New Channelnomics research shows that slow, inaccurate quoting is frustrating partners, delaying sales cycles, and putting vendor revenue at risk.
By Larry Walsh
For months, Channelnomics has heard from partners about all the friction they experience in working with their respective vendors. Perhaps the most frustrating friction point is sales quoting. While vendors are often aware that poor quoting systems create poor partner experiences, they don’t realize how much it’s costing them.
In enterprise technology, sales cycles can be excruciatingly long. Some opportunities take six to nine months to convert to a sale — if they even close at all. That process doesn’t start until there’s a quote on the table. While the sales process is a marathon, the quoting process needs to be a sprint.
For many partners, obtaining an accurate quote remains a time-consuming process filled with delays, revisions, and manual approvals. While configure, price, quote (CPQ) systems have become commonplace, the reality is that quoting remains a persistent operational challenge. New research from Channelnomics reveals that the problem is not only frustrating partners but also creating measurable business risk for vendors.
The findings come from a survey of 466 resellers, integrators, and managed service providers across North America and Europe. The results paint a picture of a sales process that struggles to meet the expectations of modern technology buyers.
One of the most striking findings is the amount of time required to generate quotes. While customers increasingly expect near-instant pricing information, many partners report waiting days or even weeks to receive vendor quotes. One-third of partners say it can take one to two weeks to obtain a quote from a vendor. In an environment where customers have multiple purchasing options and shorter attention spans, such delays can create significant competitive disadvantages.
Accuracy is equally important as speed, yet many partners report that quotes often require multiple rounds of revisions before they’re ready for customers. Some vendors have strived for “first-time-right quoting” but fail to achieve it. Most partners say they must return to vendors three or more times to correct configurations, pricing, or discount structures. More than one-third report needing five or more revision cycles. Every revision adds time to the sales cycle, increases administrative burden, and raises the risk that customers will lose confidence in the purchasing process.
Meanwhile, customer expectations continue to evolve. Technology buyers increasingly want the same convenience they experience as consumers when shopping online — the so-called “Amazon Effect.” Channelnomics found that 40% of B2B technology buyers are demanding greater pricing transparency, while nearly half want more online purchasing options with immediate pricing and transaction capabilities. Customers no longer view lengthy quote turnaround times as a normal part of the buying process.
The consequences of failing to meet these expectations are substantial. Partners report that customers are willing to explore alternatives when vendors and partners can’t respond quickly enough. Fast, transparent quoting is becoming a competitive requirement rather than a value-added feature.
For partners, the impact is already measurable. Partners are losing sales to their competitors because they can’t get fast, accurate quotes from their vendors. And that’s costing vendors revenue and market share.
The good news is that partners have clear ideas about how vendors can improve. Their recommendations for reducing friction and increasing accuracy share a common theme: reducing complexity and eliminating unnecessary manual processes.
Quoting may seem like a back-office function, but it has become a critical component of customer experience, sales velocity, and competitive positioning. Vendors that streamline pricing structures, automate approvals, improve transparency, and empower partners with better tools can shorten sales cycles and strengthen customer relationships. Those that fail to modernize risk losing business to competitors that can deliver faster, simpler, and more predictable buying experiences.
To learn more about the findings and discover specific recommendations for improving quoting performance, download the Channelnomics report, “Inside the Channel Quoting Challenge,” below. The report is complimentary to CiQ members; non-CiQ members may request a copy by e-mailing us at info@channelnomics.com.
