There is no downplaying the impact of this pandemic on businesses, and many have had to adapt to digital ways of serving their customers. In this pandemic era, nearly all document signing is done by electronic or digital signature. With some software, you can even sign from your phone.
If this is new to you, don’t worry—it’s new to a lot of us.
Why do you even need to sign something from your phone?
Due to technological advancements, paper documents may soon be a thing of the past. Electronic signing helps businesses cut down on paper waste and provides signatories the option to sign documents and fill out forms on their own time. It’s an easy process that will remove the need for in-person signing rituals.
People sign many small agreements every day without even thinking about them.
How often do you click a box to accept cookies on a website or the terms and conditions for an app? That click is the legal equivalent of signing a binding agreement.
Outside of these small clicks, people can sign more important documents from their phones as well. People are attracted to mobile signing because it’s so easy, and sometimes, you have no other option.
For example, freelancers need to complete contracts with their clients efficiently so they can get to work. Signing documents from their phone can be the best strategic move for time-sensitive agreements. This is especially true if you work from home and your computer is otherwise occupied.
Imagine, if you were to lose WiFi while working at your favorite coffee shop or can’t find a seat, your laptop will become pretty useless when you receive a time-sensitive request. Life happens, and urgent contracts can come in whether you’re prepared at your desk or taking a day off. Using e-sign software allows you to sign from your phone from anywhere any time.
Electronic signatures are the future
Electronic signatures are already the norm for most businesses and they will soon become the norm whenever it comes to signing documents. This makes it important to become well versed with eSignatures. There are a few types of eSignatures that you might require when signing documents.
First, there’s the electronic signature. If you are required to give an electronic signature, it means you will be physically signing your name using a stylus or your finger. An electronic signature can also refer to a typed signature that appears in a handwritten-style font provided by the eSign software. Regardless of which form your electronic signature takes, your full legal name will be required.
A more secure electronic signature is a digital signature. A digital signature adds a personal and public key infrastructure, also known as a PKI. This is a unique key that only the signatories can access. Most electronic signatures are secure on their own. The added security of a digital signature is mostly relevant for government and banking documents.
The simplest eSignature is a clickwrap, which requires very little effort. A clickwrap is a checkbox that says “I agree” or “I consent.”
All three of these eSignatures are equally legally binding. Just checking “I agree to the terms and conditions” is as much of a legal commitment as signing your name on the dotted line.
Here are some reasons for using electronic signature software.
Simply open, sign, and return
Once a document is ready to sign, the creator can trigger the action and the e-sign app will automatically email it to your inbox. From there, just click the link to review your document and directly add comments requesting clarification or addendums.
E-signature solutions provide clearly marked checkboxes or signing blocks to make sure the contract is completed. The company or individual will be notified once you finish signing, and you can get down to business.
Minimize risks and secure documentation
An eSign software will make your life easy. Since paper documents are fragile and susceptible to damage, eSign software usually comes with cloud storage that minimizes such risks. Moreover, such software is also compliant with the electronic signature laws of the country, making it a secure platform to use.
Signature status visibility
Always know what the document’s status is in regards to eSignature. Receive notifications at every step, and track the activity of all the signatories.
Easy form fields to remove manual tasks
Accelerate your documentation process with easy-to-fill form fields that can be assigned to recipients for faster turnover time.
Bulk send documents and automate your contract process
Besides the ability to sign off documents anywhere, anytime, most electronic signature software allows you to bulk send documents and automate your contract process. Need formal acknowledgment from a large group of people? Use electronic signature software!
Moreover, easy integrations with your existing systems of records help you deliver a better experience across devices.
The right electronic signature software will soon be the norm and wet signatures, the exception, thanks to its multi-fold benefits and advantages. The right software will deliver fully adaptive customer experiences, reducing errors and greatly accelerating the signing process – just as your customers desire.
Author Bio:
Rishi Kulkarni co-founded Revv in the year 2018. Rishi started his entrepreneurial journey 10 years ago when he founded 1Click, which was acquired by Freshworks. He spent the next few years building and selling products at Freshworks. Besides managing the product and mentoring the young fledgling startups, he has a ‘green thumb’ and is a health and fitness enthusiast.
