7 ways to manage your electronic signatures, automatically

Remember practicing your signature as a kid? Maybe you thought you'd be famous. For most of us, our unfortunate, adult reality is that our signatures are in high-demand on contracts, legal notices, and other agreements—not collectibles. 

But getting those agreements signed for work can be just as elusive as getting a celebrity's autograph, even with the help of eSignature apps. A new customer dawdles on returning a signed document, or you lose track of which agreements need to be sent out. 

Zapier's automatic workflows can help you streamline your contracting process, so you can spend less time prepping documents and focus your energy elsewhere. 

We've gathered a few Zaps—what we call our automated workflows—to help you prepare documents for new sales, before appointments, and more. Just click on it and we'll guide you through the set-up process. You can read more about setting up Zaps here.

Prepare documents for new clients and customers

Depending on your business, you need a signature before you can proceed with customers. For example, if you're a personal trainer, you want to make sure you have those waivers signed. 

These workflows will automatically create the appropriate document whenever you have a new sale or client.

Send follow-up emails

When you need something signed, you hope that the other party won't take their sweet time. Since signature requests are usually done by email, it's easy for clients or customers to forget that they need to sign a contract or quote. 

For an additional nudge, try a workflow that will send a customized email whenever a customer receives a document. You can add additional signing instructions, or a gentle reminder to send their signature quickly.

Automatically create documents during the sales process

Perhaps your sales process looks something like this: Potential customers fill out a contact form on your website to get in touch with your sales team and after a conversation, you send over a quote requiring a signature.

You can automate the signature prep side with Zapier. Try these Zaps, which will automatically create a document when someone fills out a form. Your quote will be prepped and ready to send for signature. 

If you prefer a little more specificity, you can also use a workflow that will send signature requests according to specific deal stages in your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool 

Get alerts for completed signatures

Nothing is final until you get that necessary signature. Keep your team in the loop with a Zap that will automatically alert you in a team chat app whenever someone signs a document. 

Back up signed documents

Signed contracts are your insurance from liability and establish the services you're expected to deliver. That being said, it's always good to have a backup of your signatures should you need to reference them in the future. Try these workflows, which will automatically back up your signed documents to a cloud storage app. 

Track and update your records

It's tedious but necessary to keep track of signatures you're waiting on. If you track your customer interactions in a CRM, try these Zaps, which will automatically update your deals whenever documents are signed. 

If your record-keeping is not as robust, a simple spreadsheet is all you need to track outstanding and completed documents. These workflows will automatically create or update existing rows once you have a signature. 

Add automation to keep your work moving

Whether you're new to eSignatures or it's a tried-and-true method of getting work done, by adding automation to your process you can free up time for other tasks—like preparing for client meetings.

Related reading: 

• 5 workflows to streamline your invoice and payment processes

• Popular ways to automate DocuSign

• The best eSignature apps

• The best document management software

• The best DocuSign alternatives