By Chron Contributor Updated May 13, 2021
No matter if they are meetings, sales calls or client conferences, having numerous appointments can interfere with your productivity. Appointments can’t be avoided; many jobs require that you spend a large amount of time in meetings. But that doesn’t mean that your entire day or week has to be sacrificed, leaving you with little time to accomplish any other tasks. By applying time management skills to your schedule, you can become a more effective appointment setter.
Choose a System You'll Use
Choose one way to keep track of your calendar and stick with it. There are numerous options and for recording your schedule and appointments. Whether you use hardcopy or one of the business apps for scheduling, pick the one that you're most likely to actually use on a regular basis. Account Manager Tips suggests a color-coding system to help you keep track of appointments at a glance. Staying organized is key to effective appointment scheduling.
Set Priorities
Prioritize your meeting requests and schedule those that are the most important first. You may get so many requests for appointments that it's not possible to attend them all. Determine the meetings that absolutely require your attendance, whether it be to discuss an important issue, to network with supervisors or to attend to a client.
Asking the right questions of clients or patients can help you prioritize appointments. For example, questions to ask patients when scheduling an appointment with a physician can determine whether someone needs to be seen the same day or if it's a routine visit that can be scheduled in the future.
Schedule in Blocks
Book appointments together in blocks. By scheduling your meetings back to back, you leave the rest of your day to attend to other tasks and responsibilities. When meetings are dispersed throughout the day, you may spend the time between appointments regrouping and preparing for the next one, rather than tending to other work that also needs to get done.
Confirm in Advance
Confirm your meetings one or two days in advance of the scheduled date. People can get busy and other priorities are likely to come up, requiring that your appointment be rescheduled. Knowing this at least a couple of days in advance can help you to avoid wasted preparation time, which helps to keep your schedule productive.
Schedule by Geographic Location
Minimize travel time to avoid wasting the day in your car. Book appointments by geographic location. Spend time between appointments by stopping by clients’ offices that are in the area for a courtesy call. This allows you to invite clients to your office for the next meeting rather than having to travel back to their location. Business apps for scheduling can be particularly useful if you're on the road.
Make Time for Other Responsibilities
Schedule time to accomplish other tasks. If your schedule is regularly bogged down with meetings, it can be helpful to carve out a chunk of time to actually get your work done. The Job Network recommends you leave space in the calendar every day, not just to get work done but to have a breather in a hectic day or between back-to-back meetings.
The block of time should be designated as an appointment on your calendar. Mark it as busy so that your colleagues do not interrupt you or schedule any other meetings during that time.
