Interviewer agent
Buyer-facing dialogue
- Structured requirement interview in plain language
- Context carry-over and adaptive follow-up questions
- No direct access to the catalog database or pricing tables
Talkulate AI CPQ — capabilities reference
Built to survive due diligence
What each capability does, what ships in a standard implementation, and the design decisions behind a validated quote.
What is Talkulate AI CPQ
Talkulate AI CPQ is an agentic operational system for Revenue teams (Marketing, Sales, and Presales). It automates the path from first customer request to a ready commercial proposal.
Unlike classic CPQ tools that build a quote only after requirements are already collected elsewhere, Talkulate AI CPQ runs discovery on your site, helps the buyer define needs, selects a valid configuration, and produces a commercial proposal in one continuous flow.
The platform combines three capability areas:
- AI Guided Selling — An intelligent sales process where AI acts as an experienced sales manager and presales engineer: clarifying questions, surfacing real and hidden requirements, and turning a business problem into technical requirements for the solution.
- RFQ / RFP automation — Supplier-side RFQ and RFP response: structured answers to buyer quote questions with catalog-validated pricing, not PDF attachments or document re-keying.
- Quote and BOM automation — Validated configuration against your live catalog, pricing, bill of materials, and commercial proposal generation.
The problem Talkulate addresses
In many B2B companies, selling complex products still follows a handoff chain:
The customer does not know which solution they need → talks to a sales manager → the manager passes context to an engineer → requirements are refined → more questions → revisions → only then a commercial proposal.
That cycle takes days or weeks and becomes a primary bottleneck in sales. While they wait, prospects may choose a competitor, abandon the purchase, or leave the site without contacting you.
Self-quoting instead of long presales cycles
Talkulate replaces that chain with self-quoting. The buyer does not need to know your catalog or SKUs. They describe the business job in plain language, for example:
“We need to equip meeting rooms for 150 employees.”
“We need warehouse video surveillance.”
“We want to modernize our server infrastructure.”
AI runs a structured dialogue similar to what sales and presales would run: clarifying questions, constraints, hidden requirements, and a full picture of the project. It then uses your validated product knowledge to select compatible components, verify compatibility, build the BOM, calculate price, and prepare the commercial proposal.
Outcome
Instead of waiting days, the buyer receives a ready proposal in about 5 minutes after starting the conversation (standard configurations).
For your organization that typically means:
- Higher site conversion: buyers get a proposal without a call or queue
- Lower routine load on Sales and Presales
- Faster proposal turnaround on inbound demand
- Faster response than competitors on the same lead
- Revenue scale without linear growth in engineers and presales headcount
Talkulate turns a multi-step presales and quoting process into one AI-guided scenario: from task description to validated solution in minutes.
System architecture
Two specialized agents sit above a governed catalog layer: one runs buyer dialogue, the other validates every line against live components, compatibility rules, and pricing config.
Dual-agent model
Engineer agent
Catalog validation
- Queries the live component catalog, rules, and pricing config
- Builds the configuration; invalid combinations never reach the quote
- Does not communicate with the buyer
Conversation and catalog access run in separate processes. The Interviewer never reads your database; the Engineer never talks to the buyer. That split reduces prompt-injection and data exposure risk and maximises validation accuracy.
Governed catalog layer
The Engineer agent reads this layer at quote time. Components, rules, and prices update from your admin UI without redeploying the agents.
Component catalog
Live SKUs, attributes, supersession chains, and BOM structures that quote lines reference.
Compatibility rules
Deterministic checks: power, slots, protocol fit, certifications, and interdependencies between components.
Pricing configuration
Customer-visible tiers, bundles, regional price lists, and discount rules in one governed config surface.
Modularity and flexibility
Talkulate is built to mix and match: which buyer journeys you run, which product lines sit on the platform, and how much you add over time. You get one validated quoting engine that adapts to your catalog and commercial model, not a fixed product you have to bend your business around.
Compose the buyer journey
Self-serve on your site, structured quote requests, or sales-led conversations: pick the mix per channel. One validation engine underneath; you are not buying separate products for each path.
One platform, multiple product lines
Optional: a unified Talkulate deployment with separate flows or brands for different catalogs (for example hardware vs services). Scoped as a larger implementation than a single-line launch; we price and plan it explicitly.
Flexibility to grow
Start with standard scope on one line or category. Add upsell rules, integrations, new categories, and deeper UI when the business case is clear, each as a scoped step, not a big-bang replatform.
Customize, extend, and integrate
Most of this is co-designed during implementation. Optional packages add depth; integrations are scoped to what your stack exposes.
Customize
Brand kit, white-label, and widget styling. Interview tone, paths, and languages. Compatibility, regulatory, and pricing rules co-designed with your team.
Extend
Additional upsell mechanics beyond the standard set. API and headless front-end on your UI. Optional agent-ready quoting tools. Advanced UI/UX beyond the standard embed.
Integrate
Website embed on your domain. CRM and ERP handoff via API, webhook, middleware, or exports. Coexistence with your existing CPQ or ERP as system of record.
