Automating Meetings Like a Boss
Cross-coordinating meetings, as well as having to repeat them if they are inconvenient for the client at the last minute, is a waste of time and brings forth a lot of negative mental energy. Welcome to daily life. The data to back up this statement is elusive, but the process is real!
The back-and-forth of the meeting scheduling process wastes a lot of time, time you should be using to focus on other essential aspects of your business. It robs you of the joy of client interaction and, eventually, it could just tip you over the edge.
Who needs all this frustration?
If only there was a way to just have the meeting arranged without having to face the logistics of getting it set up again!
That’s why you need to automate your meetings.
You can use Calendly, for example, to build links for distinct meeting sorts and have little to no interaction about the meeting before it happens.
And it is super easy too!
To create an automated appointment using Calendly, you don't need to be a technology genius.
Here is how to do it like a Boss!
List all your appointment types and their duration. Then sign up for Calendly. Then sign up for Calendly.
Pro tip: If you sign up using Google, your Google calendar syncs automatically!
Calendly offers a free plan, and you do not need a credit card to sign up. While this sounds great, you can only set up one appointment type on this plan. I don't advocate it since it goes against the idea of automation. Premium is the next step up, and it's sufficient for most people for $10 per month when billed monthly. But don't worry; you get a 14-day free trial to see how it works.
The following is what the sign-up procedure looks like if you use your Google account:
(If you do not want to sign up using Google, you can choose the “Click here” link at the bottom.)
Once you choose to sign up with Google, it will bring up a list of your accounts with Google. Click on the one you plan to use.
Next, it will ask you to allow access. Select “Allow”
Choose your link name (preceded by the Calendly brand. (To remove this, you will have to choose the Pro plan).
The next step is a confirmation about what you are allowing Calendly to accomplish. Select “Continue”.
Set your availability next by selecting the days and times you are available. Calendly will also detect any existing appointments on your calendar and block those times. Select “Continue” when done.
Select “Sales + Marketing” (Or other) and “Finish”.
You will land on your Dashboard, which has 3 standard meetings set up: 15, 30, and 60-minute sessions.
Let’s get specific
Get your list of meetings, and start creating events.
Find the “+ Create” button or the “+ New Event Type” link in the top right of the page.
Select “One-on-One”
Type in your event name, for instance: “Buyer’s Consultation”
Click on the dropdown box for “Add a Location” for a choice of meetings. Choose from an assortment of online meeting options, phone consultation, a custom option (where you specify the location), or allow the Client to set it. If you choose an online tool like Zoom, Calendly will take you through the process intuitively.
You can also select the link below to offer choices to your invitee
Use the description field to give specific instructions or to describe the event
Edit the link field
Choose a color for your event
Select “next”
In the next window, you will find a host of options, including the duration of the meeting on a default of 30 minutes. Change it accordingly to allow enough time to be booked on your calendar. It also enables your client to know the duration.
Go through the options carefully, and be sure to select “Additional rules for your availability” to see all the options available.
Your event is now live, and you will see the link that you can share with your client. But don’t worry about that just yet; your links are also permanently available on your dash.
More Awesome Options
As seen above, below the link, you have more options. Play around with these to find your perfect solution. For example, if you have the pro version, you can set up workflows to send text and email reminders and thank-you messages. But there is a workaround. I advise using the following:
Get their phone number by selecting the “Invitee questions” Section. Edit the question to ask for their phone number, and set the “Answer type” to “phone number”.
Make sure that your client remembers the event by doing the following:
Select “Notifications and Cancellation Policy”
Choose Email as well as text reminders
Both will be pre-populated with automated information. Of course, it is always best to personalize the information. We can all tell when a machine sent a message, and somehow that still does not sit well with most!
Next, select the period before the meeting that you will like the reminder to be sent.
And Viola!
The meeting link leads to a calendar view page that will allow your client to select the best time for them that falls on the times you have available! To make your life even easier, set up a landing page to display all your links and refer clients to that page.
Life does not have to be complicated. Simplify yours by automating appointment arrangements!
meet Sheena
Backed by two decades of demonstrated experience, I help purpose-driven women in real estate grow their businesses and achieve ultimate success with proven systems.
