ApproveThis manages your smartercontact Integration approvals.

When SMS Meets Approval Process: No More Bottlenecks

Let's cut through the corporate speak: approvals suck when they involve chasing people through Slack, digging through emails, or explaining for the fifth time why Janet in accounting needs to sign off on a $500 client gift. That's where pairing ApproveThis with SmarterContact gets interesting.

SmarterContact handles your SMS outreach and contact management like a pro. ApproveThis handles the "getting five people to agree on something" part without the drama. Connect them through Zapier, and suddenly your sales team's discount approvals trigger SMS updates to clients. Your procurement department's vendor contracts get signed via text. Legal actually responds to NDA requests because they come through their phone, not another forgotten email.

Why This Combo Works When Other Tools Fail

Most approval tools treat every request the same. ApproveThis doesn't. Need three VPs to approve a marketing campaign SMS blast? Set it up once and let the platform route based on dollar amounts, department, or even time sensitivity. Meanwhile, SmarterContact keeps your team from spamming clients by ensuring every message sent has proper sign-off first.

Here's the kicker: Approvers don't need a SmarterContact license. Your client's CFO can approve a contract extension via SMS without your team paying for another software seat. Try that with your current setup.

Real-World Use Cases That Don't Sound Like BS

1. Sales Teams: Close Deals Faster Than "Let Me Check With My Manager"

Picture this: Your AE offers a custom package via SmarterContact SMS. Client says yes. Instead of disappearing for three days to get internal approvals, ApproveThis triggers:

• Auto-check if deal is under $10K? Finance lead gets SMS approval request
• Over $10K? Escalate to VP with calculated ROI in the approval message

Legal team out of office? Vacation delegation shifts approvals automatically. No more "waiting for Greg to get back from Cabo."

2. Procurement: Stop Playing Phone Tag With Vendors

New vendor submits contract via SmarterContact. ApproveThis routes it based on risk level:

• Low-risk: Single approver gets SMS with key terms highlighted
• High-risk: Legal + Finance get sequential approvals with deadline reminders

Approved contracts auto-send via SMS. Denials trigger templated responses. Everyone saves 12 emails per vendor.

Setting This Up Without Hiring a Zapier Expert

Step 1: Create your ApproveThis account (takes 4 minutes)

Step 2: In Zapier, choose SmarterContact as trigger (new contact/export)

Step 3: Connect ApproveThis action (create/update request)

Pro tip: Use calculated fields to auto-flag high-priority requests. Example: If SMS response time <24hrs, escalate to manager group.

Department-Specific Wins

Marketing: Launch Campaigns Without Last-Minute Panic

Social media team wants to send promo SMS blast. Approval workflow:

Compliance checks message → Legal reviews disclaimer → CMO approves budget. All via SMS with deadline countdowns. No more all-hands meetings because someone forgot to CC legal.

Customer Success: Upsell Without Overstepping

CSM identifies upsell opportunity during SMS check-in. Approval request auto-generates with:

Client history + previous spend + recommended package. Sales director approves/denies via SMS reply. Customer gets offer within 2 hours, not 2 weeks.

Why Your Current Process Is Leaking Money

Let's math this out:

Average approval takes 3.2 days (IDC research). With ApproveThis + SmarterContact:

- 80% of requests approved within 4 hours
- 60% reduction in "follow-up" SMS/emails
- 100% audit trail for compliance (no more "I didn't see the request")

Translation: Your team stops being professional naggers.

Objections We Hear (And Shut Down)

"We have custom approval rules"

ApproveThis handles conditional logic better than your Excel flowchart. Examples we've built:

- Auto-approve discounts under 15% if customer LTV >$50K
- Require dual signatures for international SMS campaigns
- Escalate to CFO only if deal size exceeds Q2 quota

"Our approvers hate new tech"

They approve/reject via SMS or email. Zero logins. Zero training. If your VP can reply "APPROVE" to a text, they're qualified.

The Hidden Benefit You Didn't Consider

Client-facing approvals become painless. Examples:

- Collect SMS opt-ins with automatic legal review
- Get client sign-off on project scope changes via text
- Approve vendor payments without sharing internal systems

Suddenly you look organized instead of scrambling. Worth considering.

How To Not Screw This Up

Common mistakes we see:

1. Overcomplicating workflows → Start with 2-3 steps, expand later
2. Forgetting approval thresholds → Set $$ limits to auto-approve small stuff
3. Ignoring delegation → Cover vacations upfront, avoid bottlenecks

Fix these, and you're golden.

Ready to Stop Chasing Approvals?

This isn't about flashy tech. It's about:

- Deals closing faster
- Clients getting timely responses
- Your team keeping their sanity

Get started free (takes 4 minutes) or book a 12-minute demo to see real client workflows.

P.S. If you're still manually forwarding approval SMS threads...we need to talk.

FAQ: Quick Answers for Skeptics

Q: Can we use existing SmarterContact contacts?
A: Yes. ApproveThis pulls data through Zapier automatically.

Q: What if approvers want more context?
A: Approval SMS includes links to full details + attachments. No app install needed.

Q: How’s pricing work?
A: You pay for ApproveThis seats. Approvers are free. SmarterContact costs stay the same.