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2011
Web-Based Scheduling
  Buyer’s Guide
 The Ultimate Buyer’s Guides for
   Sales & Marketing Software
   Volume 2: Web-Based Scheduling
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Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                 2
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Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                         3
Table of Contents:                       Web-Based Appointment Scheduling

                                  Ÿ   Scheduling More Sales Calls:The Basics                5

                                  Ÿ   Beyond the Basics: Accelerate the Sales Funnel        8

                                  Ÿ   Traditional Funnel                                    9

                                  Ÿ   Accelerated Funnel                                    10

                                  Ÿ   Getting to the “When” of Sales                        11

                                  Ÿ   Accelerate the Funnel with Web-based Scheduling       12

                                  Ÿ   A Day in the Life of an Account Rep Using TimeTrade   14

                                  Ÿ   TimeTrade for Retail                                  15

                                  Ÿ   Buying Considerations: Questions to Ask               18

                                  Ÿ   Buyer’s Checklist                                     21

                                  Ÿ   Vendor Listing                                        25

                                  Ÿ   Next Steps                                            27



Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                      4
Scheduling More Sales Calls: The Basics
                                 No matter what business you’re in, you can’t pay the bills unless you sell something. And to sell something you
                                 need to have a conversation with a prospect.

                                 In today’s busy world, it’s harder and harder to connect. Unless you get lucky and reach your prospect on your
                                 first contact attempt, you’ll have to deal with voicemail, email or a combination of both. Indeed, often the only
                                 way to actually hold a conversation with a prospect is to agree in advance to a mutually convenient time to talk –
                                 i.e., an ‘appointment’.

                                 The voicemail barrier:
                                 Every time you call a prospect to schedule an appointment - and get voicemail instead - it creates a problem.
                                              Ÿ You’ll have to wait for them to return your call. But how long should you wait?
                                              Ÿ If they don’t call back how can you remember to make another attempt?

                                 If they’ve called you and reached your voicemail, it presents a different problem. After leaving you a voicemail
                                 message, they just might call – and get through to – someone at a competitor. Before you know it, you’ve already
                                 lost the business.

                                 The email barrier:
                                 If your company uses Microsoft Outlook internally, it’s easy to check your colleagues calendars and find mutually
                                 available times to meet. That’s because enterprise installations of Outlook include Microsoft’s exchange server1.
                                 But Outlook doesn’t let you see availability of people outside your organization - namely your prospects.


                                 1   A Microsoft server product which provides collaboration features within electronic mail, calendaring, and other tasks.


Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                                       5
To be clear, you cannot check a prospect’s availability, nor can they check yours, using Outlook’s calendaring
                                  features. You can use Outlook however, to send an email to your prospect suggesting options and wait for an
                                  email back indicating which , if any, options are acceptable. This is an inefficient method at best.

   It's imperative that you       When you attempt to schedule an appointment with a prospect by email, it involves a multi-step process.
   connect with a prospect as
   close to the moment of                     Step one:       Manually check your calendar and make note of your available days and times
   interest as possible to fuel               Step two:       Type those options into an email
   the opportunity momentum.                  Step three:     Send the email to the prospect
                                              Step four:      Wait to hear back from your prospect – and hope at least one option works for them

                                  If none of the appointment slots offered in your email work for the prospect, they'll have to reply back to you with
                                  their options. This could take a few rounds of back and forth to find a mutually convenient time. Meanwhile, your
                                  prospect is busy and so this becomes a chore - or worse - enough time passes that their interest begins to wane.

                                  When a prospect’s interest is piqued, momentum is created. It’s imperative that you connect with a prospect as
                                  close to the moment of interest as possible in order to fuel the opportunity momentum. Fortunately, there are
                                  several web-based appointment scheduling applications that change the dynamics of scheduling prospect
                                  appointments for the better.

                                  Web-based appointment scheduling solutions eliminate the back and forth and make quick work of finding a mu-
                                  tually agreeable time.

