When a prospect accepts a proposal in a small CPA firm's CRM, the automation fills the engagement letter template with the agreed scope, annual fee and billing terms. The letter goes out for e-signature, and the signed PDF returns to the client record.
Typical results
Under 10 min
From accepted proposal to letter sent
Same day
Typical time to a signed engagement letter
≈20 min
Staff time saved on each letter
100%
Engaged clients with a signed letter on file
Figures reflect typical results for this kind of automation.
The challenge
After a prospect says yes, a staff accountant copies the scope, fee and billing terms from the CRM into the letter template by hand, saves it as a PDF and emails it for signature. Letters sit in drafts for days, figures get mistyped, and work often starts before anything is signed, which leaves the firm exposed on scope disputes.
Before and after
Days from accepted proposal to signed letter
−83%Staff minutes per engagement letter
−91%Fee or scope errors per 50 letters
−100%The automation
When a client record moves to proposal accepted in the CRM, a Make scenario pulls the scope, annual fee and billing terms from that record. It fills the firm's engagement letter template, saves a PDF and sends it through the e-signature platform to the signer named on the record, with a reminder after three days. Once signed, the PDF and signature date are written back to the record and the stage moves to engaged.
How it works
- 01
Proposal accepted in the CRM
Moving a client record to the proposal accepted stage starts the automation.
- 02
Letter filled from the record
Scope, annual fee and billing terms are merged into the firm's engagement letter template and saved as a PDF.
- 03
Sent for e-signature
The PDF goes to the signer named on the record, with a reminder after three days if it is still open.
- 04
Signed copy filed
The signed PDF and the signature date are written back to the client record.
- 05
Work can start
The record moves to engaged, so the team knows a signed letter is on file before any task is opened.
Starts from
- CRM: proposal accepted
- Engagement letter template
Delivers
- Letter sent for signature
- Signed PDF on client record
- Stage moved to engaged
The impact
Engagement letters go out within minutes of a yes and are usually signed the same day. Staff stop retyping fees and scope, so figure errors on letters all but disappear, and every engaged client has a signed letter on file before the first task is opened.
Questions about this automation
Does work wait until the letter is signed?
The client record stays at letter sent until the signed PDF comes back, and tasks are opened only once the record reads engaged, so nobody starts work before the terms are agreed. A reminder goes out after three days if the letter is still open. Simple automations like this are usually live within days.
Can different services use different letter templates?
Yes. The service type on the record picks the template, for example bookkeeping only, annual accounts, or payroll and tax returns. Each template keeps its own clauses, and the same scope, fee and billing fields are merged into whichever one applies to that client.
What happens if the client asks to change the terms before signing?
A staff member voids the pending letter in the e-signature platform, updates the fee or scope on the CRM record and moves it back to proposal accepted. A fresh letter is generated from the updated record, so the signed version always matches what the CRM holds.