It’s estimated (by us) that 99% of your time as a financial advisor is spent trying to figure out scheduling. Your availability, your client’s availability, your business partner’s availability, your associate’s availability: it’s a lot of calendars to juggle! Luckily, there is a solution: Calendly.

This might sound like an ad (we wish it were), but we really just love using Calendly. It’s an incredibly user-friendly online automated scheduling tool that makes setting up meetings and appointments a breeze. With Calendly, you can effortlessly coordinate your availability with others, eliminating the frustrating back-and-forth of finding a suitable time slot.

First, you mark which times you are available to meet. Then, simply share your Calendly link, and clients and colleagues can choose a time that works for them, all while staying within the confines of your schedule. Then, their chosen time gets added to your schedule automatically. It’s a game-changer for busy financial advisors.

Calendly has other genius features that keep your schedule in check for you. Managing time zones is one of the most significant pain points in scheduling across different regions. Calendly makes this effortless by detecting the time zone of your invitees and displaying your availability in their local time. This feature ensures that meetings are scheduled without any confusion or inconvenient time zone mishaps.

Additionally, Calendly seamlessly integrates with popular calendars such as Google Calendar, Outlook, and iCloud and business messaging apps such as Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Slack. When someone schedules an appointment with you, it syncs instantly with your preferred calendar and related apps, preventing dreaded double bookings and keeping your schedule up to date.

Branding is essential to your practice as a financial advisor, and Calendly can help support that. Calendly allows you to personalize your scheduling pages to match your branding, making it a professional extension of your business or personal brand. You can also set specific scheduling policies, like minimum notice requirements or buffer times between meetings, to ensure your calendar aligns with your needs and maintains a healthy work-life balance.

As far as the data-driven details, Calendly sends automated email reminders to both you and your invitees before scheduled appointments, reducing the chances of no-shows or last-minute cancellations. You can also track your scheduling efficiency and gain insights into your availability patterns with Calendly’s analytics and reporting features. This data can help you optimize your schedule and make informed decisions about your time management.

The best part is that Calendly offers a free package that allows you to schedule unlimited meetings, add Calendly to your site, sync one calendar, connect to messaging apps, and more! If you have more than one calendar or have other associates working with you, there are paid options ranging between $8-$16, including more comprehensive benefits.

With Calendly (or another automated scheduling service), you can say goodbye to the headaches of email chains, phone calls, and endless back-and-forth negotiations about availability. By automating scheduling, Calendly not only saves you time and reduces stress but also enhances the overall efficiency of your financial advisory practice, ultimately leading to a more successful and fulfilling career in the finance industry.