Smarter Week

How to automate it

How to automate “wait on discount, legal and deal-desk approvals”

Here are 2 ways to spend less time on this, best first. Each comes with steps you can follow today.

20 min
typically, a few times a week
40%
of the time can be automated
Some setup
to set up

Fix 1 of 2

Process fixBest fix

Publish discount bands so most deals need no approval

If reps know what they can offer without asking, only the unusual deals go to the deal desk, and those get answered faster.

Typically saves about 40% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Look at last quarter's approvals: what share were approved as asked?
  2. 2Set bands (for example up to 10% rep, up to 20% manager, above that deal desk).
  3. 3Write a one-page approval guide with standard legal fallback positions.
  4. 4Put the remaining approvals in a tracked flow with a 24-hour target.

Tools: Salesforce or HubSpot approval rules · Slack or Teams approvals

Fix 2 of 2

Automation

Move approvals into a tracked workflow with reminders

Approvals in Teams/Power Automate, Slack Workflows, or your e-signature tool remind people for you and show what is stuck.

Typically saves about 60% of the time1 h to set up
  1. 1List the approvals you chase most.
  2. 2Set up an approval flow (Power Automate Approvals, Slack Workflow Builder, DocuSign or your HR/finance system).
  3. 3Add automatic reminders after 24 hours.
  4. 4Agree a default: no answer in 48 hours means it goes ahead (where safe).

Tools: Power Automate Approvals · Slack Workflow Builder · DocuSign or Adobe Acrobat Sign

Who does this task

Roles in our library that list this as one of their common tasks. Each guide covers the rest of that role’s week.

Account ExecutiveAccount ManagerInside Sales RepSales Manager

HourLeak · the 8-minute work audit

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Other common tasks for Account Executives