Deployment
Dedicated deployment (NOT SAAS)
Isolated cloud instance (or on-prem) loaded with your catalog, rules, and pricing config.
Input and output
Input
Standard
Text dialogue. Multi-language interface and conversation.
Photo and document upload
Can be added; scoped from the complexity of the logic involved.
Voice conversation
Can be added, but it is unclear why.
Optional
During the buyer interview you can add explanations, illustrations, or other artifacts. Scoped separately.
Output
~5min
Validated quote
From first message to a validated quote in about five minutes for standard configurations. Complexity moves the number, but the order of magnitude is minutes, not days.
Analytics system
Configuration data is saved in the analytics system.
CRM handoff
Data is passed to your CRM.
Branded PDF
A branded PDF for email delivery or client download can be added.
CPQ catalog, rules, and pricing
Product catalog, compatibility rules, and pricing logic are distinct layers in a governed model the quoting engine reads at quote time.
Catalog data
Connect your existing data
We connect to the product data you already have. Your source stays as it is; we build the optimised model the engine needs.
We structure messy sources
Spreadsheets, exports, documents, or an API: we turn whatever you have into clean structured data. If you have no structured catalog yet, that is a scoped project, not a blocker.
Rules and pricing
Compatibility and regulatory rules
Power, slots, cross-product, and regulatory limits are encoded so non-compliant or impossible options are excluded automatically.
Pricing module (managed, not hardcoded)
A dedicated pricing module manages prices, discounts, and bundles. Price is computed from the configuration and context, so it is never frozen into code and easy to keep current per segment or currency.
Volume discounts and promotions
Special commercial terms, thresholds, and promotions are handled by the same managed pricing module.
Tier and geo price controls require authorised access. Building a customer personal account portal is not part of the standard product.
Operations
Admin UI for updates
A non-technical admin screen lets your team add or update products without a developer.
New products and categories
New products in existing categories are a fast path. A genuinely new category with new constraints is a small scoped update.
ERP / catalog sync
Real-time sync with your ERP or master catalog is a custom integration we scope with you.
CPQ upsell engine
When a customer’s words point to a real need, the engine adds the right line to the quote, with a reason. These are deterministic rules, not generic recommendations.
Three signal types
Context Triggers
Signals about the customer’s environment or industry become relevant complementary items, so the quote fits how they will actually use the product.
Investment Shield
Signals about criticality, budget, or growth surface protections like warranty, service level, spare capacity, or financing, so the customer protects the purchase they are about to make.
Additional Services Detector
Signals about skill or capacity gaps surface installation, onboarding, or managed support, so nothing the customer needs to succeed is left off the quote.
Up to five upsell mechanics are included in a standard implementation. Additional mechanics are scoped as a separate piece of work. Every upsell line is a validated line in the same quote, never a loose suggestion.
If you can formulate an upsell as a rule (what the customer says → what lands on the quote), we can implement it in your deployment.
Integrations
Embed on your site, route validated output to CRM and email, and optionally connect ERP, APIs, or other systems in your stack.
Website / CMS
Included
Chat widget, JavaScript snippet, or full on-site embed on your domain. Standard patterns for common CMS platforms and custom sites.
CRM
Included
Validated quotes and full conversation context pass to your CRM. Connection scope is tuned per system during implementation.
Email / PDF (for the client)
Included
Lead delivery by email with transcript and quote. Branded PDF the buyer can download or receive by email.
ERP / data sources
Optional
Sync components, prices, and availability from your ERP or master catalog. Real-time scope is defined with your team.
API / headless
Optional
Headless option for teams that build their own front end on top of the quoting engine.
Other systems
Optional
Additional integrations with tools in your stack are possible when your APIs or export paths support them.
Built to pass your security review
Where it runs
EU or US hosting
Included
Standard deployment runs in an isolated private cloud in the EU or US, so data residency is a choice you make, not a surprise.
On-premise option
Optional
For teams that must keep data inside their own environment, we deploy fully on your infrastructure.
Privacy & compliance
GDPR and strict DPAs
Included
GDPR-ready, with personal data kept separate from the AI logic and data-processing agreements your legal team can sign.
PII separated from AI logic
Included
Personal information is handled apart from the reasoning layer, which keeps your privacy posture clean.
Commercial & ops
Your margins stay private
Included
Costs, margins, and internal logic are never exposed to the end customer. They see a clean quote, nothing behind it.
24/7 monitoring
Included
Standard deployments are monitored around the clock against the platform service level.
The one promise
We never train models on your data, and we never write to your production systems without your own credentials and approval. Your data works for you, not for anyone else.
Analytics
Observe
Engagement and lead capture
Conversations versus visitors, and the validated contacts that result.
Funnel by stage
See how conversations move from first message to lead, and exactly where people drop off.
Chat logs
Read what your market actually asks for, in their own words.
Steer
Reasoning visible to sales
Your reps see the same per-line reasoning as compliance, so they can speak to every quote with confidence.
Optional manager review
By default the customer self-serves a validated quote. When you want a human in the loop, a manager can review and edit any configuration before it is sent.
Approvals for exceptions
Sign-off thresholds, like a discount cap, are defined as configuration. Approvals exist for the exceptions, not as a workflow you have to feed.
