November 4, 2009, Volume 3, Issue 15

People are busier than ever these days (we are, at least!) and finding a time and place to meet with a friend or client can prove to be a daunting task. It’s hard enough keeping track of what you need to do without worrying about the schedule of the folks you’re trying to connect with. It makes us tired just thinking about it! But here’s a little secret: there are tools out there to take the pain out of scheduling. Three minutes of reading could save you hours of hassle. Trust us, we’re professionals.

Stop dawdling and try Doodle

Doodle’s claim as “the world’s leading online scheduling tool” is well deserved. It’s simple to find the right date and time for a group of people to meet. All you do is propose dates and times, each person casts a vote, the final date is chosen and the participants are informed. How easy is that? Another plus: the basic service is free and requires no registration or software installation. So you can schedule meetings anytime from anywhere.

You can even get it with your company identity so you’ll be buttoned up and branded when scheduling presentations and meetings. Nice.

Presto, Presdo!

Ever wish you could just wave a magic wand and have everyone you need in one room at the same time? Well, with Presdo, you can! Gone are the days of trading endless emails or voicemails trying to find the perfect day. With Presdo, you can collect everyone’s availability in one place and then keep the decision making there. As participants indicate their preferences, the target date gets refined, resulting in a final decision which is then communicated to the participants. Input from everyone:  how democratic!

Meet me in the middle

There’s an upswing in meeting in person.  I know, crazy! But we’ve been reading (and experiencing) more about people who meet online, do business virtually, and then decide to take it to the next level:  in person.  If you’re not crazy far apart, you may want to pick a place to meet as opposed to one of you traveling to the other’s stomping grounds.

This great little tool will help you find a middle point for a meeting, lunch or even just a cup of coffee.  All you have to do is supply the addresses and the kind of place you are looking for, such as a coffee shop or museum, and MeetWays will do the rest! Let Meetways be your “middle man” when it comes to picking a meeting spot. You’ll be glad you did.

Just think about what you could be doing with the time you’re going to save by using one of these great tools. Just be sure to schedule time to read the next edition of Research Redux. See you in two weeks!