improvement  Copy-Paste from Word File

After experimenting a bit with the legacy tags/classes which get included when you copy-paste content from MS Word file, we managed to get this working for the text editor in Fresh Proposals. 

Depending on the MS Word version you use, there would be few instances where it will throw bit weird things in the text editor. Do let us know and we will try to fix it.

We have also attempted copy-paste from Google Doc, but there is still tags/classes which needs filtering, we are working on it.

improvement  Variables in Content Table + Fees Table

Now you can add placeholder/ variable to content table and fees table. 

1. Adding variable to content table

2. Adding variable to Fees table:

Adding/ updating placeholder variable is slightly different in Fees table (since it is not purely a rich text editor)

announcement  Support for 25 Languages

For the client view, we have introduced language translation for 25 languages. 

We are working with some of you to improve the client side interface translation. Please feel free to reach out to us, if you would like to suggest changes to your preferred language translation.

We will also be adding few more language to the list in next couple of weeks.

improvement  HTML Code in Email Signature

Currently we are supporting HTML code for Email Signature as shown here. You can use email signature in the proposal emails you send to your clients/ prospects.

Remember, copy-pasting from website/ email client may not give you the exactly same signature, since our editor may not have or support the classes/tags/access of your original signature.

fix  Fixed Issue related to

• Extra space in fees table row description

announcement Save Proposal as Template

We have this feature request as a part of product roadmap already. We noticed solid upvotes to it and we implemented it.

There are two ways you can save proposal as template

• Click on the three dots of proposal card and you will see the option (see the screenshot below)

• Right click on the proposal card and you will see the option to save proposal as template

Save a Copy of a proposal

The other variation of saving proposal for re-use is - to save a copy of a proposal. This will create a new proposal and you will be able to assign a client to this new proposal.

announcement Salesflare integration

We have started with Salesflare integration. The essential contact flow from Salesflare CRM to Fresh Proposals can be achieved using this feature. Surprisingly, Salesflare doesn't allow incremental/addition of new contact to be synched through their APIs.

We will continue to enhance this integration for proposal creation, status update.

 announcement  improvement Client View Options

We received tons of feedback for client view option (already have had )

• Show Hide Accept/ Reject Buttons

This is a kind of non-proposal use case. The document sender doesn't want client to approve/reject or sign the document, just want to show some progress/ report. This option in proposal properties panel will allow you to show/hide the accept/reject buttons in client view

Currently these documents will be counted towards active document (we will be implementing archive functionality soon, and archived documents won't be counted toward active proposals)

• Show/Hide Price in Proposal panel for client

This was a fair enhancement request, one of the users requested it. Few clients may turn-off looking at the proposal price, easily seen in the right side panel. Hiding the pricing will make them go through the proposal and discover pricing, after scrolling through the proposal.

We are working on language options too. We have started working with some of you who expressed interest to help in the translation. I think, we will be roll it out in next week.

improvement Fees Table

• Header of the fees table now editable, you can set your own header

• Added Quarterly as a recurring fee option

• First column header changed to SN (it was SR indicating serial number)

improvement Performance Improvement

We have implemented specific application server side performance improvement as well as browser related optimization. This will make heavy users see significant performance improvement.

On a related note, we noticed 

> For few users, on the Activation page, use of password managers would conflict with the character set being entered & what we have been supporting. The issue is squashed but similarly, noticed different users are using different kinds of browser plugins + extensions which can conflict too. If you have such observation, please let us know. We will investigate it further.

fix UI Fixes

• Page delete button was unavailable for Letter/ Legal page styles, Fixed
• Section list label moved to left, changed its font style
• Updated the Sections List in Proposal/Template in terms of animation, background color
• Fees table description - extra line was getting added, fixed
• Fixed Mobile Interface Issue
• Squashed a bug about client custom variable, that would make the client information page feel bit dizzy
• Copy-paste text, variables would show up with yellow background in PDF, fixed.

