By Kirk McCarley
My coaching colleague was bemoaning his meeting “no shows.” I don’t know the proportion of his scheduled appointments that were failing to materialize either in person, virtually, or over the phone, but I sensed his irritation. Not only is there the time that was spent in preparation for the meeting but also the forfeiture of “time” that might well have been devoted to another valuable pursuit.
In not just our profession, but many others I understand the frustration. The attorney who has blocked out an hour to meet with a new client about establishing a trust. The carpenter who reports to a residential address to install a cabinet and upon arriving learns no one is at home.
Many doctor’s offices post a disclaimer that a missed medical appointment remains billable. Even with that, a study conducted ten years ago and published in the National Library of Medicine indicated that over one out of six scheduled medical office engagements are simply skipped. Last year, that cost our healthcare system over $150 billion.
I coach many of my clients on career development and job interview skills. I have observed that even in a relatively “tight” labor market employment, especially in mid-level management positions on up, landing a job can be challenging. Even in that climate, USA Today reports that anywhere between 20 and 50% of job applicants don’t show for their initial job interview. Most fail to even contact the employer.
I admit that there have been occasions when I committed the infraction of missing an appointment. A kid got sick. Times got mixed up. Car troubles or traffic snarls ensued. I didn’t write down the time or forgot. Even with legitimate reasons, it was still embarrassing, particularly if it was an instance of my own late “excuse me.”
Please, if you’re not able to fulfill the commitment of the engagement that was scheduled, demonstrate the courtesy of a contact!
As for those of us who rely on commitment to meetings for our livelihood, what are some things we can do to improve our own batting average?
- Reminders in advance of meetings are helpful. I send a text the day before. Some businesses provide an automated phone call or email.
- If a client has not appeared at my meeting within five minutes of the scheduled starting time, I will text them to verify I can plan on their attendance.
- There are enterprises that consider a missed appointment billable unless notification is received at least 24 hours in advance. Still other businesses handle this practice delicately, not wanting to appear punitive.
- Should an appointment be missed, some businesses will follow up with their client within 24 hours, to verify that the customer is first, ok, but second to attempt to reschedule. I would note, however, that a pattern of continued absences may lead to eventually severing the relationship.
- When reasonable, avoid scheduling out more than 14 days in advance, appreciating the fragility of long-range attention spans.
- State the purpose of the upcoming meeting or appointment in the invite. Share an outline of anticipated key talking points.
- Provide an easy scheduling system through digital online, Calendly, or a similar resource. Best, allow clients to schedule their own appointment times.
There can be times, such as with a sales call, that the marketing representative may have misread the prospective client. As a note to that salesperson, discern if you’re making a connection with the prospect to where you are confident there is mutual agreement for follow-up. Absent that, the probability of being stood up increases. If the sale or connection is not made initially, a transaction handled deftly can greatly increase the odds of not only a successful meeting but a future sale and the addition of a new client down the road.
A graduate of the University of North Texas, Kirk McCarley is a Certified Professional Coach as well as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and SHRM-CP Certified. He also is a Production Assistant for both college football and basketball for ESPN and leads group cycling classes as a Certified Spinning instructor. Contact kirk@theseedsowercoach.com, theseedsowercoach.com, or call 314-677-8779.
Author: Sowal Editor
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