Sales Automation
Quotes, orders and renewals handled so selling time goes back to selling.
What is sales automation?
Sales automation removes the administrative work around a sale, including quote production, order processing, renewal and repeat order reminders, and commission calculation, so salespeople spend their time on customers rather than paperwork.
Ask a salesperson where their week goes and the answer is rarely selling. It is preparing quotes, chasing an order through internal approval, checking whether stock exists, and arguing about a commission figure.
Each of those has a right answer and none of them needs a salesperson. They persist because they sit between departments, so no single department fixes them.
The most valuable one is usually the least discussed. Repeat and renewal business is the cheapest revenue any company has, and it is routinely lost because nobody was reminded to ask.
Why commission is a trust problem
Duara automates sales operations from Nairobi for businesses where quoting is slow, order processing is manual and repeat business depends on somebody remembering.
We treat commission calculation as a trust problem rather than an arithmetic one. Where a salesperson cannot see how their number was reached they will keep their own spreadsheet, and once that exists you are managing a dispute rather than a sales team.
Who this is for
- Quotes take days to produce
- Orders are chased through internal approval
- Repeat and renewal business gets forgotten
- Commission is disputed every month
Industries we serve
- Equipment and machinery distribution
- Insurance and financial services
- Building materials
- IT and software resellers
- Medical supplies
- Vehicle sales and service
Problems this solves
These are administrative costs sitting between departments, which is why nobody has fixed them.
- Quotes take too long. Pricing, stock and approval have to be checked manually, so a quote takes days and the customer has moved on.
- Orders chased internally. A sold order sits waiting on credit or stock confirmation, and the salesperson becomes the chaser.
- Repeat business forgotten. The cheapest revenue you have is lost because nobody was reminded that a renewal or reorder was due.
- Commission disputed monthly. Salespeople cannot see how the figure was calculated, so they keep their own records and the argument becomes routine.
What we deliver
Quotes generated from live pricing and stock, orders routed automatically through credit and approval, renewal and reorder reminders triggered on the customer own cycle, and commission calculated transparently.
Quotes generated from live pricing and stock
Orders routed through credit and approval automatically
Renewal and reorder reminders on the customer cycle
Commission calculated and shown transparently
Approval rules for discounting applied consistently
Reporting on quote to order conversion
Features
- Commission salespeople can check. The calculation is visible line by line, because an unexplained figure produces a private spreadsheet and a permanent dispute.
- Quotes from live data. Pricing, stock and lead time come from source, so a quote is not promising something you cannot deliver.
- Repeat business chased automatically. Renewals and reorders trigger on the customer own cycle, which is the cheapest revenue most businesses routinely lose.
- Discount rules enforced. Approval thresholds for discounting are applied consistently rather than depending on who asks.
- Conversion measured honestly. Quote to order rates by product and salesperson, reported as they are rather than as anybody would prefer.
Benefits
- Quotes go out same day. Speed of response is frequently the difference between winning and losing a competitive quote.
- Repeat revenue stops leaking. Reminders on the customer cycle recover business that was being lost to nothing more than forgetfulness.
- Commission arguments end. A visible calculation removes the monthly dispute and the private spreadsheets behind it.
- Salespeople sell more. Time moves from internal chasing back to customers, which is the whole point.
Technologies we use
- Quote generation. Building quotes from current pricing, stock and lead time rather than from a stale price list.
- Order routing. Passing orders through credit checking, stock allocation and approval without a person chasing.
- Renewal scheduling. Triggering reminders from each customer own purchase cycle rather than a single global calendar.
- Commission calculation. Applying your commission rules with the working visible to the salesperson.
- Discount control. Applying approval thresholds to discounting consistently across the team.
Live pricing and stock are what make quoting automation worth having. A fast quote that promises unavailable stock damages more than a slow accurate one.
How the process works, step by step
Sales automation usually takes five to eight weeks, and quoting normally goes first because it produces the fastest visible return.
