Working from home has been on the rise in recent years. In fact, a report from Forbes states that 1 in every 5 employees is working on a remote setup. 

Regardless, many businesses are still stuck with the same old back-and-forth email communication and struggle to stay on top of their collaboration. Fortunately, Calendly is here to save the day for many businesses working virtually.

But what is Calendly, and why do many businesses consider using this? Let’s take a look at what this tool has to offer.

What is Calendly?

Generally, Calendly is an appointment scheduling app that allows businesses and individuals to organise meetings and appointments with their prospects. Instead of conversing through email, you can simply send a Calendly invitation so they can see your available times and automatically set a meeting.

You can also use Calendly to sync your availability from various calendars such as Google, Office 365, iCloud, and Outlook. This eliminates the possibility of double booking, which can cause conflicts with your other commitments. 

Here are the other features of Calendly:

• Automatic Time Zone Detection
• Customizable Availability
• Calendar Integration
• Automated Reminders
• Custom Scheduling Links
• Buffer Times
• Group and Team Scheduling
• Analytics and Reporting
• API Access

Key Benefits of Using Calendly For Collaboration

Time Zone Management

One of the biggest challenges in global business is managing time zone differences, especially when scheduling team meetings. Luckily, Calendly can automatically detect the time zone of the person booking the meeting and adjust the available times. This means that users don’t need to worry about calculating time differences or risk scheduling errors due to misunderstandings. 

Customizable Availability

Calendly enables users to have full control over their available times. For example, users can define specific time slots for different types of meetings to ensure their schedule aligns with their personal or business needs. Setting predefined time slots for each type of meeting helps accurately structure your workday without compromising productivity. 

Integration with Other Tools

Calendly integrates with numerous popular platforms such as Google Calendar, Outlook, Zoom, and Slack. This ensures all meetings are automatically updated in one place on the users’ calendars. The platform also allows automatic follow-up emails and notifications to remind clients of their meetings and reduce no-shows.

Common Use Cases for Calendly

Sales Team Scheduling

Sales teams are often expected to schedule multiple meetings with potential clients to discuss the status of their businesses. Calendly can facilitate this process by allowing prospects to directly book a time that fits their schedules.

For instance, a sales rep can share their booking link via email to make it easy for prospects to set up meetings. They can also integrate this tool with CRM platforms such as Salesforce to ensure that all booked appointments are automatically recorded.

Hiring and Recruitment

Another way to use Calendly is to set up interviews with job candidates. Leveraging this helps recruiters save time coordinating schedules.

All they need to do is send a Calendly invite link where candidates can choose their preferred interview time. You can also integrate Calendly with Zoom and other video conferencing tools to automatically generate meeting links for remote interviews. 

Website Integration for Client Booking

Businesses can now integrate Calendly directly into their websites to simplify client bookings. Popular website plugin tools like ConversionCow offer this as one of their popout features by pairing them with CTAs to increase client booking rates.

For example, consultants, fitness trainers, or salons can add a “Book Now” button linked to their Calendly page. This will then allow clients to easily schedule appointments without leaving the website. This feature enhances the client experience and makes it much easier to convert website visitors into paying clients.

Conclusion

Time is a precious commodity for every business. Calendly proves to be an indispensable tool for boosting efficiency and organization by making automated scheduling more accessible.

With this tool, you not only allow your teams to focus on what truly matters, but you also draw more potential clients to your business. For businesses looking to streamline their scheduling processes and improve overall productivity, Calendly is the perfect, practical solution to support streamlined scheduling and reduce administrative burdens.