Make appointments

Sounds simple enough.  But do you?  Do you commit?  Do you prepare?  You had better.  Be early.  Allow enough time between appointments.  Never make an excuse, especially to leave an appointment early to get to the next one.  Allow enough time for the appointment from start to finish.  Start an appointment by setting the expectation and probable duration.  The more the preparation before and at the start, the more you will keep an appointee happy.  Cherish appointments.  They are the window of opportunity for your business.

And on the flip side, respect the person making the appointment.  Turn up on time, turn up prepared, turn up ready to get the desired outcome.  If not, give plenty of warning and reschedule.  If possible, never reschedule more than once.

And how do we go about making appointments?  My first rule is to try and set a date by verbal communication first, when the other person has their diary at hand.  This will enable firsthand look, review, agree and confirm.  You can run through this cycle as long as you need to until a mutual arrangement can be found.  The second best way is via e-mail but only if you follow these guidelines.  Offer choice and ask for an alternative.  For example; ‘Hey Joe, can we catch up for coffee on the proposal you asked for?  How about either in the morning of next Monday or Wednesday?  Say 10 or 11.30 on either day?  And if your first preference can’t me organised, what is another time or day you could do from the above.  Formal?  Yes.  Efficient?  Probably and you will be able to approach a number of people simultaneously and get the desired results.  Just remember, once you have an agreement in principal, set the appointment in stone via confirmation emails, phone calls or meeting requests.

Be diligent.  Be effective and if you are time poor like most of us, make an appointment with yourself and take 30 minutes out of your day to take a breath.  You will appreciate the effort and the preparation.