A must-read guide for CPQ buyers
Think CPQ will slow down your sales reps or add complexity to your process? Think again.
Modern CPQ solutions are built to streamline sales operations, shorten your sales cycle, and help your team close more deals, faster and more accurately.
We know change can be met with resistance. That’s why we created this guide: to address the most common misconceptions and objections around CPQ implementation—and show you the real value it delivers.
Regardless of its value, my sales reps will never adopt it.
You would think this to be true because…
Adoption is the most important thing to consider when implementing a new sales solution. If your sales reps won’t use it, there’s no chance you’ll gain any benefit from it.
There are lots of reasons sales reps might not adopt a new solution:
- They’re tired of new tools being thrown at them.
- They believe that these tools are designed to help management first and foremost.
- They know that new tools often mean more work for them, and they’ve already got enough work keeping them tied to their desks rather than on sales calls.
Why this misconception doesn’t hold up…
Implementing the right CPQ solution for your organization will not only encourage your sales reps to adopt the new approach but also make them its advocates.
Modern CPQ solutions use AI and automation to reduce the time sales reps spend creating quotes. They feature sales playbooks that guide selling. Reps simply follow the workflow, answer the questions based on their customers’ needs, and generate a quote. This simplifies quoting and accelerates sales team adoption of the tool.
Data automatically syncs with your CRM. Sales reps actually have less admin work and are better positioned to sell.
CPQ just isn’t a solution well-suited for our organization.
You would think this to be true because…
Without previous CPQ experience, it’s very easy to say that CPQ solutions don’t provide any value. Whether or not you actually believe in the benefits of CPQ depends on your role within the organization.
Why this misconception doesn’t hold up…
CPQ solutions offer value in various ways across different organizational roles.
Role |
Value of CPQ Software |
|---|---|
Sales Reps |
Automatically generates quotes and updates CRM entries, reducing admin work and accelerating deal velocity so reps can focus on selling. |
Sales Operations |
Helps evaluate and implement tools that increase sales effectiveness; CPQ benefits multiple teams, reinforcing your role in driving efficiency. |
Channel Partners |
Provides access to the same sales and configuration tools as internal teams, leveling the playing field and improving partner productivity. |
Order Entry |
Reduces quote errors and rejected orders by ensuring proper configurations and pricing approvals, minimizing conflicts with sales over order issues. |
Engineering |
Reduces back-and-forth on product specs by ensuring only feasible, pre-approved configurations are quoted—freeing engineers to focus on product innovation. |
Finance |
Ensures pricing compliance, accelerates revenue recognition, and improves forecasting accuracy with standardized quote and approval workflows. |
Legal/Deal Desk |
Speeds up contract and approval processes by enforcing guardrails for discounts, terms, and deal structure—reducing risk and shortening deal cycles. |
IT |
Simplifies system architecture through integration with CRM and ERP, reduces manual processes, and lowers support burden with self-service automation. |
It will just add more work for my sales reps.
You would think this to be true because…
There’s a very good chance your sales reps are already working hard to configure solutions and generate professional-looking sales quotes. They have a tool for configuring the right products, use a spreadsheet to determine pricing, and use Word to write up their proposals.
After they’ve put everything together, they’ll still need to get approvals for their quotes and key everything into their CRM.
Who can blame a sales rep for thinking a new sales tool like a CPQ will add more work? And who can blame a sales manager for embracing the notion?
Why this misconception doesn’t hold up…
Modern CPQ solutions eliminate the manual effort that slows down your sales reps. Instead of jumping between configuration tools, spreadsheets, Word docs, and the CRM, reps can generate quotes and proposals in just a few clicks, accurately and automatically.
Quote data flows directly into your CRM, eliminating the need for duplicate entry. Approval workflows are built in, so reps no longer have to chase down managers or engineers via email. Everything they need—product configuration, pricing, terms, approvals—is centralized and streamlined.
With solutions like DealHub, engagement tracking and opportunity data are captured automatically, providing deeper insights without added effort. Built-in validation ensures reps can only send quotes that meet pricing and technical requirements, significantly reducing costly order errors and rework.
