7 benefits of using software for scheduling meetings with qualified leads

Meeting scheduling software is a type of technology that lets you schedule meetings faster and more efficiently.

In practice, meeting scheduling software, also called appointment scheduling software, usually works something like this:

• You choose your meeting scheduling software and set it up with your team.
• You set your availability. Each person on your team can customize this, too, so if they can’t (or don’t want) to meet on Friday afternoons, they can block out that time and further customize their schedule.
• You send guests a link to your calendar.
• The guest then chooses an available time slot on your calendar and books a sales meeting, free consultation, demo or other type of call with you.
• The scheduling software confirms the meeting and sends everyone an invite.
• On the day of the meeting, the meeting software reminds everyone about the meeting and sends them a link to the video call, whether it’s Google Meet, Zoom or another video-conferencing platform (or the address of the location if — dare we say — it’s an in-person meeting).

It really depends on the type of meeting scheduling software you have, but generally speaking, appointment setting tools often include features like:

• Securely booking meetings (without a ton of emails)
• Auto-scheduling
• Email and SMS reminders
• Hours and availability
• Zoom or Google Meet link generation

Most meeting schedulers are based on the web, but you can also integrate them with your current systems, like Gmail, or download their app. Our favorite is Google Calendar’s appointment scheduler, which also happens to seamlessly sync with Copper using our Chrome extension (like this):

Even if it’s just you in your business, using software for scheduling meetings with qualified leads will have an immediate impact on your business. This software is easy to use and significantly reduces friction in the lead-nurturing process — both for your customers and your team.

Still not sold on meeting scheduling software? Brands that use this tool enjoy 7 big benefits.

1. Save a lot of time

Nobody — and I mean nobody — wants to endure 5+ emails to figure out when everyone is free for a meeting.

The email back-and-forth doesn’t exactly leave a great impression, and it wastes everyone’s time. Fortunately, meeting scheduler tools make it easy to quickly set up a time that works for everyone. It’s a low-hassle way to schedule meetings while making a great first impression on potential customers.

2. Gather attendee data

Data makes it way easier to nurture qualified leads who already had a call or meeting with you, but without meeting scheduler software, it’s hard to gather this data.

When you marry your scheduler with a CRM like Copper, you can automatically collect and organize attendee data like:

• Job title
• Full name
• Company name
• Email
• Company size
• And other customizable data points

Depending on your scheduling software, you might be able to add questions like “Do you have a budget?” or other valuable qualifiers, too.

3. Improve productivity

47% of employees say meetings are the biggest time-suck at work. And since 28% of the workday is spent just on email, using scheduling software can cut back on a lot of annoying admin tasks and low-value meetings.

Instead of scheduling meetings the old-fashioned way, a scheduler gives your team — especially sales reps — their time back. Your salespeople can actually spend their time connecting with prospects instead of falling into a never-ending email abyss. This improves how your team spends their energy, focusing on tasks that actually move the needle.

4. Save money

Yes, paying for meeting scheduling software can actually save you money. That’s because schedulers make your biz more efficient — after all, think of what you could do with a few extra hours every week. We can see that sales pipeline growing already.

Meeting and appointment schedulers are also way cheaper than hiring a full-time executive assistant, which is a win for your bottom line.

5. Reduce no-shows

There’s nothing worse than building rapport with a lead, only for them to ghost you when it’s time for your meeting. You can’t eliminate no-shows entirely, but meeting scheduling software reduces them with regular reminders to help keep people accountable.

6. Prevent overbooking

Unfortunately, overbooking or double-booking can accidentally happen if you’re trying to book meetings via email.

What if someone schedules during a time slot you already offered to a lead? You’ll have to reschedule the meeting all over again, or worse, try to be in two places at the same time.

Not fun.

With a meeting scheduler, it’s impossible to schedule over previously-scheduled meetings, so you never have to worry about overbooking.

7. Master time zones, automatically

Chances are, your business serves clients across multiple time zones. This reality, coupled with daylight savings time, makes it a pain finding the right time for a meeting.

With more businesses working with global customers, you need help overcoming the headaches of scheduling across borders. Fortunately, meeting scheduling software automatically displays meetings in the viewer’s time zone so there’s no confusion.

There’s no better way to give leads the one-on-one attention they require than a meeting. Meetings make it possible to personalize the sales process to your lead’s needs — but the hassle of getting to the meeting can make or break a deal.

Using software for scheduling meetings with qualified leads will make it look super easy to book a call and continue the conversation. But if you really want to get more mileage out of your software, follow these 3 quick best practices:

1. Qualify leads first

It’s tempting to make your scheduling page available to everyone on the internet, but that would be a mistake. This is a great way to meet weird, random people on the internet, as well as waste your leads’ time.

Without lead qualification, you have no clue if this person is actually a fit for what you do. That’s why you shouldn’t publish your scheduling link publicly.

Always ask a lead to answer a few questions, whether by email or via a questionnaire in the scheduler, before agreeing to meet with them. This ensures that it’s a good fit and that you’re only spending time with folks who want to work with you.

2. Specify the location

Sure, virtual meetings are the norm these days, but meeting schedulers can handle in-person meetings, too.

If it makes sense for your business, location or product, offer to meet leads in person. The scheduler will automatically assign the location based on your settings — which is a great way to get everyone in the right place, at the right time.

3. Set boundaries

Meetings are important, but you also need time to prepare for meetings with potential customers. It’s a good idea to set rules within your software so you have enough buffer time.

For example, if a customer can book a meeting that starts in 15 minutes, is that going to give your salespeople enough time to prepare? Probably not.

Always double-check your settings so you know your team has time to host a phenomenal sales meeting. We’d recommend limiting people from scheduling a meeting less than 12-24 hours in advance.

Here’s how you can adjust booking settings in Google Calendar’s appointment scheduler:

Appointment scheduling takes up so much time and energy that it’s not even funny. Meetings are tough enough as it is; why make it harder on your customers and team? Meeting schedulers make the world a better place.

And guess what? If you’re already using Gmail and Google Calendar, you’ve already got access to software for scheduling meetings. As long as you have a Google Workspace subscription, you can create a customizable booking page where leads can schedule meetings.

If you already use Google Calendar, try the scheduling tool with Copper. It syncs natively with Google and makes it a breeze to manage all of your leads in one place — no need to leave your Gmail inbox.