Am I Making this Harder

Am I making this harder on my clients?

Since there seems to be more competition for our attention than ever, we need to think carefully about how much attention our contract process takes with our clients. It’s why so many digital retailers have made such an effort to make ordering so simple and quick. Depending on your business, it may not be possible to completely streamline the sales process to a single click, but it is worth thinking through whether your contract process is creating an obstacle for your clients and making it harder for them to say yes to you.

Some examples of how Chicago business can simplify their agreement structures and make it easier for clients to say yes:

·        Not giving an option for digital signatures. Like a good millennial, I do not have a printer at home and I will not be buying one. There’s no legal difference between paper and electronic signatures so where you can, opt for the easier, quicker option.

·        Having multiple and redundant signatures. Not everything exhibit or agreement needs to be signed and you don’t need to sign anything more than once (unless this is some organizational policy), so think carefully about the number of steps necessary to make the transaction happen.

·        Information and contract overload. Some transactions require a lot of contract language and/or disclosures (such as signing a lease in Chicago), but many do not. If the agreement isn’t particularly risk averse or doesn’t require extensive legal or policy disclosures, then why burden your client with numerous pages and multiple exhibits?

·        Legalese. Can you read and understand your agreements? Even leaving the literacy epidemic behind, many agreements are written like the author was possessed with an 19th century ghost. Just say what you mean!

If you have a feeling this is the case and your contracts just aren’t up to date, then please feel free to contact us. I’m always happy to talk about making life a little easier on you and your clients.