If you're tired of sales deals dragging on because someone forgot to reply to an email or misplaced a proposal PDF, you're not alone. Sales teams waste way too much time chasing signatures and nudging people for feedback. This guide is for anyone — sales reps, account managers, or founders — who wants to close deals faster with less hassle. We'll walk through using Flowla to automate proposal sharing and approvals, so you spend less time nagging and more time selling.
Why Your Current Proposal Process is Slowing You Down
Let’s be honest: most proposal processes are a mess. Here’s what usually happens:
- You create a proposal in Word, export it to PDF, and email it to the prospect.
- They open it (maybe). You have no idea when.
- They forward it to someone else, who loses it in their inbox.
- After a week, you send a “just checking in” email. Rinse and repeat.
It’s slow, you lack visibility, and approvals get bottlenecked. Even with e-signature tools, you’re still manually sending files and reminders. This is where automation actually helps—not just as a buzzword.
Step 1: Setting Up Your Flowla Account and Templates
First, don’t overthink it. Flowla’s setup is straightforward, but a little prep goes a long way.
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Sign up and connect your tools:
Start by creating an account. If you want to pull in contacts or deal info, connect Flowla to your CRM (like HubSpot or Salesforce). It’s optional, but it saves time later. -
Create a proposal template:
Instead of starting from scratch each time, build a template with your typical sections—scope, pricing, terms, etc. - Use placeholders (like {{Client Name}}) so you can fill in details quickly.
- Add your logo and branding, but don’t get stuck in design hell. Clean and readable beats flashy and confusing.
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Pro tip: Keep the template modular. Need to swap out a section for a custom deal? Easy.
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Set up approval steps:
Flowla lets you define who needs to approve what. Map out your usual approval workflow: - Client-side: Decision maker, legal, finance?
- Your side: Manager, finance, legal?
- Assign these in your template so you don’t have to remember every time.
What to ignore:
Don’t waste hours making every field perfect upfront. You’ll tweak as you go. The goal is to get to “good enough” and improve over time.
Step 2: Automating Proposal Sharing
This is where things get faster (and less annoying).
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Generate a proposal from your template:
Enter deal-specific details—client name, pricing, key dates. Flowla fills in the rest. -
Share a secure, trackable link:
Instead of attaching a PDF, Flowla creates a unique link for each proposal. Share it by email, chat, or however your client prefers. - You’ll see when they open it and how long they spend on each section. No more guessing if they even looked at it.
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If someone forwards the link, you'll know who accessed it. (Yes, you can avoid the “who’s this person reviewing my proposal?” mystery.)
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Automated reminders:
Set up nudges to go out if the proposal hasn’t been opened or approved after a certain time. No more calendar reminders to follow up manually.
What works:
The real-time tracking is actually useful. You can see if a deal is stalling and act before it dies.
What’s not a magic bullet:
Don’t expect people to respond instantly just because you’re using a new tool. Some buyers are just slow. But you’ll at least know who’s slow, and you won’t be flying blind.
Step 3: Streamlining Approvals (and Avoiding the “Lost in Legal” Trap)
Approvals are where deals go to die. Flowla can help, but only if you set things up right.
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Assign approval roles:
When you send out the proposal, specify who needs to approve it on both sides. If you’ve set up roles in your template, this takes seconds. -
Automated approval requests:
Flowla can ping each approver in turn or all at once, depending on your workflow. - Sequential approvals (legal, then finance) or parallel (everyone at once).
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Each person gets a link to review and approve (or request changes).
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Track status in real time:
You’ll see exactly who’s approved, who’s holding things up, and what’s outstanding. - This is where you stop chasing “has legal seen this yet?” emails.
- If someone requests changes, the system tracks comments and revisions—all in one place.
Pro tips:
- Don’t add unnecessary approvers. Extra eyes slow things down.
- Set deadlines for approvals inside the tool, not just in your emails.
- If your client’s workflow is messy, walk them through Flowla on a quick call. Sometimes the tool is new to them.
Limitations:
If your client’s company only accepts redlined Word docs, no tool will save you. Flowla works best for teams willing to work digitally.
Step 4: Closing the Deal (and Avoiding Last-Minute Surprises)
Getting to “yes” is about making it easy to say yes.
- E-signature integration:
Flowla can collect digital signatures as the final step. No printing, no scanning. -
Just make sure your client’s legal team is OK with e-signatures. Some old-school orgs still insist on “wet ink”—nothing Flowla can do about that.
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Final summary and audit trail:
Once everyone’s approved and signed, Flowla provides a full history of who did what, when. -
This is useful if there’s ever a dispute or someone claims they didn’t see a change.
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Automatic notifications:
Everyone gets notified when the deal is done. No need to send a “we’re all set!” group email.
What’s actually helpful:
The audit trail. If someone tries to change terms at the last second, you’ve got a record. No more “he said, she said.”
What to watch out for:
Don’t rely on automation alone to build relationships. A quick call or thank-you note still goes a long way.
Step 5: Iterating and Improving Your Process
The best proposal process is one that actually fits the way you and your clients work—not some “ideal” flow dreamed up in a software demo.
- Review your bottlenecks:
Use Flowla’s analytics to spot where deals get stuck. Is it always legal? Pricing? Use that info to tweak your templates or your process. - Ask for feedback:
After a deal closes, check in with your client. Was the process smooth? Anything confusing? Small changes can make a big difference. - Keep your templates updated:
Markets change, clients ask new questions, terms evolve. Don’t let your proposal templates get stale.
Don’t overcomplicate:
If a step isn’t needed, cut it. Automation is only useful if it saves you time and headaches.
Wrapping Up
Automating your proposals with Flowla isn’t about chasing the latest shiny object—it’s about cutting out busywork so you can focus on actual selling. Build your templates, automate the repetitive stuff, and keep your process as simple as possible. Iterate as you learn, and don’t be afraid to ignore features you don’t need. The less time you spend chasing approvals, the faster you’ll close deals. That’s what matters.