Setting up a meeting or training can be such a headache. You send an email or leave a voicemail with some suggested times, and the other participants respond with completely different times, often within the time window you identified as unavailable. Sigh! The possibilities go back and forth until finally at least a few of you agree.
The more people you want to get to the table (or an online meeting) the more layers of complexity: “Does this work for you?” “No, how about Tuesday?” “Sorry, Jim can’t meet then.” “Same time Wednesday?” “Mel and Jo are out then.” “AARGH!”
Well, setting up an agreed-upon calendar appointment doesn’t need to be that difficult any longer. Online scheduling lets people plan around availability easily.
Did you know that Americans hold an average of 11 million meetings daily?
Online scheduling tools let you send out a link to a calendar showing your availability. You can also allow customers to schedule directly from your website. The recipient has only to click into the calendar (link or online) and choose the time that suits them. You set it up so that all participants receive an email (or text) confirmation and reminder of the meeting.
Whether it’s a one-on-one or a group meeting, you have ownership of the scheduling process. Limit your availability easily. You can set the online scheduler to add extra time before or after meetings. Spending all your time in meetings? Reduce the number of meeting slots available on a given day. You can even prevent meetings called at short notice by setting a minimum preparation time, or set a buffer to avoid meetings in the first 15 or last 15 minutes of the day.
Another challenge online scheduling helps you avoid is managing time zones. These schedulers detect the invitees’ locations and display your availability accordingly. That’s one major cause for confusion removed!
Did you know that 11 a.m. is the most frequently meeting time?
Calendar Integration Helps Too
Remember when “I’ll have to check my calendar” referred to a physical pocket calendar? Now our calendars are on our devices, but we can’t handle having a hard-copy calendar, another on a phone, and another one on a desktop. We’re on the move and need to do scheduling whether we’re at our desks or not. Online scheduling tools integrate with many calendars.
Incorporating Google, Outlook, Office 365, or Apple iCloud calendars, the scheduler ensures you aren’t double-booking. Plus, integrations with online meeting platforms let you access meetings from your device. You can also connect to customer relationship management tools to see all the customer details you might need.
Many online scheduling tools even let you accept payments. This means you can have invitees register and pay through the same platform. Talk about removing registration barriers.
You can also integrate some online schedulers with Google Analytics. Yes, your calendar can keep track of booking activity and campaign conversions. This is so beyond looking to a calendar to check the date of a meeting. Now, you’re using an online scheduler to gain usable data.
The basic features of an online scheduler can be easy for any business to install. To take full advantage of the integrations, you’ll need help. We can make sure you get the most out of online calendars in conjunction with your other business tools.
Contact us at 931-542-9327 to customize your online scheduler. It’s easy to set up a meeting with us!
