and line level, according to pre-set customer
agreements.

Terms and Conditions
The Terms and Conditions feature ensures that sales reps include the correct terms for each deal. This
can be customized from order to order.

Renewals
Moreover, the CPQ in Salesforce makes it easy to renew contracts based on contracted pricing and
customer histories.

Salesforce CPQ — Quoting Features
Rounding out our breakdown of Salesforce CPQ features are those used for quoting. They include, but
are not limited to:

Quote Document Generation
Once the user is ready to finalize a configured product, the platform auto-generates branded estimates,
proposals, and quotes. These outputs include product descriptions with pricing, terms, conditions, and
visuals in your format of choice (PDF, XLS, Word).

Document Customization
Users can customize standard quote documents with comments, cover letters, supporting documents, and
more, helping tailor quotes to each customers’ preferences and requirements.

Contracts
Once the quote is generated, it can be converted into contracts as deemed necessary. Again, this cuts
down on time needed to provide a personalized customer experience.

Version Control
It’s easy to get confused when users are tracking changes, working in multiple versions, creating new
versions, or reverting to old versions of quotes. Salesforce CPQ’s Version Control feature makes it
effortless.

Downsides to Salesforce CPQ
The CPQ in Salesforce is an excellent fit for many companies, especially those that already operate within
a Salesforce ecosystem. But it does have shortcomings. Here are some areas in which the platform could
be improved:

Visual product configuration. Configuring products using the CPQ in Salesforce relies mainly on text.
It’s a black box. Meanwhile, many of the best CPQ solutions feature visual product configuration.
Users configure products by interacting with 3D product renderings giving them an in-depth
understanding of every choice they make. This enhances the customer experience and increases the
likelihood of positive outcomes.

Self-service. The CPQ in Salesforce is designed for use by sales reps. But we’re entering the “self-service”
era where B2B buyers want to configure, price, and quote products themselves. The lack of a customer-
facing visual configurator detracts from the Salesforce CPQ solution.

Integrations. For businesses using native Salesforce applications, integrating Salesforce CPQ is a breeze.
For those that rely on software provided by other brands that do not have a partnership with Salesforce,
it’s not always so easy.

Speed. Sales reps commonly complain of frustratingly slow page load speed. Every second counts when
your job is to produce as many accurate quotes for highly configurable products as possible.
Drag and drop for line items. Users can’t drag, drop, or rearrange line items on quotes, which slows
things down. Reordering lines means starting from scratch.

How to Optimize Salesforce CPQ with Epicor CPQ
To get the most out of Salesforce CPQ, integrate it with Epicor CPQ.

For seven years, Salesforce and Epicor have been working hand in hand to enhance the CPQ experience
for manufacturers of configurable products. Epicor CPQ complements Salesforce’s strengths with robust
options for rules, visualizations, eCommerce embedding (digital self-service), and more.

Together, they close the loop between sales, manufacturing, and engineering across B2B industries as
diverse as biotech and building supplies.