Galvin’s Favorite Flows: Contracts and Automated Opportunity Stage Updates

There is a simple rule in UX design: the fewer clicks the better. Research shows that as the number of clicks required to complete an online task increases, so does abandonment. Essentially, people give up when things aren’t easy. This is especially true for sales teams where time equals money. They’d much rather be closing deals than updating Salesforce fields. Luckily, with this Galvin Favorite Flow, sales agents need not choose between sending contracts or generating accurate pipeline reports. They can do both—easier than ever, with automated opportunity stages.

In the standard manual process, a sales rep generates a contract and sends it out. They must remember to update the Opportunity Stage in Salesforce to “contract sent.” Let’s be honest, it’s a step often missed until a sales manager asks for updates on open deals. Then, when the customer returns the signed contract, the sales agent flips the Opportunity Stage to “closed won.” That’s two clicks too many when a Salesforce flow can do the work.

Automated opportunity stages  inside Salesforce is possible when using any document generation and digital signature tool. DocuSign, Conga, and Formstack are common. We often use Nintex DocGen® which makes building, sharing, and signing contracts simple and quick. 

Nintex DocGen® includes an update feature that can be configured with clicks, not code. The system tells Salesforce when the contract is sent and automatically modifies the Opportunity Stage accordingly. No remembering on the part of the sales agent to make the change. A separate flow monitors the digital signature status. Once the customer signs on the dotted line, the Opportunity Stage automatically flips to “closed won.”  The sales rep creates the contract, the system does the rest. 

Sure, the flow saves sales people time, but that’s just one benefit. For most companies, ensuring the accuracy of the bottom of the sales funnel is a manual task. A constant battle exists around generating correct sales numbers and reports. This Galvin Favorite Flow eliminates much of the manual work that creates those inaccurate pipeline projections. More precise sales numbers can improve every aspect of the business from finance to operations to the front line. 

Leveraging a digital signature tool also eliminates the menia, yet critical, manual task of attaching a signed contract to an opportunity. Rather than searching through emails or file folders, the tool attaches the contract—no extra clicks required. Less time clicking means more time selling. 

This flow is a favorite because it offers a true efficiency booster while keeping Salesforce data updated and accurate. Count the benefits and ease of implementation and this Favorite Flow just clicks. 

For more ways Galvin helps clients “go with the Flow,” check out our other Favorite Flows or reach out with a process you need simplified.