                                            “How do they do that?” you might ask.
                                            The answer: Prospects simply select an available time on your calendar1


                                  1   They don’t see your actual calendar - only those times that you make available.


Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                            6
You’ll see appointments       Web-based scheduling means a prospect can view your availability online and schedule an appointment for a mu-
   appear on your calendar       tually convenient time with ease. You’ll see their newly added appointments appear on your calendar automati-
   automatically without         cally without intervention. Web-based scheduling eliminates the hassles of appointment scheduling for every
   intervention.                 one which results in three things:

                                     1. You’re more likely to advance the sale because of timely follow-up
                                     2. You’re likely to fit more calls into your schedule
                                     3. You’re likely to close more sales because a greater volume - of timelier calls - equals more sales

                                 As web-based appointment scheduling begins to take root, several vendors are popping up on the scene. In this
                                 buyer’s guide as in others, we will focus on one product as a featured example of real-world functionality. We are
                                 featuring TimeTrade to show how web-based appointment scheduling can help both your marketing and sales
                                 departments.




Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                      7
Companies have made the
  erroneous assumption that
                                 Beyond the Basics: Accelerate the Sales Funnel
  they need to generate bulk
  leads in order to get to the   Typically, companies feed the sales funnel through outbound marketing activities. It’s marketing’s job to generate
  “quality leads”.               those leads. Therefore, one of the main metrics used to measure a marketing department‘s success is the number
                                 of “leads” generated in a given period of time. More leads poured into the top of the funnel, results in more
                                 revenue at the bottom. That’s the underlying concept behind the theory that “Sales is a numbers game.”

                                 The numbers-game theory
                                 According to the theory, a higher number of leads results in a higher number of quality leads, and a higher number
                                 of quality leads results in a higher number of closed deals. But the numbers- game theory is seriously flawed. In
                                 fact, there isn’t a direct correlation between revenue and the number of leads. The direct correlation is between
                                 revenue and “quality leads.” Companies have made the erroneous assumption that they need to generate bulk
                                 leads in order to get to the “quality leads” but that is not the case as you’ll see on page 10.

                                 Why quality matters more than quantity
                                 According to the 215 Principle, there are only 215 selling days in the calendar year. A salesperson’s selling time is
                                 finite. Therefore, the key is to increase the time they spend talking with quality leads and reduce the time they
                                 spend on everything else. In fact, by reducing time spent on conversations with non-quality prospects by just 60
                                 minutes a day, they’ll end up with 30 days worth of extra time each year, to spend with real buyers. Could your
                                 reps sell more if they had an extra month’s worth of time with sales-ready prospects?

                                 The way to accelerate the sales cycle is to eliminate or reduce the number of poor quality leads at the top of the
                                 funnel. When that happens, you condense the sales funnel - essentially shortening the amount of time it takes for
                                 a quality lead to reach a salesperson while preserving the salesperson’s time for conversations with qualified
                                 prospects.



Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                         8
Traditional Sales Funnel
                                 The traditional sales funnel has
                                 many inefficiencies. To start with,
                                 most leads that enter the
                                 traditional sales funnel are of an
                                 “unknown” quality (unqualified
                                 leads). In order to determine the
                                 prospect’s level of interest, they
                                 must be qualified ‘in’ or ‘out’ (the
                                 qualification process).

                                 The qualification process is done
                                 by the sales team through
                                 outbound calling and by
                                 marketing’s nurturing and lead
                                 scoring activities.

                                 Under a traditional sales funnel, by
                                 the time they’ve qualified a list of
                                 prospects ‘in’ or ‘out’ a
                                 salesperson has little time left for
                                 productive sales conversations.




Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com   9
Accelerated Sales Funnel
                                 Using web-based appointment scheduling
                                 You can shorten the sales cycle by
                                 incorporating a web-based appointment
                                 scheduling system into the sales funnel
                                 process.

                                 With web-based scheduling, your reps can
                                 skip the effort previously wasted on
                                 outbound lead qualification (phone and
                                 email tag).

                                 Qualified leads will be injected much
                                 deeper into the sales funnel with self-
                                 service appointment scheduling, thus
                                 shortening the sales cycle. The sales funnel
                                 is much more efficient when salespeople
                                 waste less time chasing unqualified
                                 prospects at the top of the funnel .

                                 Salespeople can focus on higher quality
                                 leads much sooner than before.




Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com         10
Getting to the “When” of Sales
    Connecting a qualified           We’ve shown how web-based appointment scheduling can accelerate the sales funnel by surfacing quality
    prospect with a salesperson      prospects - “the Who” in the sales process - but most sales organizations still struggle to control the “When.”
    at the peak of interest is the
    fastest way to close deals.      In sales, timing really is everything. How quickly can your reps have a conversation, either on the phone or in
                                     person, with prospective customers? Winning the deal depends on timely interactions.

