When customers talk about what sets QorusDocs apart, they often point to one thing: the people behind the proposal management platform.
For many organizations, that connection begins with the Relationship Management team, the experts who guide customers from adoption to transformation. These are the people who sit at the intersection of technology, strategy, and everyday client realities.
We caught up with three of our Relationship Managers, Kris Holz, Christi McManus, and Marelize Slabbert to talk shop. The conversation covered how proposal and business development teams are evolving, what challenges they’re seeing, and how QorusDocs proposal management software helps organizations work smarter and win more often.
Along the way, we discovered that these customer champions have a knack for helping teams find not just efficiency, but confidence and creativity too!
If you ask any of our Relationship Managers how proposal teams have changed in recent years, all three will say the same thing: there’s been a shift from document production to strategy.
“Teams aren’t just creating proposals anymore. They’re shaping business strategy,” says Kris Holz, a Senior Relationship Manager who works with professional services, engineering, and consulting clients. “AI and automation now enable teams to scale expertise without losing quality or personalization.”
For Christi McManus, who supports clients across legal, cybersecurity, and AEC industries, that transformation is both cultural and operational. “Automation and technology have completely changed the playing field. Since automation can handle the mundane busywork, teams are able to prioritize strategy, building relationships, and the things that truly matter.”
Marelize Slabbert, who manages a portfolio that includes global law firms and professional services organizations, agrees. “Teams have become far more data-driven. They’re also under greater pressure to deliver high-quality proposals faster, often with fewer people.”
Despite that pressure, the shift toward smarter, more strategic work has been empowering. With the right tools and expertise, teams can move from reactive to proactive. It’s no longer a race against the clock, but rather a more thoughtful, value-driven process.
If there’s one constant across every industry, it’s the balancing act. Proposal teams today are managing more work, tighter timelines, and higher expectations. (Sound familiar?!)
“Bandwidth and resourcing are always top of mind,” says Kris. “Teams are being asked to do more with less, and at the same time, they’re juggling governance activities like keeping libraries organized and ensuring content quality.”
Marelize sees the same pressures playing out in her clients’ worlds. “Many teams are small, and they’re dealing with increasing demand. The question is always, ‘How do we keep up without burning out?’”
Christi adds that volume is only part of the story. “Some teams are handling growing RFP loads with smaller staff and fewer resources. It’s not just about speed, it’s also about sustainability.”
That’s where the Relationship Managers step in. They help clients find realistic ways to simplify workflows, automate where it matters, and reclaim time for the work that really moves the needle.
AI can still feel like a leap of faith. The Relationship Managers know that better than anyone. And they’ve developed a human-centered approach to building trust.
“When customers are cautious about AI, I tell them to start small,” says Kris. “We look for low-risk, high-reward use cases. These are the things that deliver quick wins and measurable time savings. Once they see the benefits firsthand, confidence builds naturally.”
For Marelize, the key is reminding customers they stay in full control. “I demonstrate AI document automation in real scenarios so clients can see how it saves time. AI supports their expertise, it doesn’t replace it.”
Christi draws from her own experience. “I used to be resistant to AI,” she admits. “However, it only took one try for me to become a believer. Once you understand that AI is here as a support, your whole perspective shifts.”
That human reassurance matters. By focusing on practical examples and shared success metrics, the Relationship Managers help clients see AI not as a risk, but as a trusted tool to turbo-charge productivity.
Ask any of the Relationship Managers what makes their day, and they’ll tell you: it’s when a client experiences that lightbulb moment, the moment when technology stops feeling like software and starts feeling like empowerment.
“AI-powered templates are one of my favorite features to show,” says Kris. “They eliminate repetitive work by combining smart design, automation, and intelligence to accelerate proposal creation. It’s a ‘wow’ moment every time.”
That reaction, notes Marelize, often comes when teams discover how seamlessly QorusDocs fits into their existing Microsoft 365 environment. “Customers love that they can work right inside Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook. They don’t have to change how they work because QorusDocs just makes it easier!”
More recently, Christi has seen Pursuits become a game-changer. “It gives clients a central workspace that brings data, documents, assignments and everyone together to collaborate, which results in more efficient, compelling and accurate responses.”
And then there’s the data. Integrations with tools like Salesforce, Dynamics and Power BI, give clients the insight to track adoption and ROI in real time.
“When clients incorporate QorusDocs Analytics and Power BI dashboards for insight-driven conversations about adoption and ROI,” says Kris, “that’s when the value really clicks.”
The team sees those results every day. Just like the client who reduced a two-day proposal process to just a few hours using Smart Fields and AI-powered templates. “The real win wasn’t just time saved,” Kris reflects. “It was seeing that shift from repetitive formatting to focusing on strategy and storytelling.”
If there’s one thing these three have learned, it’s that successful proposal teams don’t just rely on technology. They also build strong foundations and habits that let technology work for them.
“Keep your content library updated,” says Marelize. “It sounds simple, but it’s one of the biggest factors in proposal success. Let AI handle the admin so you can focus on strategy.”
Kris echoes that sentiment: “Structure enables creativity. When your templates and content are solid, your team has the freedom to focus on the story, not the formatting.”
Christi has a different take. She brings it back to the basics of client empathy. “Always consider the customer’s needs first, not your solution. Take time to truly understand their goals, constraints, and success metrics. That’s what makes a proposal resonate.”
It’s practical advice stemming from thousands of hours of customer conversations. Working smarter isn’t about shortcuts; it’s about clarity, collaboration, and purpose.
When the talk turns from templates to life outside QorusDocs, the team’s personality shines through.
Kris restores vintage leather bags in her spare time. It’s a creative outlet that, as she points out, isn’t so different from organizing a content library: “It’s about bringing order and elegance back to something valuable.”
Christi, meanwhile, brings a competitive streak to everything she does: she’s been to three Super Bowls and is an unapologetic Formula 1 fan.
Marelize is a self-described “tech-loving, gym-going cat mom” who once made her local junior netball team and studied ballet as a child.
Proposal automation and AI may be changing how work gets done, but it’s the relationships behind the technology that make the difference.
As Kris, Christi and Marelize remind us, transformation doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s built one conversation, one insight, and one small win at a time.
And that’s what makes QorusDocs more than just a proposal platform; it’s a partnership that helps organizations work smarter, tell stronger stories, and win with confidence. If you’re looking for proposal management software that adds value, talk to us.