I’m looking at bidding software. How does Pro-posel compare to Responsibid?
Is there anything Responsibid has/offers, that Pro-posel doesn’t?
Would it work to use Jobber for bids instead of either of the bidding software?
I need a CRM for organizing my customer data base, what do you guys recommend?
Right now I’m just using Quickbooks for estimates and invoicing. It would be nice to see what a bid looks like in both
If you use a bidding software like Responsibid and a CRM like Customer Factor that syncs with Responsibid, you’ll be best off. Responsibid has a lot of features of a CRM (handling customer data, like phone, email, address, etc in addition to managing automated follow-up and schedule reminder emails). However, it isn’t QUITE a fully functioning CRM yet.
Hey Jarred,
I work with Curt at ResponsiBid, and he is busy at a trade show right now, so I set up a user account here just to answer your question. I think that what Michael said above is true. I would just add one thing…
Our goal with ResponsiBid is not to be just another bidding software. We’ve found that our best (and happiest) users are the ones who take advantage of the built-in automation engine, which allows ResponsiBid to help you manage a large portion of the customer lifecycle.
From their initial bid (whether that happens in person, over the phone, or online)… to following-up with them prior to them deciding to use you… to them pulling the trigger and getting scheduled… to reminding them of their scheduled appointment… to following-up after the job to make sure they’re satisfied… to touching base in 3 or 6 months (or whatever frequency you specify) to get them scheduled again.
We want to help you make more money, by helping you close more bids, at better prices. We do that by helping you present bids in a beautiful way, and then by automating the follow-up, so customers don’t slip through the cracks anymore, especially when you get busy during peak season. Also, in addition to making more money, we want to help you save time, by automating the important and time-consuming stuff (writing a bunch of emails).
If you would like to get set up with a walk-through of the software, let me know. It takes about 15-30 minutes, and theres’s no pushy sales stuff, just looking at how you could integrate the software into your business. Shoot me an email at michael(at)symphosize.com and we can work it into your schedule before things get too busy. Hope this is helpful!
Michael Savage
Symphosize, LLC
michael(at)symphosize.com
“Automate the important. Harmonize your life.”
Pro-posal is amazing if you are really busy and need to streamline your quoting process to put out killer quotes quickly from anywhere. in my opinion, it’s the most flexible, powerful software out there that generates the best-looking quotes.
otherwise, crm’s like jobber and tcf will do a nice job of putting out solid proposals. they just aren’t as task-specific as proposal.
in my opinion, responsibid isn’t great for custom quotes. you have to run all quotes through the package builder which either limits, or makes clunky, andy kind of custom proposal. you also can’t attach cover letters, insurance docs, photos, etc to a quote in responsibid. and it’s limited when it comes to commercial quotes. great sales tool, but flexible custom quoting is just not what it’s built for.
another option would be something like invoice2go. it does a nice job of creating invoices and quotes, and tracking accounts receivable. the interface is great and i believe there’s a free version that’s pretty robust.
Ok, so it has a lot more to offer than say Pro-posel? Can Pro-Posel do automated follow ups? When I talked with the people with Responsibid they said with the discount I would get it for something like $110 per month… I can’t afford that as of now. Thanks for Chiming in!
You replied right before I was replying to Michael… So disregard my last post. Thanks for the insight! 
Hey Jarred -
Take a look at HouseCall Pro - it allows you to do most of those things from your smartphone (iPhone or Android) and also automatically syncs a web portal. The entire front-part of the workflow you described is automated. You can also be booked by your customers through the [URL=“http://www.appstore.com/housecall”]HouseCall app (sort of like Uber).
The things we are working on building on our roadmap is automatic reminders post job, automatic thank you notes. We will have a simpler streamlined booking widget for you website as well.
Does HouseCall sell something to consumers as well? Seems like the focus is split between consumers and contractors, similar to how Angie’s List is. Not sure that’s been talked about on here yet, if I’m understanding properly…
Hey Michael -
Yeah you understand that correctly. Except for it’s free for homeowners, and there is no listing/advertising fee for professionals either!
HouseCall Pro is the app & web portal that professionals use to run their business.
HouseCall, is a booking app, that homeowners can use to request professionals services. This comes as a feature which you can enable or disable (although most companies using [URL=“http://www.tryhousecall.com/pro”]HouseCall Pro tend to value being ahead of the rest of the market/competition).
It’s very similar to a Responsibid installation, but not for the web. HouseCall is purely mobile, and now that people have an app for almost anything, they can book you straight from an app. Your existing customers will only see you in your category (ex. windows & exterior).
[MENTION=38673]MichaelSavage[/MENTION]
Hi Michael,
Thanks for the reply! I have actually had a tour with David about what Responsibid has to offer. I am interested in an automated follow up system. However I don’t currently see justification for the price of Responsibid compared to Proposel. Is there much that’s different between the two softwares? I appreciate you chiming in!
[MENTION=38534]rolandal[/MENTION]
Hi, thanks for letting me know about HouseCall! I’ll let you know if I’m interested.
Hey Jarred,
That’s cool that you’ve had the tour with David. Feel free to email me if you have any specific questions about the software. In regards to your question about the comparison between ResponsiBid and Pro-posal, I’m not 100% certain of all of the features that Pro-posal has, but based on what I’ve seen on this site and what their website says, there is sort of an apples to oranges comparison between ResponsiBid and Pro-posal.
Pro-posal, at it’s core, seems to be about enabling you to easily create a custom proposal, attach photos and PDFs, and send it by email to your prospect.
ResponsiBid at it’s core, is more of a management software than Pro-posal. ResponsiBid gathers and stores customer data, helps systematize the way you offer pricing, so you, your crew, your customer, your wife or anyone can bid jobs in person, over the phone, or on your website. ResponsiBid presents the bid, fully automates the sales and follow-up communication with the customer, and gives you powerful reports so you can track which advertising/marketing methods are working, and which aren’t.
Pro-posal seems to do a good job at what it specializes in, and I’ve heard good things from a lot of their customers. The products aren’t really competitors though, because ResponsiBid isn’t JUST a bidding tool. It is so much more.
Hope that helps!
[MENTION=38673]MichaelSavage[/MENTION]
Thank you for that detailed response! I’ll plan on emailing you.
Yeah, very informative.
EDIT: I’ll add that Curt from ResponsiBid and Dave from Pro-posal are both great guys who have put a lot into the industry.
Here for you when you need me! 