Have a good one, till we meet next time here :-)

For last couple of weeks, we have been working on quite a few things. Here are few update to Fresh Proposals tool

New Use Cases and proposal templates you can use now.

• Quotation
• Employee contract
• Statement of Work

improvement Variables Are Editable Now

We noticed users were trying to click, double click on the variable name/ values to know what is it this-thing-being-highlighted (we even wrote a separate article on our helpdesk).

We decided to make it better by bringing the actual value of the variable to the editor. So, not only user will see available value of the placeholder variable but s/he can place cursor over it, it can be easily deleted. To replace variable, double click on it and you will see list of variables available.

Remember: Changing the value of placeholder variable by typing will delete the variable. The right place to change the value of variable is like client first name (in case of client contact, proposal name in right side properties, etc).

improvement  Improved Custom Domain, Email Whitelisting Process

Custom domain, Email Whitelisting process updated a bit, as few users seems to get confused, Updated the flow, email notifications for Email Whitelist to clearly help users to know what to do and be informed of success/failure of the DKIM & other entries you will submit.

fix  Bug Fixes

Some of the bug fixes we have deployed recently:

• Zip Code allows Apha-Numeric characters (users from Canada, UK, Netherlands) have asked for it
• Squashed few bugs related to proposal preview (orientation + devices)
• Square Logo would look bit distorted, now it is displaying correctly
• If company logo is uploaded and set to use for custom branding, it wouldn't update on login page, if you open login page on different browser, fixed.
• Adding custom variables for client contact has some glitches. It is fixed now.
• Image replace option available on right click (fixed issue - click anywhere on the image thumbnail in the gallery)
• Adding variables from right side panel was appending variables to the page, this was regression (though workaround was available, it has been fixed). Now you can add it to desired place in the text box.
• Comment bubble/pointer was showing displaced (not the same place where client placed it), fixed it now
• Values of custom variables were not getting updated, when you use those in the the proposal (but in proposal preview/final copy it would work correctly). It is fixed, you can see updated value right into the editor.

• PDF download for landscape oriented proposal was adding extra page. Fixed

There are lot of feature requests and fixes are in the pipeline, and we have started working on those. We will keep you informed.

improvement Variables values in editor:

No more guessing like many other proposal tools do - you don't know what values your proposal is going to display to your clients. With Fresh Proposals, you see the value, right in the editor, not just {MyCompanyName}.

How to use it?

Same old way - Keep the cursor where you want to add variable, just type hash (#) variables + values are displayed in the pop-up box, side bar too; click on it place the variable value in your template, proposal.

fix Fixed Link Issue

Fixed issue related to links (wasn't clickable in content table)

fix UI Fixes: 

• Alignment on proposal summary page, 
• custom variable pop-up box has close button and fixed header w/ scrollable list of variables, 
• Hand-grab icon seen in preview (removed)
• Proposal fees options, discount, tax tab to show % value even when its selector tab closed

Looking at the items listed here, it may look like a minor version or work. However the reality is different. Certain enhancements which may appear not-so-huge for user, in reality consumes lot of energy (mental, time). 

We believe the changes we have been doing since last month or so, have brought immense improvement to user experience, performance. 

Here we go.

fix Fixed Top Text Toolbar 

The top toolbar in text editor is now fixed. Earlier we would show textoolbar only when textbox is clicked. But the way toolbar appear/disappear wasn't noticed by users. Now it has a fixed position at the top of the editor and always remain visible; hence it shouldn't make users 'think' what/where should I check next.

improvement Combined Undo-Redo, Zoom Bar with Texttool bar

As a related change, we have merged existing undo-redo, zoom level, fullscreen toolbar with texttool bar. Undo-redo function is not only about text, it is also about adding/deleting/updating images, shapes, etc and their properties; undo-redo menu will keep showing for all content blocks, so will zoom level and fullscreen icons.