New-configuration notifications
Your team is notified of every new configuration by email or in your CRM.
Learn
Demand sensing
See what the AI proposed versus what customers changed, so you learn where price sensitivity and catalog gaps are.
Historical decision audit
Review configurations over any time range for seasonal or compliance review.
Light training
Onboarding your team takes hours, not weeks.
What you get, and what is scoped per project
No surprises. Here is what ships in a standard implementation, what we tailor to you, and what is an add-on.
Included
Standard implementation. CRM integration is included; connection scope is defined per system during implementation.
- Connect your existing product data
- Validated quote, full bill of materials, commercial proposal
- Customer self-edit and line-by-line explanations
- Website embed on your domain
- Lead delivery by email or CRM record
- CRM integrations (custom per system)
- White-label, with your brand kit
- Up to five upsell mechanics
- Manager review, notifications, light training
- Engagement, funnel, lead, and historical analytics
- EU or US hosting, GDPR-ready, 24/7 monitoring
Configurable
co-designed with you
- Compatibility, regulatory, and constraint rules
- Pricing module: prices, discounts, bundles
- Multiple interview paths and languages
- Conversation resume
- Approval thresholds
- Team-chat escalation, API / headless
- Branded PDF quote
Optional
add-on or change request
- ERP / catalog sync with real-time updates
- Data structuring when no structured catalog exists yet
- New product categories
- Advanced or bespoke UI/UX
- Enterprise on-premise deployment
Implementation is a fixed fee plus a monthly platform subscription that includes a dialog allowance. Enterprise on-premise is a custom quote. Payment is phased: deposit, integration, go-live. Exact figures are on the pricing page.
Talkulate AI CPQ: questions buyers ask in due diligence
Full FAQ: pricing, security, implementation →How do we know the AI is not making up a valid-looking quote?
Talkulate AI CPQ does not generate quotes from model memory. A validation layer checks every line against your live product catalog and compatibility rules before the buyer sees a price. Invalid combinations are blocked, not corrected silently. When the system cannot validate a line, it escalates to your team with context instead of guessing.
Where does our data live, and is it safe for GDPR and procurement review?
Standard Talkulate AI CPQ deployments run in an isolated private cloud in the EU or US; you choose the region. On-premise is available for teams that need data inside their own network. Personal data stays separate from AI logic, we do not train models on your catalog or conversations, and writes to your CRM or ERP use your credentials and approval.
Our product catalog is messy. Can we still deploy AI CPQ?
Yes. Data structuring is part of implementation, not a prerequisite you solve alone first. We ingest spreadsheets, exports, documents, and API feeds, then build the governed catalog model the engine needs. If no structured source exists yet, we scope that work explicitly before go-live.
How fast can a buyer get a validated B2B quote?
For standard configurations, about five minutes from first message to a validated quote with a bill of materials and commercial proposal. Complex bundles take longer; edge cases route to a person with the full conversation and configuration attached.
Can sales managers review quotes before they are sent?
Yes. Optional manager review is configurable: buyers can self-serve by default, or every configuration can require human approval before delivery. Discount and exception thresholds are rules in your catalog, not a separate workflow tool. Reps see the same per-line reasoning as compliance.
Does Talkulate AI CPQ replace Salesforce CPQ or our existing configure-price-quote tool?
Not necessarily. Many teams run Talkulate AI CPQ on the website for buyer self-serve and discovery, then hand validated quotes to Salesforce CPQ, SAP, or another system of record. CRM draft records, API, and headless options are scoped per project. The goal is governed quotes at the point of demand, not a rip-and-replace mandate.
What is included in a standard Talkulate AI CPQ implementation?
Included scope covers connecting your product data, validated quote and BOM output, website embed, lead delivery by email or CRM, white-label branding, core governance and analytics, EU or US hosting, and GDPR-ready deployment. Compatibility rules, pricing modules, custom integrations, PDF, ERP sync, and on-premise are configurable or optional. See the scope section on this page for the full inventory.
How long does Talkulate AI CPQ take to implement?
Typical range is five days to six weeks, depending on catalog complexity and integrations. A clean catalog with a standard embed can land in days; large SKU counts, CRM integration, and custom rules run longer. Timeline is fixed after a data audit, before build starts.
How is Talkulate AI CPQ priced?
Implementation is a fixed project fee plus a monthly platform subscription with a dialog allowance. Enterprise on-premise is quoted separately. Payment is phased: deposit, integration, go-live. Published ranges and line-item comparison are on the pricing page; exact numbers depend on catalog size, integrations, and deployment model.
Ready to scope your rollout?
Tell us about your catalog and where quoting slows you down. On a 30-minute call we walk through how an implementation would work, what we would need from your side, and give you a straight answer on fit, scope, and timeline.
On the call
- We map your catalog and quoting process to a concrete implementation plan
- We walk through integration options: embed, API, or coexistence with your existing CPQ
- Hard questions welcome. We tell you honestly if it is not a fit
No pitch deck. Typical call: 20 minutes on your case plus 10 minutes Q&A.
Prefer email first? [email protected]