As a telco business, you’re familiar with the challenge of managing complex, ever-changing product catalogs, which can slow down the sales process. In your fast-paced industry, you’ll want a tool that helps improve your sales efficiency to gain that competitive edge over others. To streamline your quote-to-cash cycle, consider utilizing Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) software.
CPQ software can be a transformative tool that can benefit your telco business in more ways than just faster quoting. The positive ripple effect of implementing this tool is significant. Learn how telco companies are using CPQ tools to solve common pain points in the sales cycle for enterprises and how they can maximize your revenue.
What Is Telco CPQ?
CPQ is an acronym that stands for Configure, Price, Quote. It refers to a type of system designed to help sales teams configure complex products and services, set accurate pricing and generate professional quotes quickly. A telco-specific CPQ tool differs from the more generic options.
In addition to basic CPQ features, telco CPQs are also designed to support telco-specific capabilities, such as:
- Bundle management
- Bespoke pricing logic
- Intricate contract terms
- Hierarchical account structures
- Automated renewals and add-ons
- Bulk updates for large-scale deals
- Multiregional, multi-currency support
- Industry-specific rules and integrations
- Scalability without performance degradation
How CPQ Solves Common Sales Hurdles
Telecom companies utilize the automation and streamlining capabilities of CPQ tools to address common sales hurdles within the industry.
Reduces quote errors and revenue loss
Manual quoting processes are slow and prone to errors. But in the competitive telecom industry, there is no time to waste—slow responses can mean the difference between winning and losing a deal. Manual quoting processes can thus be a significant source of revenue leakage.
Understanding how to reduce quote errors with CPQ tools is crucial. CPQ tools help automate these processes by generating accurate quotes quickly through smart, built-in product configuration and pricing rules. There’s no need for multiple manual entries. With improved quote accuracy, CPQs inherently help protect telecoms’ revenue margins.
Simplifies complex product catalogs
Telco companies often have complex product catalogs. Manually configuring them to be specific to each consumer can be challenging and time-consuming. For instance, reps spend a bulk of their time on non-selling tasks, such as product configuration, pricing and quote building. This time could be spent on meeting potential customers and closing deals.
But CPQ software can manage vast and dynamic product and service bundles. With innovative, automated features, such as guided selling and product logic and rules, sales reps can find the right solutions for consumers in minutes. Reps no longer have to reference complicated catalogs or technical sheets.
Accelerates the sales cycle
A CPQ is a centralized platform where all activities related to the sales cycle are managed. With its automation capabilities and high accuracy, sales reps can easily generate quotes from complex product configurations and pricing models.
Whether they’re dealing with existing or potential customers, this speed helps enhance their experience—and increase the chances of closing a deal. Time is money in a fast-paced industry like telecommunications.
How Does a CPQ Increase Revenue?
CPQ software can also help telecom companies increase their revenue through more effective selling strategies and shorter deal cycles. Here’s how they help drive top-line growth:
- Enhances selling opportunities: CPQs can offer smart upsell and cross-sell recommendations. These guided suggestions can help increase the average deal value without added complexity or time for the sales rep.
- Accelerates quotes and deals: CPQs enable reps to build quotes faster and, as a result, accelerate deal closures. Faster, more accurate quotes lead to a higher win rate.
- Improves product and price strategies: CPQs track each transaction, which can reveal interesting insights. Leaders can use CPQ data analytics to identify popular product bundles and optimize pricing strategies.
What Is CPQ Data Analytics?
CPQ data analytics refers to the ability to analyze product and sales data generated by CPQ software. You can use these sales trends to better understand where your telco business stands. It ultimately enables you to make data-driven decisions based on real-world business insights, helping to improve your telco’s sales processes and revenue.
CPQ analytics can be drawn from data related to:
- Product configurations
- Pricing effectiveness
- Sales performance
- Consumer preferences
- Process efficiencies
For example, CPQ data can reveal which products are being quoted most often versus which are actually being sold. Company leaders can analyze the performance of sales reps and their quote-to-close ratios.
Analysts further highlighted the role of CPQ data analytics in a 2025 Omdia survey, stating the top priorities for telco software. These priorities are to automate operations and improve the consumer experience. This can be done through CPQ data analytics.
What Industries Use CPQ?
CPQ is an automation technology that can benefit various industries, especially those with similar sales process pain points to telcos. For example, industries with intricate product configurations and fluctuating pricing structures may derive greater benefits than those that do not face these challenges.
Typical industries that use CPQs include:
- Telecommunications
- Software and software as a service (SaaS)
- Financial services
- Manufacturing
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Utilities
- Retail
With so many sectors utilizing this technology, the global CPQ software market may grow from $3 billion to $7 billion between 2024 and 2030. That’s a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 16%.
Telco CPQ FAQs
Refer to the following frequently asked questions (FAQs) about telco CPQs.
Is CPQ worth it for smaller telco providers?
Yes, telco providers can benefit from CPQ software regardless of their size. Smaller providers can gain the same advantages from a CPQ as bigger telcos would. In the telecom industry, fast quoting can mean the difference between growth and stagnation.
What is the best CPQ software for telcos?
The best CPQ software for telecom companies must have features tailored to the industry. Telecom-specific features can include:
- Complexity handling
- Integration capabilities
- Scalability
- User experience
- Support and updates
Choosing a telco CPQ also depends on your business goals, needs and budget. You’ll want a reputable partner with years of experience and a proven track record.
What is the difference between CRM and CPQ?
Customer relationship management (CRM) is a software that helps businesses manage their current potential consumer communications and data. Configure, Price, Quote is an innovative tool that automates specific sales processes. CPQs can typically integrate with different CRMs, enterprise resource planners (ERPs) and billing systems to bring the best outcomes for your company.
Power Your Sales Process with CSG
If you’re looking for a true competitive edge, don’t settle for a generic CPQ solution—invest in a telco-specific CPQ system. Choose one that addresses your industry’s unique challenges with tailored solutions, enabling you to confidently develop business solutions that drive revenue growth.
It all starts at CSG. We are your expert partner as a telco-specific, AI-powered CPQ solution that unifies your offers under one catalog. CSG Quote & Order can support complex B2B requirements, from contracts and pricing to regulatory compliance.
Schedule a demo today to see how we can help power your sales process.
