I’m sure a lot of what you do at work takes place on your computer, but you have that pesky task that requires physical paper every now and then. Annoying, right?
According to a survey by Xerox, “Nearly half (46 percent) of respondents confirmed that a significant amount of time is wasted on paper-intensive processes, and 6 out of 10 view this as having a major impact on their bottom line.”
We’ve put so much of our world on devices, yet there are still certain things we’re doing physically. One of those tasks that we usually do physically is getting a signature.
Signatures can be a chore because not only do you have to print out a paper, but you also have to clear a time on your schedule so you can meet with someone who has to sign that paper. This feels inefficient for the world we live in. How can we fix this? The answer is e-signature software.
What is E-Signature Software?
E-signature software allows you to get someone’s signature over the internet rather than having them sign a physical piece of paper.
Here at Innovative, we use and sell a solution called Dropbox Sign (formerly known as HelloSign). Other e-signature options like DocuSign, PandaDoc and Adobe Sign are available and serve more or less the same purpose, just with some minor differences. For today’s article though, we’ll be using Dropbox Sign as our example.
Let’s start with what it will look like when you acquire a signature. In the case of Dropbox Sign, you’ll start by logging into the dashboard. From there, you’ll either upload a document that needs signing or choose a template. We’ll get into templates a little later.
When you upload a new document, you’ll need to go through it and tell the software where the required fields for signing are. Once you do that, you’ll choose who your signers or co-signers are. Doing this makes sure the right people are filling out your form.
After setting that all up, you’ll send the document to your recipients’ emails. Recipients include the signers and anyone you want to receive a copy. The email will be sent directly from the app through a no-reply email.
Even though the email is sent through the app, the name that appears on the email will be the sender’s. This helps let the recipients know who exactly is requesting their signature.
The email will contain a link that directs the signer to the document. From there, they’ll fill out the required information and leave their signature by either drawing on their device or letting the software create one.
Now that we’ve covered that let’s talk about how this service can benefit you.
Convenience
I think we can all agree that everyone loves convenience. This is why e-signature software should be a welcome addition to your business. It will make work easier and save you time. Time is money, after all.
The world we work in is very different than it used to be. It’s a lot less common to meet in person with people as video conferencing has become so convenient- not to mention how many of us are working from home.
With so many of your meetings being held online, why schedule a special one just to get a signature? Shoot them an e-signature email and save yourself the hassle.
What’s great about an app like Dropbox Sign is that it saves you time through every step of the process. The software allows you to create templates to avoid the tedious task of setting up a document every time you use the service.
Templates can be used for documents you frequently send out for signing and can be shared with your whole team. This makes life easier when sending the same types of documents over and over.
In addition to making your job easier, your clients will be happier with you. When they open a document for signing, they won’t have to search through the document for where they put their signature; the service will let them skip through to exactly where they need to be.
Flexibility
In addition to convenience, this software also allows you to be flexible with how you use it. Dropbox Sign has several features that let you make sure you’re getting the most out of it.
While the primary use of the software is the online signature, you can configure other types of fields to make documents easy to fill out. These fields include initials, check boxes, dates and generic text fields.
If you have multiple signers on a document, you can give specific permissions to each one to make sure they only fill out the fields they’re supposed to. This helps eliminate any miscommunication when sending documents to multiple people.
Once the documents are sent out, you won’t have to worry about whether the recipients have opened them. You can either check the status of the documents on the dashboard or turn on notifications, so the service lets you know at every step of the signing process.
Security
As we’re transitioning so much of our business online, it’s important to remember that cybersecurity is crucial. Sending personal info and signatures back and forth means your e-signature should be secure.
Dropbox Sign allows you to set up multi-factor authentication, which helps ensure you’re the only one logging into your account.
When dealing with documents containing clients’ personal information and signatures, it’s important to have that extra layer of security.
The extra layer of security can also be enabled on the recipient’s end by enabling access codes. By requiring an access code and assigning a role, you will help make sure that the right people have access to and are signing your documents.
If these were physical documents, they wouldn’t be lying around openly on your desk (I hope). Cybersecurity is as critical here as it is in every other facet of our online work.
Bring Your Signatures into the Modern Age
It’s time to ditch the excess paper. We’re all doing so much work online; let’s get our signatures there too.
Save yourself some time and some money and look into getting an e-signature solution. You’ll thank me later, and so will your clients.