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Step 1
Free sales review
We measure how long quotes take, how much time goes on internal chasing and how repeat business is currently handled.
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Step 2
Quoting first
Quote generation goes live early, since same day quotes produce a visible commercial result quickly.
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Step 3
Order routing
Credit, stock and approval checks are automated so salespeople stop chasing internally.
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Step 4
Renewals switched on
Reorder and renewal reminders begin, usually the highest return element and the least expected.
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Step 5
Commission made visible
Calculation is automated with the working shown, which is what ends the monthly dispute.
Quality assurance and how we work
The commitments attached to automating around a sales team.
- Commission working is always visible. Where a salesperson cannot see how their number was reached they keep a private spreadsheet, and then you are managing a dispute.
- Quotes reflect real stock and pricing. A fast quote promising unavailable stock damages more than a slow accurate one, so we read from source.
- We report conversion as it is. Quote to order rates are reported honestly, including where they are poor, since that is the number worth acting on.
- Discount rules are applied to everybody. Thresholds apply consistently rather than bending for whoever asks, which is usually why they existed.
- We do not automate customer contact without your say. Renewal reminders go to your salesperson by default. Messaging the customer directly is a separate decision.
Frequently asked questions about sales automation
Where does this save the most time?
Quoting and internal chasing, though the largest revenue effect is usually renewal reminders, which nobody expects.
Why are renewals the biggest gain?
Because repeat business is the cheapest revenue you have, and it is routinely lost to nothing more than nobody being reminded to ask.
How fast can quotes be produced?
Same day in most cases, drawn from live pricing and stock rather than a price list that may be out of date.
What if stock is unavailable?
The quote reflects that. A fast quote promising stock you do not have damages more than a slow accurate one.
Does it calculate commission?
Yes, with the working shown line by line, because an unexplained figure produces private spreadsheets and a permanent argument.
Why does showing the working matter?
It converts commission from a trust problem into an arithmetic one. Once a salesperson can check it, the monthly dispute stops.
Can it enforce discount limits?
Yes, applied consistently to everybody, which is usually the reason the thresholds were set in the first place.
Will it contact customers directly?
Not by default. Renewal reminders go to your salesperson, and messaging customers directly is a separate decision you make.
Does it check customer credit?
Yes, as part of order routing, so an order is not accepted against an account that cannot take it.
How long before quoting is automated?
Five to eight weeks overall, with quoting live early because it produces the fastest visible result.
What systems does quoting need behind it?
Your CRM plus the ERP or order system holding pricing and stock, since a quote is only as good as the data behind it.
Can it handle complex product configurations?
Yes, where the rules can be written down. Configurations that live in one person head need documenting first.
What about quote approval for large deals?
Routed by value using your own thresholds, so a large quote gets the review it should.
Will it show conversion by salesperson?
Yes, and we report those figures as they are, including where they are poor, since that is the number worth acting on.
Can it produce quotes in Swahili?
Yes, where you supply the wording. Commercial terms stay yours.
Does it replace salespeople?
No. It removes paperwork that never needed a salesperson, and the customer relationship stays entirely with them.
Will the team resist it?
Less than expected when commission becomes visible. That single change usually converts the sceptics.
Can it handle service renewals as well as products?
Yes, and service renewals are often where the reminder value is highest because the cycle is less visible.
Who can see our pricing and commission data?
Only your own staff under your permissions. Pricing, margins and commission figures are commercially sensitive and never leave your systems.
What does sales automation cost?
Quote volume and system integration determine it, quoted after the sales review.
Glossary of terms
Sales operations terms in plain language.
- Quote to order rate
- The proportion of quotes that become orders, measured by product or salesperson.
- Renewal cycle
- The interval at which a particular customer typically reorders or renews.
- Discount threshold
- The level of discount above which approval is required.
- Credit check
- Confirming a customer account can take a new order before it is accepted.
- Commission rule
- The agreed basis on which a salesperson is paid, including timing and clawback.
- Order routing
- Moving an order through internal checks without somebody chasing each one.
Related services in Automation
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