Overview
Proposal Bundling lets you combine multiple proposals into a single grouped offer for a customer. It’s ideal for "pick one" scenarios where the customer is choosing between distinct options, such as varying levels of service or materials. Instead of overwhelming them with multiple proposals, bundling streamlines their decision-making process and improves your close rate tracking.
For example, you might present two proposals for window installation:
One for minimal work (lower cost)
One for your recommended option (higher value, with extras like weather stripping or upgraded materials)
With bundling, both are presented together and the customer chooses the one that suits them best.
This article will review:
Video Tutorial
What is a Bundle?
A proposal bundle consists of two or more proposals created for the same contact.
Bundles can sometimes be confused with Options, but the two perform different functions. The key difference between bundling and standard proposal options is:
- Bundle = customer picks one proposal from a set of unique proposals
- Options = customer can pick any number of optional line items within a single proposal
Bundled proposals count as one proposal in your reports. If you send three standalone proposals and only one gets accepted, your close rate is 33%. But if those same proposals are bundled, and one is accepted, your close rate becomes 100%.
Bundling improves presentation and gives you more accurate sales data.
Bundling and Unbundling Proposals
Bundling Proposals
If you have two Open proposals for the same contact that you would like to bundle together:
1. Go to one of the proposals.
2. Open the Actions menu and choose Bundle.
3. Select one or more additional proposals to include.
4. Click to confirm the bundle.
You can also click the Bundle New... tab from within an open proposal to create a brand new bundled proposal directly.
Each proposal in a bundle still behaves like a standalone proposal. You can set unique options, offer codes, and payment terms for each one.
When viewing a set of bundled proposals, you will see a tab for each one above the line items.
- The default proposal is indicated by an asterisk.
- The proposal you are viewing and editing bold and highlighted in blue.
- The proposal tabs can be dragged into any order and will display in that order on the customer view.
Unbundling Proposals
To remove a proposal from a bundle:
1. Open the proposal.
2. Click the Unbundle button in the Actions menu.
3. Confirm the change. The proposal will return to a standalone state and can be re-bundled later if needed.
Bundle Display Options
Original Layout: Tabs
When the customer receives the proposal bundle, it works the same as if they were just receiving a single proposal. The difference is they will now see tabs and the title for each proposal in the bundle. The default proposal will be shown and selected automatically. They can then tap on a different tab to see the other proposals in the bundle. The active bundle will be highlighted with bold text and an underline.
As they click from proposal to proposal, the total at the top will be updated. ServiceMinder records a "view" event for each proposal viewed in the bundle, so you'll be able to tell which proposal they may be more interested in.
When they are ready to accept, it works just like a standalone proposal. They will choose what options they want, enter an offer code if available or select a payment plan (which may also apply an offer code). They'll then sign and enter payment info (if required). You'll then receive a notification indicating which proposal they accepted. In addition, the bundle will be re-arranged so the selected proposal is now the default one.
New Layout: Cards
Each proposal in the bundle will be it's own "Card", and the one currently being viewed will be highlighted in color:
The customer will click "select" to see that particular proposal's details below the cards. Note that there's a title, a description and total displayed on the Cards.
Adjusting the Display
To switch between the Tab and Card views, go to Control Panel > Proposals > Presentation section, and turn on the Card View setting.
The box below, titled Bundle Cards Template, allows you to use Shortcodes and Markdown to customize what displays in each card. This only applies to the Card layout.
FAQs
How can I bundle more than two proposals together?
The best workflow is to create all of the proposals first, then hit Bundle. The system does not support bundling existing bundles together; only individual proposals can be added to a bundle. To avoid confusion, give each proposal a unique title before bundling.