                                     Reaching prospects is difficult at best. Salespeople who spend their day tracking down leads will tell you how
                                     frustrating and time consuming it is to book sales appointments. In fact, the average sales rep can waste as much
                                     as an entire day each week trying to schedule sales meetings through back-and-forth telephone/voicemail tag or
                                     e-mail “ping pong” to synch up calendars with prospects.

                                     For retail sales, the challenge is slightly different. How many big-spending customers come and go without
                                     connecting with a salesperson? In the peak periods, customers who want to buy a $2,500 computer and $1,500
                                     printer wait “in line” with those who want to get the scoop on all the latest flash drives – and opportunities are
                                     lost. This doesn’t have to happen if sales-ready customers can easily reserve time with a salesperson through web-
                                     based scheduling.

                                     Connecting a qualified prospect with a salesperson at the peak of interest is the fastest way to close deals.

                                     Web-based appointment scheduling solutions like TimeTrade streamline the process of getting your salespeople
                                     and prospects into a sales conversation and shorten the time to revenue .




Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                              11
Accelerate The Sales Funnel: with Web-Based Scheduling
 TimeTrade streamlines the         TimeTrade’s web-based scheduling is good for any sized company. Whether you need to deploy a system for a
 appointment scheduling process,   large enterprise, for a workgroup or only for yourself, TimeTrade’s web-based software provides all the tools and
 moving deals through the funnel   processes you’ll need to reduce the amount of time and effort spent scheduling meetings or booking
 at a more rapid pace.             appointments for services.

                                   And TimeTrade integrates with systems that sales, marketing and service organizations use to connect, engage
                                   and interact with outside parties.

                                   Sales organizations that use TimeTrade have more control over the process of scheduling meetings and can spend
                                   less time and effort prospecting, acquiring and retaining customers.

                                   Because of the efficiencies it enables, TimeTrade accelerates the funnel and shortens the sales cycle by driving
                                   qualified leads directly to sales reps and facilitating a quicker “time-to-meeting.”

                                   Drive Inbound Sales
                                   TimeTrade drives inbound sales by enabling customers to book meetings and appointments with a company's
                                   representatives directly from a company Website or in response to a marketing campaign prompting them to
                                   “Click to Meet.”

                                   Allow Reps to Easily Book Meetings
                                   When sales reps include a TimeTrade link in their outbound emails, or when they “Offer an Appointment” to
                                   prospects through Salesforce.com, prospects can view their available meeting times and immediately schedule a
                                   convenient time for a call or demo.



Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                       12
Automate the Scheduling Process, Start to Finish
                                 Whether through email, Salesforce.com interactions, responses to a marketing campaign, or customer self-
                                 scheduling, TimeTrade automatically sends email confirmations of the mutually agreed meeting time and adds
                                 the appointment to the personal calendars of all participants - whether they use Microsoft Outlook, Google
                                 Calendar, iCal, or Salesforce.com calendars.

                                 On the following pages are examples of how TimeTrade helps sales pros increase their productivity and land more
                                 and better sales meetings, while simultaneously driving revenue and customer satisfaction.




Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                13
A Day in the Life of an Account Rep Using




Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com   14
TimeTrade: For Retail
 “Customers are no longer willing    World-class retailers know that having successful “customer conversations” is a key to growth and profitability, as
 to be ‘locked into’ suppliers who   well as a major contributor to improving customer satisfaction and loyalty. In fact, according to the Wall Street
 don't value their time or their     Journal Online, the National Retail Federation says that the number one way to increase sales is to find ways to talk
 patronage.”                         to customers because interactions lead to transactions.

 Patricia Seybold, Customers.com     TimeTrade helps retailers’ customers make instant appointments with retail associates and service reps, to
                                     conduct these important conversations that drive business.

