I used to spend a significant amount of time scheduling appointments. It almost always required multiple emails resulting in what I recently heard referred to as “calendar battleship” — you know, the game that goes like this: “How about Monday at 2:00 my time/3:00 your time.” “MISS — How about Tuesday at 11:00 or Wednesday at 1:00” “MISS — I could do Thursday at 8:30 or any time after 2:00 on Friday” Usually, about this time, one or both parties are ready to throw in the towel!
I am happy to report that I have all but eliminated that particular game from my work day by using an online scheduling service called TimeTrade.
I first encountered TimeTrade from the side of someone who wanted to schedule an appointment. My favorite headshot photographer Korey Howell uses it to schedule photography sessions. It was an exceptionally easy system to use even as a first timer. Korey sent me a link for the type of appointment I needed. I first chose between several available days and then was given the available time slots to choose from. After I picked my time I got an email that made it easy to save to my calendar along with some helpful tips from Korey about how to prepare for my session and what to wear.
It was such a positive experience from the customer side I decided to check into using it myself. I was thrilled to discover that it was surprisingly affordable — just $49 a YEAR. And while I liked it as a customer trying to schedule an appointment, I liked it from the service provider side even more. It allows me to set blocks of time I want to be available for different types of appointments with a separate link for each. So I can make one link available for 1 hour blocks for existing client and another link for 30 minute blocks for the free consultation I make available to people who want to explore my services. I even have another link for scheduling lunches. TimeTrade automatically syncs to my calendar so it removes times I schedule directly from the available times list.
This has made it much easier and less time consuming for me and those who want to book time with me. No more back and forth emails to try to discover matching availability. I have made it simple to schedule a complimentary strategy session with me by posting a link on my website and in my email signature. And because TimeTrade automatically sends reminder emails, I have significantly decreased cancellations and missed appointments. If you want to schedule a consultation with me you can see how it works — just click here.
If you are looking for some help with calendar management and appointment setting TimeTrade may be a good solution. It can free up more of your time or your assistant’s time to work on bigger projects.
