Author: Chris Angell / Source: Lifehack
Meeting scheduler apps are awesome if you use them right. Use them wrong and you can look like an arrogant elitist.
In this article, we’ll share not only how to use meeting scheduler apps to improve automation, integration and reputation, but also 11 awesome meeting scheduler apps you can start using today.
Meeting Scheduler Apps and Automation
Automations are key to improving efficiency. Set the system up right from the beginning and you’ll reduce the amount of no-shows and cancellations.
With reminders and thank you page redirects, you’ll also find you can prepare your guests for your meetings more efficiently and create a more powerful meeting.
One of the most common automations for meeting scheduler apps is meeting reminders. With most apps, you can send reminders through email and sms text messages. These reminders can be scheduled several days out to several minutes before your meeting. In the coaching and podcasting space, we set 3 day, 1 day and 15 minute reminders to guests in both email and sms.
Automations can also send guests to a thank you page with next steps or additional info to prepare for meetings. If you run a podcast, for example, after they schedule a time on your calendar, you can send them to a thank you page that suggests equipment they may want for the interview, questions you may ask and the mission of your show or company.
Whatever your business is, you can see that with automations, meeting scheduler apps do more than just streamline appointment setting. They prime your workflow or sales process for maximum results.
Meeting Scheduler Apps and Integration
In our digitally connected world, most meeting scheduler apps also integrate with other websites and online tools. You can embed scheduling widgets on your website or connect your scheduler to your CRM.
Some schedulers integrate with Zoom and many integrate with your current calendar system like Google Calendar or Office 365.
Integrations are important when selecting your meeting scheduler because it reduces the amount of new technologies you have to learn and streamlines the process for quick implementation.
Before you go all-in on your scheduler, look for integrations with your current tools and the scheduler apps you’re considering.
Meeting Scheduler Apps and Reputation
Reputation is about branding and your guest’s experience. This includes the look and feel of the specific meeting scheduler you use. It also includes how you use that scheduler inside your own brand.
You can send a link to your guest and have them schedule on the app’s website, but you’ll find a more consistent brand experience if you send them a link to schedule on the app inside your website. Some people even buy vanity domain names like “meetwithyourname.com” and forward it to their scheduling page.
Many apps, in their upgraded packages, allow you to add your branding as well as branded links. Again, this is a reputation and brand play that creates a better guest experience you just can’t create with old fashioned scheduling practices.
Common Mistakes of Using Meeting Schedulers
In the excitement of streamlining your scheduling process, it can be easy to forget the feelings of those you’re inviting to meet. I know. I’ve done this.
To say “Hey, schedule time on my calendar” feels colder than “Hey, here’s my calendar. To avoid all the back and forth, pick a time that works best for you.”
Always make sure to frame your invite with your scheduler app with the benefit to them and why we’re doing it this way rather than the old fashioned, personal way.
A little finesse goes a long way. Without it, you risk seeming transactional and cold.
Some meeting scheduler widgets you can embed in your site can take a couple seconds to load. If you go this route, make sure there’s text just above the widget that lets your guest know the calendar will appear below and to wait for it to load.
If you use an online meeting tool like Zoom, it’s also important to explicitly let them know the meeting will take place on Zoom and include the Zoom link in the email reminder. Many make the mistake of not clarifying where the meeting will actually take place which can create last minute chaos at the time of the meeting.
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