If you're drowning in emailed PDFs, chasing signatures, and double-checking versions, this one's for you. Sales contracts shouldn’t slow you down, and neither should your e-signature process. This guide is for busy sales teams, founders, and ops folks who want a reliable, straightforward way to get contracts signed using Contractbook—the contract management platform that actually tries to make this easier. Let’s skip the fluff and get your workflow working.
Why bother with an e-signature workflow?
You probably already know: manual signature collection is a time suck. You lose deals to version confusion, missed follow-ups, and “just one more change.” E-signatures are supposed to fix that, but only if you set things up right. Done well, your workflow:
- Cuts out back-and-forth emails
- Reduces errors (wrong doc, wrong version, wrong signee)
- Gives you a clear audit trail
- Actually gets contracts signed faster
But let’s be honest: not every e-signature setup is worth the hype. Some are just as messy as paper. Done right in Contractbook, though, you can avoid most of the headaches.
Step 1: Get your sales contract template set up
Before you even think about workflows, get your sales contract template sorted. This isn’t busywork—it’s the foundation for everything else.
How to do it:
- Draft your contract: Write your sales contract in plain language. Avoid legalese unless you truly need it. Make sure it covers essentials like deliverables, pricing, payment terms, and termination.
- Add variables: In Contractbook, you can use variables (think: [Client Name], [Start Date], etc.) so you don’t have to rewrite the whole thing every time.
- Save as a template: Upload or create your contract directly in Contractbook. Hit “Save as template.” Name it something obvious, like “Standard Sales Contract.”
Pro tip: Don’t overcomplicate your template. Start simple—add complexity only if you really need it. You’ll thank yourself later.
Step 2: Map your e-signature workflow
This is where most teams mess up. They jump to automation without thinking through who actually needs to sign and in what order.
Ask yourself: - Who signs first: you or the customer? - Do you need internal approval before sending it out? - Is anyone else (legal, finance, etc.) supposed to review or sign?
Basic sales contract flow (most common): 1. Sales rep fills in contract details and sends to customer 2. Customer reviews and signs 3. Sales rep (or manager) countersigns
If you need more steps (approvals, multiple signers), sketch this out on paper first.
Step 3: Build your workflow in Contractbook
Now for the nuts and bolts. Contractbook gives you tools to automate most of this, but don’t get lost in the weeds.
3.1 Create a new contract from your template
- Go to your dashboard
- Click “New document” > “From template”
- Select your sales contract template
- Fill in the custom fields (client name, deal value, etc.)
3.2 Add signers
- Click “Add signer”
- Enter the email addresses of everyone who needs to sign
- Set the signing order (if needed)
- For sequential signing, drag signers into the right order
- For parallel signing, just add everyone at once
Honest take: Sequential signing sounds cool, but it can slow things down if one person drags their feet. Unless you must have one party sign first, parallel is usually faster.
3.3 Add internal approvals (optional)
- If your company requires approvals before sending out contracts, use the “Add reviewer” or “Approval step”
- Assign the approver (manager, legal, etc.)
- Don’t make this more complicated than it needs to be—too many approvals will kill your deal speed
3.4 Customize notifications
- You can set up reminders to nudge signers if they haven’t signed after a day or two
- Don’t go overboard—you don’t want to spam your clients
3.5 Send for signature
- Hit “Send” when you’re ready
- Each signer gets an email with a secure link
- They don’t need a Contractbook account to sign (they just follow the link)
Step 4: Automate the boring stuff (but don’t overdo it)
Contractbook has automation features that can help, but they’re not magic. Automate repetitive tasks, but keep things human where it matters.
What’s worth automating: - Creating a contract from a CRM trigger (e.g., deal moved to “Closed Won” in HubSpot) - Sending reminders to signers - Filing signed contracts into shared folders
What’s not worth automating (at first): - Complex approval chains (these break more than they help) - Every single notification (noise fatigue is real) - Custom contract logic for every client (unless you have serious volume)
To set up an automation: 1. Go to “Automations” in Contractbook 2. Choose your trigger (e.g., contract created, signed, etc.) 3. Set your action (e.g., send notification, move file, etc.) 4. Test it on a dummy contract before rolling out for real deals
Step 5: Track, store, and manage signed contracts
Getting the signature isn’t the end. You need to keep contracts organized, accessible, and easy to find later.
Tips: - Use Contractbook’s folders to organize by client, deal type, or quarter—whatever works for you. - Set up user permissions so only the right people can see sensitive contracts. - Use the search feature—don’t bother with fancy tagging unless you really need it.
Audit trail: Every contract in Contractbook has a timeline of actions (created, sent, viewed, signed). This is gold if anyone ever disputes what happened.
What works, what doesn’t, and what to ignore
What works: - Simple, standardized templates - Minimal steps to signature (the fewer, the better) - Automating reminders and filing
What doesn’t: - Over-engineered workflows with too many approvals - Relying on email attachments—just use the platform - Making clients create accounts to sign (Contractbook avoids this, thankfully)
Ignore for now: - Integrating every tool you own (start with the basics) - Advanced analytics (nice to have, not essential to getting paid) - Custom branding on every email (nobody’s lost a deal over an unbranded signature request)
Pro tips for smooth sales contract workflows
- Test with a dummy contract: Run through the process as both sender and signer. Catch clunky steps before a real client does.
- Keep your template updated: Review it quarterly. Outdated terms are a legal risk.
- Check the mobile experience: Most clients will open the contract on their phone. Make sure it works.
- Have a backup plan: Occasionally, someone’s spam filter will eat the invite. Be ready to resend or share the direct link.
Keep it simple, iterate as you go
Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the signed contract. Start with a basic template, a simple workflow, and only automate what actually saves you time. As you use Contractbook, you’ll spot ways to tweak and improve—just don’t get bogged down in bells and whistles. The goal is more signed deals, less hassle.
Now, go set up your workflow and get back to closing.