AI-powered CPQ takes this even further, accelerating the quoting process with real-time configuration and pricing logic. Generative AI can also create accurate, personalized proposals in seconds, reducing back-and-forth and freeing up reps to focus on what matters most: closing deals.
We don’t need a CPQ – our quotes and configurations are simple.
You would think this to be true because…
There are many solutions available to help sales reps create sales quotes, including Microsoft Word and Excel. Why waste money on a quoting solution when our organization doesn’t require that level of operational sophistication?
Why this misconception doesn’t hold up…
So, you may not need the “C” (Configure) in CPQ, and maybe you don’t need the “P” (Price) either, but what about the “Q”? Does putting out a consistent, professional, branded Quote not hold value for your organization?
When sales reps create quotes, who reviews them? Do they adhere to your corporate branding guidelines? Do they project the professionalism your organization is trying to convey? Have they received the necessary approvals before being sent to the customers?
Even if configuring your solutions is simple, you still need to price them correctly. You could
have a proposal priced and generated automatically, or you can spend some time in Word,
manually constructing your quote.
Really, it’s an easy choice. Not only does automation reduce time costs, it also ensures that your team is sending out consistent, professional-looking proposals only after passing through your approval process.
We have a CRM – we don’t need another quoting tool.
You would think this to be true because…
Many CRMs offer a quoting module, and many organizations make do with them. The default
quoting modules built into CRMs can even print out pricing tables.
Why this misconception doesn’t hold up…
The built-in quoting functionality in CRMs is very basic and consists of filtered product searches, allowing you to look up and add SKUs to your quote. There’s a reason they call them quoting modules and not CPQ modules – they can’t help you configure solutions.
They also have limited ability to dynamically determine prices and discounts based on your pricing model, and can’t guide sales reps through upsells and cross-sells.
If you only have a few SKUs to quote, a quoting module in your CRM may serve your needs. But, if any of the following strike a chord with you, you should consider implementing a CPQ solution:
- You have 10 or more SKUs/options that sales reps must consider when creating a quote.
- Your sales reps are creating and sending out quotes in whatever format they like, with whatever text they choose, and without going through an approval process.
- Your sales representatives are offering unauthorized discounts, which are negatively impacting your margins.
- Your products have pricing and configuration dependencies that must be considered when generating a quote.
Our solutions are too complex for a CPQ.
You would think this to be true because…
Many organizations have very complex pricing and configuration models. They may involve tiered pricing, multiple-level discounting, bundled products and services, as well as intricate product and quantity dependencies that must be calculated. It’s easy to understand why someone might think a CPQ cannot model these configurations.
Why this misconception doesn’t hold up…
Many organizations believe their configurations are more complex than they are. Just because a solution requires many of the intricacies we just mentioned does not make them too complex to automate.
Regardless of how complex your configurations are, there’s a reason why CPQ starts with a “C.” Configuring is what the technology is designed to do – whether the configuration is simple or complex.
Ultimately, the answer to the question of whether CPQ is right for you, or if a specific CPQ vendor is the right one, comes down to the solution’s ability to model your products and pricing accurately.
There are some CPQ solutions, like DealHub, that can provide a proof of concept in a just a day or two, so you can eliminate the uncertainties and risks and see clearly whether a CPQ solution would work for you. Don’t discount CPQ until you’ve had a look for yourself.
CPQ is great, but it’s just too expensive to justify.
You would think this to be true because…
Last time you checked, that may have been the case. Until recently, there were only a few CPQ vendors and limited competition, resulting in high licensing costs. Add long, complex, and costly implementation procedures, and it’s little wonder that this misconception is so prevalent.
Why this misconception doesn’t hold up…
Today, there are many CPQ vendors to choose from. Some require only days or weeks to implement their solutions. The days of long, costly CPQ setup projects, which can easily make up the bulk of a CPQ’s costs, are also over.
