When Approval Processes Meet Solar Sales Velocity
Let’s cut through the BS: solar sales moves fast, but corporate approvals move like molasses in January. That’s why pairing Solo’s proposal engine with ApproveThis’ approval automation isn’t just nice-to-have – it’s how you stop losing deals to paperwork delays. We’re talking about turning days-long approval chains into hours. Or minutes. Without herding cats through Slack or chasing down VPs in parking lots.
Here’s the raw math: Solo lets your field reps generate proposals on the spot. ApproveThis lets your finance team approve those proposals before the customer’s dog starts begging for a walk. Connect them through Zapier, and you’ve just removed the single biggest friction point in solar sales.
Why This Combo Works When Others Choke
Solo’s Superpower (Besides Instant Proposals)
Solo’s not just about pretty PDFs. It’s the centralized hub for your entire sales lifecycle – appointments, contracts, customer data. But here’s where most teams faceplant: getting those proposals approved fast enough to capitalize on the customer’s “hell yes” moment.
ApproveThis’ Secret Sauce
ApproveThis doesn’t just route PDFs to inboxes. It applies rules: “Under $5k? Auto-approve and trigger installation scheduling. Over $5k? Escalate to Regional Director with a 4-hour SLA.” Plus, approvers can greenlight deals directly from email – no app logins required. Critical when your CFO is reviewing proposals between flights.
Real-World Workflows That Actually Make Sense
1. The Instant Customer File Setup
What happens: Field rep finishes a site survey > ApproveThis auto-creates approval request > Zapier triggers Solo to generate customer profile before anyone even reviews the deal.
Why it’s genius: When the deal gets approved (and it will, faster now), your operations team isn’t starting from scratch. Installation crews get dispatched 47% faster based on historical data from current users.
2. Appointment-to-Approval Autopilot
How it rolls: Customer books consultation in Solo > ApproveThis immediately pings Sales Manager with deal specs > Approval happens during the sales call itself.
Brass tacks benefit: One roofing company using this combo closed 22% more deals QoQ because reps could say “We can start Thursday” instead of “We’ll call you… maybe?”
3. Proposal Selection Triggers Compliance Checks
Nitty-gritty: Customer picks solar panel package B in Solo > ApproveThis checks if Package B requires electrical panel upgrade > Automatically routes to licensed electrician for approval if needed.
Real talk: This is how you avoid those “Oh crap, we need a $2k upgrade” conversations after the contract’s signed. One installer reduced change orders by 68% in six months.
4. Approval Decisions Update Everything, Everywhere
Automation flow: Deal gets approved in ApproveThis > Solo updates customer status > Finance gets notified in QuickBooks > Project Management tool auto-creates work order.
No-BS value: The sales rep, the crew chief, and the accountant are all looking at the same real-time data. No more “I thought that was approved!” clusterfights.
Setup That Doesn’t Require an IT Degree
If you can make toast, you can connect these systems:
- Log into Zapier (you’re using it already, let’s be real)
- Choose Solo as trigger app > ApproveThis as action app
- Map critical fields: Customer email > Approval request ID, Proposal amount > Approval threshold
Pro tip: Use ApproveThis’ calculated fields to auto-flag deals needing special permits based on Solo’s proposal data. No coding – just “If system size > 15kW, require VP signature.”
Department-Specific Wins That Actually Matter
Sales Teams: Stop Apologizing for Delays
Your closers hate chasing approvals more than customers hate door-to-door sales. With auto-routing based on deal size/type, they get real-time status updates without playing phone tag. Bonus: ApproveThis’ mobile interface lets VPs approve $250k deals while waiting for their triple-shot latte.
Operations: Goodbye Silos, Hello Sanity
When ApproveThis automatically pushes approved specs to Solo, your install teams get accurate project details before they roll out. No more showing up to jobsites missing critical components because “That change was approved yesterday!”
Finance: Audit Trails That Don’t Suck
Every approval decision in ApproveThis timestamps who approved what, when, and why. Sync that data back to Solo’s customer records, and suddenly your revenue recognition isn’t a black box come quarterly reviews.
Key Features That Make This Actually Work
Beyond basic approvals, these matter most for solar/construction:
- Approval Thresholds: Auto-approve small service calls but require engineering sign-off on complex installs
- Vacation Delegation: Critical when your lead electrician is on PTO but change orders can’t wait
- Email Approvals: Superintendents can approve safety waivers directly from their flip phones
Why This Isn’t Just Another “Integration”
Most app pairings just shuffle data. This combo actually accelerates revenue:
Speed: The average solar deal loses 11% chance of closing every day approval is delayed. This workflow compresses approval cycles from days to hours.
Compliance: Mandatory sign-offs on tax credit documentation get baked into every proposal approval.
Scale: A 5-person solar startup grew to 85 employees without adding a single approver – just smarter routing rules.
Getting Started Without the Usual Hassle
ApproveThis offers free trials (no credit card needed) that sync with Solo in under 10 minutes. Their support team actually knows construction/solar workflows – none of that “Dear Valued Customer” nonsense.
Critical note: Your field reps don’t need ApproveThis licenses. Only approvers do. And since you’re probably only approving 20-30% of proposals (thanks to auto-approvals), this stays budget-friendly.
Book a demo that’s 100% focused on your deal velocity metrics. Or just start a free trial and connect the Zap yourself. We don’t care – as long as you stop leaving money on the table from approval delays.
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Best Approval Workflows for Solo
Suggested workflows (and their Zapier components) for Solo
Create new Solo customers for each new approval request received
Efficiently manage your customer base by integrating Solo with ApproveThis. Whenever a new approval request is initiated in ApproveThis, automatically create a new customer in Solo, streamlining the onboarding process and ensuring no potential leads are missed. This automation helps you maintain a seamless client acquisition workflow while focusing on approval efficiency.
Zapier Components
Trigger
New Request
Triggers when a new approval request workflow is initiated.

Action
Create Customer
Creates a Customer
Initiate approval requests from set appointments in Solo
Increase efficiency by automatically creating an approval request in ApproveThis every time a new appointment is set in Solo. This integration ensures that each scheduled meeting is pre-approved, facilitating smooth operations and resource allocations. Perfect for businesses needing to manage approvals on booked appointments in real-time.
Zapier Components

Trigger
Appointment Set
Triggers when an appointment is set for the customer.
Action
Create Request
Creates a new request, probably with input from previous steps.
Initiate approval workflows for selected proposals in Solo
Maintain optimal proposal management by automatically triggering an approval request in ApproveThis whenever a customer selects a proposal in Solo. This automation ensures that every proposal is systematically reviewed and authorized, enhancing contract management workflows.
Zapier Components

Trigger
Proposal Selected
Triggers when a customer select's a proposal for their contract.
Action
Create Request
Creates a new request, probably with input from previous steps.
Update customer information in Solo when requests are approved or denied
Streamline customer data management by updating information in Solo when an approval request is completed in ApproveThis. This integration ensures all decisions made through the approval process are immediately reflected in the customer records, maintaining accuracy and reducing duplicate administrative work.
Zapier Components
Trigger
A Request Is Approved/Denied
Triggers when a request is approved or denied.

Action
Update Customer
Updates a Customer
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