Pandadoc: The Tool that Led to $85k+ in Revenue Last Month!
I have posted a number of times about 17hats, a tool that represented my first foray into the world of automation! For several years, I used 17hats for contracts, invoicing, questionnaires, client management, email templates and more. It also has a ton of other features that I’ve never used, including client portals, and workflows.
I honestly still think that 17hats is probably the best tool for a beginner on a budget. It’s so cheap, pretty easy to use, and has a ton of different functions. In terms of value, I don’t think you can beat 17hats.
At this point, though, I’m not a beginner and I’m not on a strict budget. I invested $10,000 this summer on a process consultant to help me learn what I could do to be even more efficient than I already am! I’m learning a lot and I’m excited to bring back the information through an IEC-specific lens.
One of the tools she showed me is my new favorite: PandaDoc!
Unlike the way I was using 17hats (sending out boring proposals, contracts, and invoices separately) PandaDoc combines all three into one incredibly professional-looking document. 17hats can technically do this as well, but I found it to be glitchy and problematic so I never used the proposal function. We just sent out contracts and invoices separately when needed. Plus, they did not look as streamlined as they could, in my opinion. This has been totally different - it looks amazing and we haven’t needed to rush to send someone a contract when they want to move forward!
I am the least sales-y person in the world, and typical sales techniques are such a turn-off to me both as a consumer and an entrepreneur. That said, I can definitely see the value of getting that contract right in front of the prospective client even if they aren’t sure they want it. Prospective clients are able to act on impulse instead of having to think the decision through, email me to say they want to move forward, wait for the contract, and so forth.
Finally, it represents the way the college admissions process will be while working together. I’m professional, organized, and know what I’m doing - I make life as easy and smooth as possible for my clients. I can also put together a damn good package and tie it up with a pretty bow.
Reasons I’m Loving PandaDoc:
-It saves a ton of time - instead of sending three different documents at three different times, I can send everything together with less than a minute and a click of a button. It’s actually so quick and easy that I don’t even have my assistant do it, I just do it myself.
-It also cuts down on a lot of post-meeting questions because all of the information is right there and immediately accessible.
-It offers a comparison of multiple different options. If prospective clients are on the fence about their choice of package, they can even select a different option right there in the proposal and the new invoice will automatically pop up - no need to cancel the first or resend a different version!
-It’s a showstopper marketing piece that will differentiate its users from other educational consultants that send a boring follow up “thank you for coming in” email - yet at the same time, it’s not pushy at all!
-It has very advanced analytics that allow me to see who is clicking, on what, and when. This gives me insight on who is interested in moving forward, even if they aren’t following up.
Reasons Why It’s Not Perfect:
-It requires some ramp-up time, and I underestimated how long it would take me to familiarize myself with the system and how to use it. Once I did, it became very easy to use - but I would not say that it’s the most intuitive process. 17hats is very simple and easy.
-PandaDoc is much more expensive than 17hats. My plan costs $588/yr with an annual commitment, or $59 on a month-to-month basis. This only includes access for one user. My 17hats plan costs a fraction of this amount and allows for multiple users within a business (i.e. admins). It also has many more functions, whereas this is for contracts alone.
-While I understand that this is not an all-in-one tool like 17hats, I don’t see why PandaDoc couldn’t have incorporated a questionnaire system. Questionnaires and contracts aren’t too far apart from each other in terms of what needs to happen (a document is sent to a client, filled out, and sent back) and it would have made my life a lot simpler to have both in the same program!
As you can see in the screen shot of my dashboard above, I made $85,000 through PandaDoc this past month - and that doesn’t even represent all of my revenue. I do well on a monthly basis, but not that well!
For me, the decision to keep using it was a no-brainer.
I didn’t include most of my proposal in the screen shots - just a few parts. I also have a detailed comparison of packages, a testimonials section, and more!
Are you drinking the kool-aid yet? Here are my recommendations for next steps:
Sign up for your own account here using my referral link. I am not compensated for this post, by the way, nor does PandaDoc know I’m writing it - my thoughts are my own!
If you need the actual contract templates to include, you can purchase mine (all put together specifically for IECs by an attorney) here. I also have employee and contractor templates on the site as well.
If you’re having trouble getting started, book a strategy session. I am a PandaDoc Partner and can help you get this up and running much faster than you’d be able to do on your own.