We go out, make new connections, close new deals, develop new opportunities, and position for future growth. For many of us it’s the stuff we really enjoy doing, and what keeps us coming back day after day. Most of this activity generates additional activity back at the office that often comes to a screeching halt waiting on one thing: our signatures. If a deal has ever been delayed because someone back at the office was waiting for a signature there’s a simple way to prevent it from happening again, or at least reduce the number of future occurrences. The answer is using a Mobile Signature App.
Tweak Your Process to Allow for Signing Digitally
Not all documents can be signed in this manner, but for internal documents — as well as any document that doesn’t require physical pen strokes to be present on the physical paper in order to be considered valid — giving yourself and your staff the option of signing documents digitally can increase the speed at which work gets done. This quick process tweak uses software you likely already own and a free app for your smartphone or tablet, and you can start using it today.
At the Office: Share as PDF
From the office, email a PDF copy of your document, spreadsheet, etc. Microsoft Office 2010 and higher have the ability built in, and earlier versions have free downloadable plug-ins to allow you to send a PDF copy of your document via email. In most Office applications, this is done by clicking File, then Share, Email, then Send as PDF (or a similar series of options, depending on your version). In other applications it may be necessary to save the file as a PDF before emailing, or use another free application to “print” the document to a PDF, which can then be saved. We’ve got links to all the necessary applications at the bottom of this article.
On Your Mobile Device: Get an App
There are loads of apps that allow you to sign documents electronically from your smartphone or tablet. For this example I chose an app called DocuSign Ink, which is Free on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The reason I chose this app is that it is free, and has great quality. DocuSign also has a nice feature where you can draw your signature and initials for later use. These can later be dropped onto any document at a later time, saving you from having to write on your phone or tablet with your finger every time. If scribbling your name on a piece of glass just a few inches wide isn’t your cup of tea, this app will actually let you take a photo of your actual signature written on paper, and store it for later use.
Open the Document in the Free App
When you open a PDF document on your mobile device you should have an option to open the attachment in a separate App.
Choose the DocuSign app to open the document.
Once you have the document open in the DocuSign app, you can simply drop your signature and/or initials in place where ever they are needed. When you’re done, click Finish and send an email of the signed document back to the office, or to the partners or clients who need to sign it next. 
Print If You Like
If your policies require paper copies of signed documents, no problem. Just hit the print button back at the office and the paper version will be available for you, produced in less time due to fewer delays waiting on a signature.
Where To Start With Mobile Signature App
If this sounds like something you’d like to try out, getting started is simple. See the list below for links to all the software and free app links you might need.
DocuSign – iTunes App Store
DocuSign – Google Play Store
Save-to-PDF Add-in for Office 2007
If you need help generating PDF files out of other applications, CutePDF and PDF Creator are simple and no-cost tools. Don’t forget, if you need help your JMARK I.T. & Computer Support team is just a call or click away.
We hope this advice helps reduce delays in your daily workflow. We’d love to hear from you.
