An e-signature tool is just as essential for an online coaching practice as a website or scheduling system. Getting your contracts signed digitally is just as secure and legally binding as putting pen on paper but way faster and easier.
If you use Paperbell, digital contract signing is integrated into your all-in-one client management system—no need to register for yet another software.
Read on to learn more about how secure signing works online and which tools are best for it.
How Does E-Signature Software Work?
E-signature tools let you sign documents online quickly and securely without meeting your client in person or scanning documents.
Electronic signatures created are just as official and legally binding as handwritten ones; you can type them, draw them, or generate them with the help of an app.
You must have an agreement signed with all your clients before you start doing any work for them. Having it on file will ensure you’re on the same page about the scope of the partnership and that you can refer to it in case of any misunderstandings or legal disputes.
Online signatures could be easily forged on a contract. E-signature tools use cryptography to protect your legal documents, making them way more secure than PDF signatures or Word Documents.
These apps add a few key details to your contracts that identify them, such as email addresses, the time and place of signing, serial numbers, and details about the device used for the signing. These elements create a unique fingerprint that helps prove later that the contract was indeed signed by the parties listed on it.
When you use an e-signature tool, all you need to do is upload your agreement as a PDF file, set up a digital signature for yourself, and send the document to each client to sign.
Though it allows you to collect electronic signatures and close deals, you must still prepare an agreement with all essential details about the coaching engagement.
Compliance standards may differ depending on your country and industry, so it’s best to check with a legal professional about what to include in your contract. To help you get started, we created free templates for both coaching and consulting agreements that you can access here:
[ Read: Exactly How To Put Together Your Consulting Agreement — With Free PDF Template ]
[ Read: How To Create A Legally Binding Coaching Contract From Scratch ]
How to Choose an Electronic Signature Tool
Here’s what to look for in a reliable e-signature tool.
It’s Easy to Use
E-signature apps are meant to simplify your workflow, not add to it. A great signature solution shouldn’t require you to watch tutorial videos, trying to make sense of features. It should be straightforward, and help you get the job done in a few clicks.
The same is true for your client. If it’s unclear how to annotate your document, they might delay it, and hence, the onboarding process.
A great digital signature tool shows your client how to finalize your contract with a few clicks and automatically sends a copy to both of you.
It’s Suitable for Your Business Size
Some advanced e-signature tools are built for large organizations or specific industries.
If you’re a small business owner or service provider, you probably won’t need to sign hundreds of documents in a year or make your agreements HIPAA compliant.
What you need is a quick way to add digital signatures to your documents and store them safely in one neat place for future reference.
When testing out digital signature apps, take a look at what’s included in their plan. All the solutions listed in this guide have free electronic signature plans or trials you can use to test the waters before committing.
It Integrates With Your Current Workflow
Getting signatures down is just one step in onboarding a new client. You must also collect payments, schedule sessions, and share package materials.
Make sure your document signing app integrates with your other apps so you don’t need to jump back and forth between them. Better yet, you can automate your entire onboarding flow on a single platform, e-signatures included, with our all-in-one client management system, Paperbell.
The 5 Best Electronic Signature Apps for Coaches
- Paperbell
Paperbell is a top-rated client management tool for coaches and other appointment-based service providers. It handles your entire client onboarding and management workflow, including digital contract signing, secure payments, packages, surveys, scheduling, and more.
Paperbell integrates Dropbox Sign (formerly HelloSign), a simple and reliable e-signature software, to ensure your contracting process is as effortless as possible.
Simply upload a contract as a PDF document (you can use one of our templates as a start) to your packages. New clients can sign documents digitally when they buy your program on your Paperbell website.
They will be required to e-sign documents and pay your fees before they get access to your calendar. No need to chase them with follow-up emails!
All your agreements will be stored securely in your account. No need to download them to your computer.
Paperbell costs $57 monthly and includes all client management and website-building tools. So technically, you get free online signature software, a booking system, a website builder, a survey tool, and much more.
Managing clients with Paperbell is easy, and you can trust that all your agreements, schedule, payments, and client information stay safely stored in your account. Try Paperbell for free with your first client.
- Dropbox Sign (Formerly HelloSign)
Alternatively, you can try Dropbox Sign on its own with a 30-day trial and stay on the Essentials plan for $20 monthly.
You can use the app on a mobile device, send reminders to your clients about the agreements waiting, and get notifications when they view or sign documents.
They also offer templates and integrations with Hubspot, Dropbox, Gmail, Salesforce, and other business and marketing apps.
The HelloSign Standard Plan also lets you use your own branding elements on the sign-up page and bulk-send contracts to your coaching group members or teams you’re consulting.
- PandaDoc
PandaDoc offers a 14-day free trial and plans starting at $19 a month. It’s an easy-to-use digital signature app where you can draw your signature, type it in as letters, or upload it in the form of signature images.
It also includes a drag-and-drop document editor you can use to design your own contracts with visual templates. You can reuse these proposal-like agreements in the future or simply upload a PDF file to be signed.
PandaDoc’s renewal date reminders notify you when a recurring contract expires, so you won’t forget to prepare the next one for signatures.
Their plan for businesses also has an approval workflow feature that lets you add an extra step of review before your contract lands in your client’s inbox. This may come in handy if you’re outsourcing your contracting procedures to a virtual assistant but want to approve documents yourself.
- DocuSign
DocuSign offers a free 30-day trial and plans starting at $10 a month which include five contracts sent out monthly. You can use DocuSign on your mobile and it integrates with popular apps like Dropbox, Evernote, and Google Drive.
DocuSign makes it easy to add signatures, initials, names, dates, payment details, and other text to your agreements to customize them. This lets you reuse the same agreement template for different clients and projects, simply adding a few custom details.
Higher-tier DocuSign plans allow you to comment and collaborate on your contract drafts with other people or bulk send them to multiple recipients. Its most advanced features include SMS authentication, customized branding, and automated reminders.
- SignNow
SignNow offers a 7-day free trial and plans starting at $8 monthly. You can add signatures, initials, dates, and text elements to your electronically signed documents or include drop-downs and checkboxes for a custom look.
SignNow works on your mobile device and allows you to set up reminders and unlimited templates for your account.
Its premium plans include sending contracts in bulk and generating signing links you can share with clients without needing their email IDs. You can also add personalized branding to your contracts, request materials as attachments, or transform your contracts into forms with smart fields.
Another interesting feature of SignNow is creating conditional documents with a particular signing order. This allows you to get contracts for different packages or upsell services signed at once.
Simplify Your Workflow With Paperbell
Managing client agreements doesn’t have to be a hassle.
Paperbell includes a free electronic signature tool along with an all-in-one client management platform with scheduling, payments, and more.
Ready to streamline your coaching practice? Create your free account now!
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in October 2022 and has since been updated for accuracy.