6 Things to Ask Your E-Signature Vendor – BEFORE Signing a Contract!

Choosing an e-signature solution so your business can sign documents online is a pretty straightforward process. You examine the ins and outs of independence, security, compliance and price. Then, you pick a solution that best meets your needs. 

Choosing an e-signature partner to embed its solution into your technology platform – well, that’s a bit more complicated. You’re not just trying to meet your company’s own e-signing needs, you’re looking for a company to strategically collaborate with you to better serve your customers and add value to your technology offering. 

Adding e-signature capabilities to tech solutions requires the right integration strategy, sales journey and collaborative support. There’s a lot more at stake, and you need to know your partner will shine in a long-term relationship.

Engaging the Right Partner

You need the technology to retain each e-signature’s legal evidence, to keep documents and data perpetually secure and to work, correctly, every time. But the e-signature solution itself is only one element. As you vet potential e-signature partners, go beyond the technology basics and get to the heart of the company to understand how they work and how they will work with you long-term.

1. Make sure the partnership will be profitable for you, too. A good partnership should be a win-win. If a vendor won’t budge on its plan, even if your company or industry would be better served with a new pricing or marketing strategy, it could be a sign that you won’t get the attention you need to make e-signatures work for your business. Worse, you could miss out on profits as a result. See if a program is in place to ensure you will make money by adding e-signatures to your platform.

2. Understand your potential partner company’s definition of “flexible.” A partnership is a relationship with give and take on both sides. How willing is the the e-signature partner to tailor their solution to your requirements? Would they white label their product so that your customers see only your branding, if that’s important to you? Will they make adjustments to their technology to specifically complement your products? Be sure to do your due diligence. 

3. Get to know the vendor’s industry experience. Highly regulated industries, such as financial services, real estate, healthcare and government, require navigation of regulatory mandates and standards for digital processes. Plus, there are plenty of other technology needs and best practices specific to those industries. 

How well does your potential e-signature partner know your industry and the customers you serve? Does the company understand your pain points? Are they up to speed on laws and regulations?

4. Ask about marketing collaboration. A tech partnership isn’t just about bringing two great products together—it’s about selling the joint solution to customers who need it. That takes marketing strategy, but will your partner make you go at it alone?

Look for partners that connect their marketing gurus with your marketing gurus and, together, strategically work marketing magic. From collateral to case studies to announcements, make certain you work as a team to make sure your customers (and potential customers) know about the power of the partnership.

5. Pay attention to non-verbal cues. When an e-signature vendor integrates its technology with your platform, strong communication and good corporate character are essential. When you call or email a potential e-signature partner, how long does it take for a response? Has the vendor taken the time to learn your business and think like your customers? Do they uphold high standards of integrity? Honing in on attitudes and small details could indicate whether or not your partner will be a cultural and practical fit for you.

6. Talk to existing clients. Client testimonies speak volumes. Ask your potential partner for references and get to know how your partner works out in the real world. Ask about support responsiveness, engagement, challenges and successes.

To learn more about an e-signature partnership with SIGNiX, download this free white paper.