However the texttool bar, which is used to change paragraph style, font-size, font-color, line-height, etc, will be active only when textbox is clicked (selected). In other situations, it will be visible but remain disabled.

fix improvement Editing inside textbox, handle to move textbox

We have researched and experimented significantly with textbox in the past. There are two essential actions user would like to take while using a textbox

• To edit/format the text inside
• To move the whole textbox from one place to another on the same page 

[Strike-through content reflects foregone changes]

We got feedback from couple of the users:: to get in & exit active textbox by using double click (like it is done in Figma). So the expectations were,

• To edit inside a textbox, user will double click on it. 
• Then to move away from the active textbox, s/he can again double click on it. 
• But again if s/he would like to select a word s/he can double click on a given word (MS Word behaviour). 

The problem was with the way this request was implemented, double click events would conflict. Software wouldn't know what is user's exact expectation - whether to go out of the textbox or select underlying word. 

Until recently, one of the users complained about his struggled to move the textbox (in its case double click turned out to be a conflicting event), hence we decided to revert the double click related changes. 

And the way textbox click actions stands now:

• Single click over the textbox, you will see a cursor and you can edit any word/text by pointing a cursor on it.
• You click in the area, outside the textbox, and hover a mouse over the textbox, you will get a hand-grab icon. Use the hand-grab icon to move the textbox on the page wherever you wish
• Double click inside the textbox, and it will select underlying word. If you double click again, it will select the paragraph. It is exactly like you would do it Google Doc or MS Word.
• We have also added drag/move icon on top of all the content blocks (including textbox). You can click on the textbox, you will see move icon on the top, use the it to move the textbox on the page.

Now we think, this is much cleaner, easier way to use textbox. But do let us your feedback.

fix Responsive Proposal Preview Page for Various Devices

Before sending a proposal, you can preview it on smartphone and tablet. Such preview is more like a simulated smartphone/tablet device view (but not a real one). The left panel displaying sections list would render in bit non-responsive fashion.  Unlike desktop/laptop, user can not use mouse/click in smartphone and tablet. We have removed the section's panel in smartphone and tablet.

improvement Placeholder Variable Popup

We noticed that new users tend to get confused with yellow text i.e. placeholder variable :-)  

• To make it easier for new users to understand variables, we have added label to the pop-up
• Added short note about variables
•  Added close button
• Fixed the top part of the pop-up when users scroll through the list of variables

improvement Image in Email Signature

Now you can upload image in your email signature. You can reuse image from your image library or upload new one to it. This is especially helpful if you want to add company logo, social media images in your email signature.

improvement  Performance Improvement

Got significant performance improvement when proposals, templates, sections list is rendered

fix Removed Bookmark Feature

This was part of work-in-progress activity that got pushed to LIVE. Since Add to favorite allows users to quickly access their preferred templates, bookmark feature was causing a bit confusion (and couldn't identify a reason to have a Bookmark as  distinct feature when Favorite is already available).

So for now we have decided to remove the bookmark template feature. You can always add a template to your Favorite list (and there is a separate tab for you to see your favorite templates).

That's all for now, FPians. Have a good one.

Fresh Proposals Software

Send beautiful proposals, add interactive pricing and eSignature to it. Get proposal insights to better understand your prospect's actions and intention and close more deals. Know more about Fresh Proposals software here: https://www.freshproposals.com

Email From Your Domain

Finally we give you the feature many of you have been asking for. It gives you the ability to send proposal from your own domain (like john@mycompany.com instead of proposals@freshproposals.com)

It involves two steps and both steps will require you to add DNS records to your DNS registrar.

• Verify Domain 

• Verify DKIM Settings

Once you enter these details, it will take about 72 hours to verify these records. Once verified, your clients will start receiving your proposals from your own domain.

Replace Existing Image in Proposal/ Template

We realized the difficulty or extra work needed to replace an existing image. We have fixed it for you. 

Simply open the image gallery and on your proposal page click on the image you want to replace and then hover a mouse over the image you want to add instead. You will see replace icon over it. Simply clicking on the icon will replace current image with new one.

The best part is - the added image has exactly same properties as of the original one including size, shadow, corner, border, etc.

