Printing, signing, scanning, and sending back your proposals was a pain.
But, if we’re being honest, eSignatures can feel like a pain sometimes, too.
In this article, we aim to explore step-by-step how to get electronic signatures on your documents with a handful of main tools. No matter if you’re using Microsoft Word, a PDF, Google Docs, or proposal software, this article covers how to implement an electronic signature on each.
Why are electronic signatures important?
According to Proposify’s annual State of Proposals report, proposals with eSignatures close 35% faster compared to proposals without. But electronic signatures aren’t only about speed and convenience, they’re actually more secure, too.
Electronic signatures collect both the identity of a person and the intention to sign a document. Digital signatures create a unique mark for each document that allows you to verify its authenticity.
A common question is what happens if a proposal is signed using eSignatures and someone decides to change the document afterwards?
Because all eSignatures are time-stamped, software applications can recognize if any changes to the document have been made after the user has signed it. The Proposify platform makes sure that all signed proposals remain true to the original idea.
If edits are made to a proposal that is already signed, existing signatures are removed and all signees must re-sign the amended proposal.
Here’s how to do an electronic signature on the most common platforms:
Microsoft Word has an electronic-signature feature that lets users create signatures and add them to documents.
Although Word is popular, it has limited functionality when it comes to electronic signatures and other related features, making it less suitable for the needs of many organizations than a specialized signing software like Proposify.
The process for Microsoft Word requires a scanner and to physically draw your signature on a piece of paper before uploading it to your computer to look like so:
Here’s how you do it, according to Microsoft’s official support page.
Let’s get it straight from the horse’s mouth. From Adobe’s PDF instructions, the process goes like this:
Google Docs doesn't have a direct tool for electronic signatures, however How to Geek details a workaround option of using the native drawing feature and saving your signature as an image.
Additionally, there are a variety of Chrome extensions and Google Doc add-ons that make it possible. Some of the best options are Hellosign, Simple Signature for Google Docs, and Dotted: Signature Creator.
To create an electronic signature using Google Docs drawing feature, follow these steps from How to Geek:
You might be thinking that with all the available technology today, isn’t there an easier way to handle all of this?
Good news. You’re right.
Proposify provides two ways to sign your proposal electronically.
You can type in your name and select your desired font style to display it in:
Or show off your top-notch mouse-drawing skills:
Our electronic signature app allows you to immediately create and send electronically signed agreements that get agreements done faster and with much less hassle than any other process on the market.
From increasing the likelihood of a client saying yes to being able to securely monitor changes to a document, it's clear that there are numerous benefits to using online signatures over traditional avenues.
Our goal with this article was to review the options for implementing an online signature for multiple platforms and ultimately help you decide on a platform.
Featuring the ability to securely and instantly electronically sign from anywhere, Proposify gives you what you need for easy and consistent electronic signatures. Give us a try and schedule a free demo of our electronic signature software today!