                                     Using TimeTrade's online appointment scheduling solution, top retailers increase revenue, improve service and
                                     operational efficiency and see solid results, including:

                                             Ÿ   Higher sales by enabling Website visitors to immediately book an appointment when their interest is
                                                 at its peak – turning a prospect’s interest into a confirmed appointment, 24/7
                                             Ÿ   Increased customer satisfaction by offering the convenience and immediacy of self-service
                                                 appointment scheduling
                                             Ÿ   Improved staff productivity
                                             Ÿ   Reduced costs by giving retail managers real-time visibility into appointment volume to adjust staffing
                                                 levels to meet demand
                                             •   Improved sales results from email marketing campaigns, social networks and a company’s Website.
                                                 TimeTrade integrates with outbound and inbound marketing programs to turn contacts into sales




Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                          15
TimeTrade One-Step Appointment       Online appointment scheduling is critical to staying competitive for 3 very important reasons:
Scheduling is a powerful, scalable
                                           1.   New customer acquisition: Quickly convert Website visitors into first purchase in-store
solution that builds customer
                                                customers.
loyalty, by simplifying how and
when they meet with retailers.             2.   Loyalty program effectiveness: Drive a larger sales ticket with pre-scheduled high loyalty
                                                customers.
                                           3.   Brand enhancement: Beat your competitors through speedier contact with customers and a
                                                superior retail customer experience (e.g. “Click for an Appointment” or “Reserve time with a
                                                Personal Shopper”).


                                      Don’t keep customers waiting!

                                      “Contact Us” forms on retail
                                      Websites can actually slow                                                                 Click here to test-drive
                                      down the sales process…                                                                    this Website.

                                      TimeTrade One-Step
                                      Appointment Scheduling puts
                                      customers in touch with your
                                      retail reps faster.

 Watch a quick video to learn more    Phone and in-person meetings
 about TimeTrade for Retail.          are the best way to build on
                                      prospect interest and convert
                                      their needs into a sale.




Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                            16
Service Retailers
                                 Generating Revenue through Customer Appointments




Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com         17
Buying Considerations: Questions to Ask Yourself
   Using TimeTrade as an         There’s no question that web-based appointment scheduling is beneficial for both buyers and sellers. Eliminating
   example, we showed how        the back and forth of appointment scheduling and giving prospects a convenient and fast way to book time with
   easy web-based appointment    sales reps results in more time with better quality prospects, a better customer experience, and an accelerated
   scheduling can be.            sales funnel.

                                 Using TimeTrade as an example, we showed how easy web-based appointment scheduling can be. What should
                                 you look for when shopping for an online scheduling solution? The following buyer consideration questions will
                                 help you understand your needs so you’ll be better equipped to make the best decision.




Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                  18
Buying Considerations: Questions to Ask Yourself
                Page 1 of 2
                                                                                                                                                             Download
      Timing                   What is the projected timeline for deciding on a solution? Who are the decision makers?                                      Spreadsheet

                               What kind of appointments does your team schedule? Are they with customers and prospects? Do they involve
      Appointment Type*
                               resources like facilities, conference rooms and equipment?
      Appointment Type*        Do your appointments span multiple locations and time-zones?
                               Do you offer appointments for specific activities or services like live demos, personal shopping, bridal consultations or
      Appointment Type*
                               financial advisory sessions?
      Appointment Metrics*     Are those time slots being filled on a regular basis?
                               How many appointments does an average rep at your company schedule each week (sales calls, service calls, etc. -- face-
      Appointment Metrics
                               to-face or on phone meetings) with customers or prospects?
      Appointment Metrics      On average, how much time does an average rep spend each week setting appointments (i.e. 2 - 5 hours, > 5 hours, etc.)
      Appointment Metrics      Based on the 215 Principal (page 8) how is the lost time affecting productivity and revenue?
                               On average, how many interactions with a client (voicemails, emails, etc.) does it take to get an appointment time
      Appointment Metrics*
                               agreed upon and scheduled?
                               On average, how much time elapses between asking for and getting a meeting scheduled with prospects and customers?
      Appointment Metrics*
                               (i.e. 3-4 days, >4 days, etc.)
      Appointment Metrics*     How often do your clients cancel or not show up for a scheduled appointment?
      Appointment Metrics      What percentage of your qualified leads convert into an initial appointment with a sales rep?
      Appointment Metrics*     Is there a direct relationship between the number of appointments and revenue?
                               Do you measure your reps performance based on the number of appointments they schedule? If not, should you and
      Appointment Metrics
                               why aren't you?
      Appointment Metrics*     How easy is it to learn how many appointments are scheduled in a given period of time?


Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                                    19
Buying Considerations: Questions to Ask Yourself
                  Page 2 of 2
                                                                                                                                                                     Download
                                           What are the main methods used by your team to schedule appointments with customers and prospects? (i.e. Send            Spreadsheet
       Effectiveness
                                           emails, send outlook invites, send invites from CRM system, phone or voicemail exchanges)
       Effectiveness                       How effective would you rate your sales force's ability to easily and quickly schedule appointments?
       Effectiveness                       Do your reps consistently send out confirmation notices/reminders before a scheduled appointment?
       Effectiveness                       When following up on a lead how important is it for your rep to be the first vendor to talk to the prospect?
       Effectiveness                       How effective are your sales people at being the first to schedule a time to talk to a new prospect?
                                           When following up on a first appointment how important is it for your rep to be the first vendor to do a presentation
       Effectiveness
                                           to the prospect?
       Effectiveness                       How effective are your sales people at being the first to schedule a presentation with a prospect?
                                           Can web visitors immediately schedule an appointment with the appropriate person or resources directly from your
       Web-based appointments*
                                           web site? If not, would you like them to?
       Web-based appointments* How many appointments are currently being made through your Website?
       Scheduling Process                  Which calendar software must your scheduling solution integrate with? (i.e. Outlook, Google)
       Scheduling Process*                 Do you want to track scheduled appointments in your CRM system?
       Scheduling Process*                 Does your scheduling solution need to integrate with your IVR system or call center?
       Scheduling Process                  What does the appointment scheduling process look like from your prospect's point of view?
       Scheduling Process*                 Are you able to secure a confirmed appointment while a prospect’s interest is at its peak?
       Scheduling Process                  Will you need to access your scheduling solution via smart phones?
       Scheduling Process                  Do you need a scheduling solution that can be incorporated into Social Network activities?

      *Especially applicable to retail services organizations, investment firms and mortgage companies.

Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                                            20
Web-Based Scheduling: Checklist
     The amount of effort        One of the hardest things to do when shopping for any solution is to compare features across vendors. One
     required to gather          reason is that vendors often call features by different names. Another reason is that vendors often have different
     information goes up         versions, each with varying feature-sets.
     exponentially as you add
     more vendors to your
     research list.              The amount of effort required to gather information goes up exponentially as you add more vendors to your
                                 research list.

                                 What we recommend instead, is to create your own list of needed features then make the vendors do the work.
                                 Ask yourself the buying consideration questions on page 19. Then review the checklist on the next two pages.

                                 The checklist is also available as a downloadable spreadsheet so you can modify it as needed. The downloadable
                                 checklist will give you the ability to mark the appropriate column: don’t need, nice-to-have, must-have. Perhaps
                                 you’ll even want to add additional columns such as: don’t need now, will need in the future. Have each of your
                                 constituents complete the checklist so everyone’s requirements and priorities are considered.

                                 As you talk with vendors, share your requirements with them. Instead of having to match vendors to your
                                 requirements, let the vendors match their software to your needs. You’ll find out quickly which vendors are truly
                                 customer-oriented by the way they respond.




Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                    21
Web-Based Scheduling: Checklist

                                                                                                                                                                Don't Nice to Must
 Category             Functionality                  Description
                                                                                                                                                                Need Have Have

                                                     Sync a rep or resource's calendar (Outlook, Google Calendar, etc) with their schedule of availability
                                                                                                                                                                                       Download
                      Calendar Software              enabling the scheduling solution to display real-time availability for appointments. New appointments                            Spreadsheet
 Compatibility
                      Integration                    flow into their calendar automatically and the system reads busy times from their calendar removing
                                                     availability for committed time-slots and preventing double-bookings.

                                                     Offer specific times for a quick meeting or phone call in a ad hoc manner versus offering times for pre-
 Ease-of-Use          Ad Hoc Invitations
                                                     scheduled activities.

                                                     Ability for customers and prospects to search for the first available time slot for their desired
 Ease-of-Use          Appointment Search
                                                     appointment as well as search for availability on a particular date.

 Ease-of-Use          Appointment Changes*           Ability for customers and prospects to track, cancel and reschedule their own appointments online.

                      Resource-selectable            Ability to schedule not only people, but also specific resources including facilities, equipment and
 Ease-of-Use
                      Scheduling*                    inventory.

 Ease-of-Use          Appointment Reminders          Reminder email sent automatically to both user and customer/prospect.

 Functionality        Data Collection                Lets you collect information from prospects when they schedule an appointment.

 Functionality        Branding                       Branded scheduling interface, confirmation and reminder emails.