Here is one more screenshot to show how it can be replaced.

More Font Sizes Option in Editor

You will have more font sizes to choose from, especially for the 8-20px range. You can also set it in the style settings.

Update to Background Color of Placeholder Variables

[Making it viewable irrespective of its own font color or background color, well in most cases]

This is something we knew we had to fix it today or tomorrow. But there were couple of users reporting the same issue in one day and we decided to fix it. Now you will be able to read the placeholder/variable used irrespective of the background color used. Be mindful of the font color applied to the placeholder/variable.

Assign Signatory - Signature Block Gets Highlighted

While sending proposals, users do not assign client contact - who will be signing the proposal. And we realized it is not obvious for many users, what to do next, when  to the would see error like 'Your proposal has signature(s) with no signee assigned'. We have improved warning. reporting such that users will know what needs to be done now.

The video explains how warning is helping user to take next step.

Right Click Available on Proposal, Template Listing

If you want to preview multiple templates at a go instead of going in each one of them and clicking on back, you can right click on desired proposal/ template in the list and preview it in a new tab.

UI Refactoring

1. UI Changes for Empty State Screens

For those who are already using Fresh Proposals, this may not make much difference but for new users, they will see informative screens in case of there is no content in say Proposals, Section Library, Images, etc

2. UI Effect on left menu, logo separation

Updated the left and top panel in the application to separate menu, branding/logo and also added bit of animation effect in the left side panel to indicate the menu selected.

Also fixed a minor bug related to how values of variables are being displayed in the PDF

That's all for now.

Fresh Proposals Software

Send beautiful proposals, add interactive pricing and eSignature to it. Get proposal insights to better understand your prospect's actions and intention and close more deals. Know more about Fresh Proposals software here: https://www.freshproposals.com

Custom Domain Feature

We are really happy to announce that the custom domain feature is fully automated from our side. Meaning, you do not need to contact us to configure your custom domain, if you are able to save DNS entries correctly.

For non-starters, refer this guide to know more about custom domain feature.

Simplified - Adding Content Blocks to Proposal

Previously, to add a content block to proposal pages, the only option users had was to drag-drop the content block from right side panel as shown below. 

Existing Way - Drag-Drop to add Block (will continue to work)

We realized, not everyone can understand the drag-drop mechanism and hence improved it to Click-To-Add. Now simply click on the icon of the desired content block on the right and the content block will be added to a default position on the active page and you can move it wherever you want to.

New Way - Simple Click to Add Block

Note: for those who want to position content block to a specific position, they can continue to use drag-drop functionality. It is not going away, since it gives you better control.

UI Change (Before x After)

We have done considerable user interface refactoring (UI refactoring) to menus and certain pages. We will continue to refine and make it a smooth &  consistent experience for the users.

• Left Side Menu Bar

For those who have keen eye on UI-UX improvements, we have started using SVG icons instead of PNG images.

• Settings Page (Before x After)

When you look at settings pages, merely a glance at the screenshot you may feel boxes were fine, however when you will use it as a user, in terms of interactions, access to information, the latest UI refactoring changes provide better navigation, better ability to view-act on options available on the page.

• UI Changed for Custom Domain (Before x After)

Setting up a custom domain is not easy and we have first hand experienced when we used other products. We decided to change it. The flow of adding a custom domain to your account has been simplified and literally hand-hold users through the process, step by step.

Note: Those who have already set up a custom domain, need use this feature.

Enable/ Disable Proposal Tracking

Users from IT Managed Services, IT Security services companies have raised feature requests to make proposal tracking optional per proposal, with solid justification to do so. Hence we have decided to implement this feature.

Now you can see a proposal tracking option even at account level, you can set it enabled or disabled. Accordingly, all new proposals will follow this direction.

If you have enabled tracking at your account level, you have the option to turn off tracking even at individual proposal level, as you can see below.

Refer user guide for this feature.

That's all for now.

