Posted by Businesses thrive on meetings. But, while you’re busy scheduling one, your competitor has already closed the deal with your prospect.
That’s why it’s critical to eliminate the constant back & forth and move quickly to the real deal, meeting your customer.
In this article, we’ll see the two types of scheduling systems- manual and automated. And figure out which one fares better for a faster and streamlined appointment booking.
The Difference Between Manual and Automated Meeting Scheduling
Often, the meetings are scheduled with a traditional pen and paper approach, or the organizer scours the online calendar of each participant to find a miraculous window of time where everyone involved is available.
Setting up meetings like this is called a manual appointment system.
And as it sounds, it isn’t fun.
On the other hand, if you use an online tool to schedule group meetings for you, it’s called an automated appointment system (aka lifesaver). It automatically checks the available time from the participant’s calendar to share the feasible time slots.
Pros of Using an Automated Group Meeting System
Saves the Precious Time
Employees spend 8 hours per week on online meetings in the US alone. Think about how much time and effort goes behind scheduling them.
Every time you have to schedule a group meeting, checking the team’s availability becomes a time-consuming chore.
It leads to reschedules, email threads, and calls asking the same question ‘Does this time work for you?’
When you implement an automated system, this responsibility is taken over by a tool that makes it faster and hassle-free.
Boosts Productivity
A team that doesn’t spend its energy scheduling the meeting can get more done before and during the session.
An automatic group meeting system eliminates the headache of organizing a calendar and constant follow-ups for confirmation leading to a more productive team.
Spares Extra Staff
Even when you have to schedule a meeting with two people, settling on a time becomes a task. Think what would happen if you had to schedule appointments every day with more than 20 people.
That would require you to hire an additional resource just to keep track of your meets and manage your calendar.
And hiring, training, and supervising a team member is no easy feat.
That’s why organizations are opting for a tool that just tells them when and where to meet someone without involving them in figuring out the logistics.
Retains Opportunities
You don’t want to lose your potential customer even before they get on a call with you.
Numerous follow-ups for scheduling the meeting can annoy your customers and make them lose interest in the actual substance.
Automating group appointments can help you connect with the lead while it’s hot.
It not only saves your opportunity and revenue but also improves the customer experience.
Optimizes Operations
A capable team runs on an efficient system.
If your team can’t connect with the customers or their fellows in due time, that slows down the whole machinery.
You should have an uncomplicated system to make communication more accessible and get work done smoothly.
Use an automatic scheduling system that allows booking one-to-one or group appointments with just a few clicks.
Makes Customers Happier
Your customers will appreciate it if you value their time.
Cut the chase and connect with them at the right time to build better business relationships.
Pros of Using a Manual Group Meeting System
No Need to Sync Calendars
An online appointment booking system requires the participants to sync their calendars with the application.
It means that all involved parties must provide the necessary access to the application; otherwise, their availability can’t be detected.
Though it’s a one-time activity that doesn’t demand you to be a tech geek, it’s something that the manual approach doesn’t need.
No Tool Purchase
With a manual appointment system, you don’t have to spend on purchasing an additional scheduling tool.
And naturally, there’s no need to train your team or maintain an extra system.
But considering all things, what you spend on implementing an automated system is much more affordable than bearing the brunt of inefficiency and loss of revenue.
Eliminate the Pains of Scheduling Group Meetings
When the world is catching up to technological advancements, staying updated and streamlining your processes is crucial.
If you wish to make scheduling your meetings painless, invest in an automated group appointment system that is:
- Easy to use and can integrate with all popular calendars like Google, Outlook, etc.
- Dependable and provides adequate support
- Secure and maintains data privacy
- Functional and justifies the price
See group meeting automation live in action with a software like Taggg, using which you can schedule group meetings without polls or voting, even with those who aren’t your contacts. You can add the participants’ email addresses, and the software will check their calendar to find the earliest available slot.