Top Features to Look in Sales Configurator 2024

A sales configurator is a tool that can revolutionize the way your sales team works, enabling them to easily customize complex products and services to meet customer needs.

But not all sales configurators are created equal. To ensure you choose the right solution for your business, here are the top features to look for in a sales configurator:

User-Friendly Interface

Sales configurators also knows as product configurators must be intuitive and easy to use for both your sales team and your customers. A cluttered or overly technical interface can slow down the sales process and discourage users.

Look for a tool with a clean, visual interface that allows users to quickly configure products without extensive training.

A drag-and-drop functionality or step-by-step configuration process can make the tool even more accessible, reducing friction and improving the user experience.

Real-Time Pricing and Quoting

One of the most crucial features in a sales configurator is real-time pricing updates.

As salespeople or customers make changes to their configurations—whether it's adding features, removing components, or selecting different options—the price should automatically adjust.

This refers to Visual CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote), which promotes transparent pricing that assists customers in adhering to their budgets.

Furthermore, the capability for automatic quote generation optimizes the sales workflow by immediately creating precise, polished quotes, minimizing human error, and accelerating the time to close deals.

Real-time Product Visualization

Seeing is believing, especially when it comes to configuring complex products. A sales configurator with real-time 3D product visualization lets customers see exactly what they're buying.

Real-time product visualization gives them confidence in their choices and reduces uncertainty, whether it's a piece of furniture, a car, or a house.

Interactive visuals and 3D product displays, where customers can rotate, zoom, or even change different color and design options, can significantly enhance the overall buying experience.

Rule-Based Configuration

A rule-based engine is essential for managing the complexity of product configurations. This feature ensures that only valid combinations of products and features are allowed, preventing configuration errors.

By automating compliance with product constraints and business rules, the rule-based configurator can prevent incorrect or impossible orders, ensuring that what is promised to the customer can actually be delivered.

This feature also reduces the need for product knowledge across the sales team, allowing even new or less experienced salespeople to configure complex products confidently.

Integration with eCommerce, CRM and ERP Systems

A sales configurator should seamlessly integrate with your existing eCommerce platform, CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems.

This ensures that all relevant data such as customer details, inventory, pricing, and order history - flows smoothly between your systems, reducing manual data entry and improving accuracy.

Integration also allows sales teams to access a complete view of the customer journey, making it easier to track orders, manage customer relationships, and forecast sales performance.

Mobile Accessibility

With sales teams increasingly working on the go, mobile accessibility is more important than ever.

A mobile-friendly sales configurator allows your team to configure products, generate quotes, and close deals from anywhere, whether they're at a client's office or a trade show.

Cloud-based or mobile-optimized configurators can empower your sales team to stay productive no matter where they are, increasing responsiveness and enabling faster decision-making.

Automated Document Generation

Once the configuration is complete, the ability to automatically generate supporting documents such as product spec sheets, print-ready files, Bill of Materials (BOMs), and assembly instructions, including SKUs, parts, finishes, etc. - saves time and eliminates manual errors.

Automated document generation ensures that everything from technical specifications to legal terms is accurately reflected in the documents, providing a smooth handoff between sales and production.

This feature is particularly valuable for industries that deal with complex sales cycles or highly customized products, where accuracy and attention to detail are critical.

Support for Multi-Language and Multi-Currency

If your business operates internationally, your sales configurator should support multiple languages and currencies.

This allows your sales team to serve customers from different regions, tailoring configurations to local market requirements while maintaining consistency in pricing and product options.

This feature is also important for providing a seamless customer experience across global markets, ensuring that customerscan configure and order products in their preferred language and currency.

Analytics and Reporting

Understanding your sales performance and customer preferences is key to improving your business strategies.

A sales configurator with analytics and reporting capabilities provides valuable insights into which products are most popular, which configurations are most frequently selected, and where the sales process might be slowing down.

These insights can help your sales and marketing teams optimize their strategies, target high-value customers, and make data-driven decisions to improve performance.

Scalability

As your business grows, your sales configurator should be able to scale with you. Look for a solution that can handle anincreasing number of users, products, and configurations without compromising on performance.

A scalable 3D product configurator ensures that your sales process remains efficient as your business expands into new markets or product lines.

Opt for a configurator that can easily accommodate new features, products, and business rules, allowing you to stay agile and responsive to market demands.

Why You Need a Sales Configurator

A well-designed sales configurator can be a game-changer for businesses dealing with complex products and services.

By streamlining the sales process, enhancing customer experience, and reducing errors, it empowers your team to close deals faster and with greater accuracy.

The right sales configurator is more than just a tool—it's a strategic investment that can drive your business's success in a competitive marketplace.

Book a free consultation today and discover how the VividWorks 3D Product Configurator can empower your team to close deals faster and more efficiently.