Fresh Proposals Software

Send beautiful proposals, add interactive pricing and eSignature to it. Get proposal insights to better understand your prospect's actions and intention and close more deals. Know more about Fresh Proposals software here: https://www.freshproposals.com

New Templates

We have included new templates for event management proposal, SaaS software proposal, UX Design Proposal, etc.

Alignment Assist

Honestly, this has been our own itch. We were unable to align blocks in the middle of the page or textbox with references to other blocks.

We have moved the alignment assist work bit further. If you have content blocks (e.g. textbox, image, shape, signature, etc) in a proposal/editor page and when you try to move (drag-drop) them, you will notice dotted lines gets highlighted over the mid point of the content block. It is to help you align the component/block to the center of the page. We will continue to work on it to simplify alignment of blocks for you.

It looks something like this

Zapier

We have implemented Zapier integration. Currently we are waiting for Fresh Proposals app listing to get published on Zapier marketplace. If you have zapier account you can use triggers and actions to add contacts from CRM tools to Fresh Proposals and when proposals are created/sent/accepted, you can create/update deals in CRM. There are many uses cases that one can apply. We will soon create Zapier templates for Fresh Proposals and make it available to our uses.

Note: Zapier integration is not applicable/available to all plans. WE CAN FLY /TEAM plan will have this feature enabled in next few days.

Undo-Redo Operations in Editor

If you are editing a proposal/template and changed color, height/length, padding, etc of a textbox, image and any other block; you realize that you need to go back and set revert to the previous color of textbox/shape. Yes, it has indeed happened quite a few times when we ourselves have been creating templates; and we badly wanted to go back to the earlier state of the content block. This enhancement was definitely due for a while and we've also received feature requests last month. 

Note: Currently we are allowing undo-redo of properties on right side panel only, soon it will cover other aspects of undo-redo in the editor. There will be certain actions wherein system asks for explicit consent/confirmation from the user such as - deleting/ adding sections in the sections list, we will not allow undo-redo operation in such cases.

New google fonts

New set of Google fonts are available now. We are moving in a direction wherein including new Google Fonts to the system should be possible without new release/deployment.

Redesigned Settings Page

Not a major change though, we have simplified the settings page by organzing various options into few logical groups. These sub-settings groups can be expanded and collapsed.

Content/ Fees Table Settings

There was enhancement as well as issue related to propagate changes done to style settings for table to fees table and content tables already present in proposal/templates. e.g. if font color for header of table is changed to red, it will apply only to new tables however it should not affect changes done to existing table(s).

Now the enhancement is, proposal creator/ editor can reset style of already created table to the style defined for proposal/template setting by clicking on Reset button.

UI Enhancement

The buttons and menu labels in settings were functional, working fine but wrongly placed. Updated placement of button and back button for a consistent and better experience.

Proposal/ Template Settings

Squashed a bug that duplicated listing of paragraph styles (h1, h2,h3) and fonts family.

What is next

Alignment Assist

We are working on alignment assist feature that will help users to align blocks in the canvas. This is not complete though, we are working on it.

Zapier Integration

Soon you will be able to integrate your favourite CRM, project management or accounting tool to Fresh Proposals using Zapier.

Editor Properties

As number of properties for text block, shapes, image blocks are increasing, the right side panel looks pretty much filled up with boxes, sliders, color pickers, etc. Reorganized the panel layout by grouping and turning properties as collapsable tabs.

Lazy Loading Effect

Smoothened lazy loading of proposal lists, editor by removing flashy effect, redesigned boxes that show up before actual data is rendered. There is still a scope for improvement & we will keep tweaking it further.

Default Block Border

Minor issue related to textbox, shapes border that would show border though border is not selected is squashed. Issue observed as old code rejigged for collapsable properties tab

One Click Apply - Colour Picker 

Color picker for textbox changed to apply color right after selecting color rather than clicking Apply button separately. Currently we've done for textbox block alone, we will change this color-picker behaviour at other places too.

Performance Improvement

Tweaked a few things both for client side browser and for sever side processing to improve UI/ rendering performance. You may notice relatively faster performance compared to last week.