Furthermore, for less than a dollar a day – about the cost of one Venti Starbucks Latte per week – your sales reps can become more efficient. That means responding to more customers more rapidly and closing more deals!
CPQ is too resource-intensive for us to implement and manage.
You would think this to be true because…
CPQs have traditionally required significant resources to implement and manage. It was not uncommon for large organizations to have a devoted team of CPQ administrators. There are still many legacy CPQ solutions in use that require a team to maintain.
Why this misconception doesn’t hold up…
A lot has changed since the early days of CPQ technology. The days of dedicated CPQ teams are numbered. Many CPQs now provide very advanced functionality right out of the box.
These cloud-based enterprise solutions don’t require hard coding. Simply log in and configure them according to your business logic, products, and pricing. Such agile CPQs integrate with and operate as a module within your existing CRM platform, eliminating the need for any technical knowledge to set up and manage.
CPQ solutions, like DealHub, have been designed for easy maintenance by Sales Operations rather than the techies from IT. They utilize simplified user interfaces with basic rule structures and tables, enabling users to make instant changes.
We sell via sales channels, and CPQ can’t help.
You would think this to be true because…
CPQ solutions have traditionally been an extension of the enterprise CRM. Since most companies do not provide partners with access to their CRMs, there was no way to access the CPQ functionality. For those enterprises that offer CRM access to their partners via a portal, additional training and ongoing support have not always been practical.
Why this misconception doesn’t hold up…
Organizations that sell via channels fall into two categories: Those whose channel partners create their own quotes and those that create quotes for their channel partners.
For partners that create their own quotes, CPQs can be an enormous assistance. Unlike your own sales team, which is very familiar with your products and pricing, channels may or may not be well-versed in your products. The more assistance that they receive, the more effective they will be at selling your products.
For partners that don’t create quotes on their own, CPQ enables you to continue creating quotes for them; only you can do it faster and with built-in partner programs automatically priced in.
CPQ provides the edge your sales team needs
In highly competitive markets, winning deals isn’t just about offering the best product—it’s about responding faster, quoting smarter, and presenting your value with clarity and confidence.
CPQ gives your sales team that advantage. It streamlines the entire sales process, from product configuration to pricing to proposal, so that reps can deliver accurate, professional quotes in record time. No more delays. No more errors. No more missed opportunities.
What was once a complex, enterprise-only tool is now accessible, affordable, and essential for sales teams of all sizes. Modern CPQ solutions are built to integrate seamlessly, scale effortlessly, and empower your team to sell more, faster, and with less effort.
When you’re ready to boost productivity, shorten sales cycles, and win more deals, CPQ will help your sales team achieve those goals.
If you have any further objections to implementing CPQ in your sales environment, we’d love to hear them! Give us a few minutes to show you how CPQ can streamline selling while creating deals that win business and delight customers.
About DealHub
DealHub delivers a complete quote-to-revenue platform purpose-built to accelerate sales and drive predictable growth. Our flexible, no-code solution empowers enterprise and mid-market teams to streamline the entire revenue process—from configuration and pricing to contract management, billing, and renewals.
With DealHub CPQ at its core, revenue teams can build custom workflows, adapt quickly to changing business needs, and maintain full control over the sales process. It’s intuitive for users, easy to implement, and seamlessly connects sales, legal, finance, and operations.
DealHub’s unified platform brings consistency to every deal interaction. Digital DealRooms centralize buyer and seller communications, making collaboration easier, faster, and more transparent throughout the deal cycle.
Backed by a guided Sales Playbook and fully integrated CPQ, CLM, Billing, and Subscription Management tools, DealHub enables your team to:
- Generate accurate, real-time quotes
- Accelerate contract approvals
- Deliver personalized, relevant content
- Simplify billing and subscription workflows
- Close bigger, more complex deals, faster
Integrating with leading CRMs (Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics and HubSpot) and trusted by revenue experts such as Deel, Gong, Drift, Intuit, SpotOn, Trintech, and Braze, DealHub ensures faster time to value.
One platform. One source of truth. One seamless revenue motion. That’s the power of DealHub.
