How to reduce no-shows with simple changes
Booking meetings is one thing - making them happen is another. Many sales teams see a high rate of cancellations or no-shows. It's frustrating, time-consuming and affects the overall sales performance.
Fortunately, it is possible to reduce no-shows by making simple changes to the booking flow and communication with the customer. Here we go through the most important steps.
Send confirmation directly
One of the most common mistakes is to let time pass between the booking and the first confirmation. This makes the meeting feel less important to the customer.
Make sure to automatically send:
- A calendar invitation with the correct date, time and link
- A short text confirming the purpose of the meeting
- Any preparations the customer needs to make
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Use reminders
Many missed appointments are simply due to the customer forgetting about them. A simple reminder at the right time makes a big difference.
A good practice is to:
- Send a reminder 24 hours before the meeting
- Send an extra short reminder on the same day
- Keep the reminder short, personal and clear
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Make the meeting relevant already in the booking
If the customer does not understand the value of the meeting, they are likely to drop out. That's why you need to make the benefits clear already when the meeting is booked.
Tips:
- Describe what the customer gets out of the meeting
- Add a simple agenda to the invitation
- Adapting the message to the recipient's situation
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Make it easy to rebook
Cancellations will always happen - but they do not necessarily mean lost opportunities. Often it's because the customer needs a new appointment.
The solution is to:
- Always include a rebooking link
- Offer several options for new time
- Making it possible to reschedule with one click
In this way, you can save many meetings that would otherwise not take place.
Follow up on missed meetings
No-shows do not always mean that interest is lost. It can just as easily be a case of bad timing. Have a routine to follow up even the missed meetings.
It can be as simple as:
- A short email with a new time proposal
- A friendly question if the interest is still there
- An alternative in the form of a short phone call instead
Brightsales helps companies set up systems for both booking and follow-up - so that more meetings actually happen.
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Summing up
No-shows are a natural part of sales, but with simple changes you can reduce them significantly. Confirmations, reminders, relevant agendas, smooth rescheduling and follow-ups mean more appointments are made - and more deals can be closed.
Do you want to reduce no-shows in your meetings?
Book a free meeting with us and we'll show you how to create booking flows that work from first contact to completed meeting.