Stop the back-and-forth over appointments

"Does Tuesday work?" "How about Thursday at 2?" "Actually, can we do the morning?" Booking one appointment shouldn't take five emails. A booking link lets clients pick a time that's already open on your calendar, so the scheduling happens while you're busy doing the work.

What you'll need

• The calendar you already use, like Google Calendar or Outlook
• A booking tool that connects to it. Many have a free plan that covers one kind of appointment.
• About 20 minutes

Steps

1. Decide what people are booking. Start with just one thing, like a 30 minute intro call.
2. Sign up for a booking tool and connect it to your calendar, so it can see when you're busy.
3. Set your available hours. Be honest here. If you don't want calls on Friday afternoons, leave them off.
4. Add a little breathing room between appointments, so you're never rushing from one to the next.
5. Ask one or two short questions on the booking form, like "What would you like to talk about?"
6. Book a test appointment yourself to see exactly what your clients will see.
7. Share the link in your email signature, on your website's contact page, and in your social profiles.

Want AI to help?

Use this prompt to write the short description people see on your booking page.

I'm setting up a booking page for my small business, [business name].
People will book a [length] [type of appointment] with me.
Write a short, friendly description (2 to 3 sentences) that tells them what we'll cover
and what to have ready. Keep it warm and personal, in first person.

A few tips

• Start small. One appointment type is plenty. You can add more once it's working.
• Turn on reminders. Most booking tools can send an automatic reminder email, which cuts down on no-shows.
• Keep a human option. Some people still prefer to email or call, and that's okay.

The first time someone books a call while you're out living your life, you'll wonder why you didn't do this sooner.