                                                     Send appointment invitations right from your iPhone. People you invite can book time from their
                                                     mobile device or computer. As people book time with you, the appointments flow into a real-time feed
 Functionality        Mobile
                                                     on the app home screen. Use a “follow-up list" to see who hasn't yet responded to your invitations.
                                                     Multiple calendar overlay from the calendars on your iPhone eliminates double-booking.


*Especially applicable to retail services organizations, investment and mortgage firms.


 Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
 @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                                                             22
Web-Based Scheduling: Checklist

                                                                                                                                                              Don't Nice to Must
Category             Functionality                  Description
                                                                                                                                                              Need Have Have

                     Unlimited Resource
Functionality                                       No limit to the number of resources, activities and appointment transactions.
                     Scheduling*                                                                                                                                                     Download
                                                                                                                                                                                    Spreadsheet
Functionality        Self-Service Scheduling        Via a Website, an email invitation or an Interactive Voice Response System.

                     Assisted Service               Via the phone, with a store representative or call-center agent, or in-person with in-store staff
Functionality
                     Scheduling*                    member.

                                                    Supports ability to schedule events (such as seminars, classes and trunk shows) and manage
Functionality        Event Scheduling*
                                                    participant registration.

Functionality        Wait Listing*                  The ability to place prospects and customers on a wait list pending availability for their appointment.

Functionality        Social Media                   Appointment link for Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other social media sites.

Management           Report Types                   Built-in (canned) reporting as well as the ability to create customized (ad hoc) reports.

                                                    Monitor activity; see number of invitations sent and appointments made by week by user, sort by
Management           Usage Reporting
                                                    group, export data for use in other applications.

                     Central License
Management                                          Add users one at a time or in bulk, change user type to administrator, enable or disable users.
                     Administration
Management           User Dashboard                 View a list of all users, their email address, assigned group and last access date.

                     Data-driven                    Administrative screens that manage thousands of configuration settings. Governing rules, workflows,
Management
                     Customization*                 user rights, activity, resource properties and more can be customized via an easy to use admin screen.

                     Resource Allocation            Multiple methods for allocating resources chosen from a pool of substitutable resources including
Management
                     Rules*                         random allocation, round-robin allocation, and ranked allocation based on skill, cost, location, etc.

*Especially applicable to retail services organizations, investment and mortgage firms.


Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                                                            23
Web-Based Scheduling: Checklist

                                                                                                                                                                 Don't Nice to Must
Category              Functionality                  Description
                                                                                                                                                                 Need Have Have

Management            Overbooking*                   Authorized users can override capacity constraints in order to overbook activities and resources.
                                                                                                                                                                                        Download
                                                                                                                                                                                       Spreadsheet
                      Front Desk/Receptionist        Appointment management dashboard where you can check customers in and out, cancel and
Management
                      Interface*                     reschedule appointments, manage resources and view a dashboard of the day’s appointments.

                                                     Solution uses your assignment rules, such as state or product, to route a prospect to available meeting
Technology            Smart Routing
                                                     times with the appropriate rep.

                      Standards-based         Mechanisms such as Web Services, HTTP redirection , and Active Sync data interchange technology for
Technology
                      Integration Mechanisms* integration with CRM systems, Websites, call center software and more.

                                                     A robust mechanism to calculate costs and assess fees for appointments based on configurable rules
Technology            E-Commerce*
                                                     and rates.

                                                     Supports customizable roles-based rights that control access to individual screens within the
Technology            Roles-based Rights*            application, ability to view and/or edit screens on a field-by-field basis, and ability to perform a wide
                                                     range of scheduling tasks, run reports, and perform system administrative functions.

                                                     Secure transmission of data across the network, as well as within the application to support storage of
Technology            SSL encryption
                                                     sensitive information.

                      Performance and
Technology                                           Scales to support millions of appointment transactions per month.
                      Scalability*




*Especially applicable to retail services organizations, investment and mortgage firms.


Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                                                               24
Web-Based Scheduling: Vendor Listing
                                 Because it’s difficult to differentiate a long list of vendors, we thought “why not use their own words”? So the
                                 following list of vendors (in alphabetical order) states the main message we found on their Website home-page.

                                 Get a feel for their positioning by what they themselves choose to emphasize. We visited the Website of each
                                 company on the list and made note of (what we interpreted to be) their homepage main marketing message.

                                 Next, we list the lowest and the highest pricing found on their site. We’ve provided a link to their Website as well.




Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                       25
Web-Based Scheduling: Vendor Listing

                                                                               Increase sales productivity and customer satisfaction


                                                                                                                               Lowest Price found   Highest Price
Company Name            Web URL                            From Website
                                                                                                                               on Website           found on Website
Appointment-Plus        www.appointment-plus.com           Online Appointment Scheduling Software                              $39/org/mo           $79/org/mo
                                                                                                                                                    $159.99/mo based
AppointmentQuest        www.appointmentquest.com           Make your life better one appointment at a time.                    $6.59/mo
                                                                                                                                                    on number of appts
CalendarSpots.com       www.calendarspots.com              Simplify your appointment scheduling.                               Free                 $34/20 users/mo
                                                                                                                                                    $19.95/20
CheckAppointments       www.checkappointments.com          Free online appointment scheduling software                         Free
                                                                                                                                                    users/mo
                        https://www.doodle.com/premium Get rid of inefficient e-mail chains and save your customers and                             No other price
Doodle                                                                                                                         $119/5-users/yr
                        /business.html                 employees precious time.                                                                     found
FlashAppointments       www.flashappointments              Making appointments happen, around the clock, around the globe.     $10/user/mo          $125/100 users/mo

Genbook                 www.genbook.com                    More appointments, less hassles.                                    $19.95/sole user/mo $39.95/org/mo

OpenCal                 www.opencal.com                    Online appointment scheduling done right.                           $19/user/mo          $39/10 users/mo

ScheduleView            www.scheduleview.com               Appointment Scheduling Software as Easy as "Point and Click".       197/user             597/user
                                                           Puts your calendar online so your clients can find an appointment
Schedulicity            www.schedulicity.com                                                                                   19/user/mo           39/user/mo
                                                           that works for them.
SimplifyThis            http://www.simplifythis.com        Convert your Website visitors to clients.                           $9/2 users/mo        $29/10 users/mo
TimeBridge              www.timebridge.com                 Stop Playing Schedule tag.                                          none listed          None listed
TimeCenter              www.timecenter.com                 More appointments guaranteed. Get started in 60 seconds.            $29/user/mo          $99/50 users/mo
                                                           Increase sales productivity and customer satisfaction with online
TimeTrade               www.timetrade.com                                                                                      $29.95/user/mo       $249/user/yr
                                                           appointment scheduling.
Tungle                  www.tungle.me                      Scheduling made easy.                                               Free                 $49/user/year
Web-Appointments.com    www.web-appointments.com           Accept appointments online now.                                     $9.90/org/mo         $11.90/org/mo


 Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
 @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                                                          26
Next Steps

                                 Keep this Buyer’s Guide handy: print a copy, bookmark it, or save it to your computer
                                 Download and complete the Buyer Considerations spreadsheet.
                                 Download and complete the Appointment Scheduling Feature check-list.
                                 See TimeTrade in action. Schedule a 15-minute introductory call now.
                                 Visit www.timetrade.com to learn more.




                                 Sign up for our free weekly digest of events and publications.




Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling
@2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com                                                  27

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Web-Based Scheduling Buyer's Guide

  • 1. 2011 Web-Based Scheduling Buyer’s Guide The Ultimate Buyer’s Guides for Sales & Marketing Software Volume 2: Web-Based Scheduling
  • 2. It’s easy to tell others about this buyer’s guide. Just click the “Tweet This” Tweet This! button anywhere you see it and spread the word! Want your colleagues to see this? Just click the email button anywhere in Email This! the document to send them the link. Like This! Facebook fans... Tell your friends and colleagues. They will thank you! Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 2
  • 3. Disclaimer: All images, logos and trademarks in this e-book are property of their respective owners. Smart Selling Tools is not responsible for any damages you may incur by evaluating, purchasing or using the products listed in this e-book. Links to external sources are provided solely as a courtesy to our readers. We are not responsible for and do not endorse or warrant in any way any materials, information, goods or services available through such linked sites or any privacy or other practices of such sites. All data and information provided in this e-book is for informational purposes only. Smart Selling Tools makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, suitability or validity of any information in this report and is not liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 3
  • 4. Table of Contents: Web-Based Appointment Scheduling Ÿ Scheduling More Sales Calls:The Basics 5 Ÿ Beyond the Basics: Accelerate the Sales Funnel 8 Ÿ Traditional Funnel 9 Ÿ Accelerated Funnel 10 Ÿ Getting to the “When” of Sales 11 Ÿ Accelerate the Funnel with Web-based Scheduling 12 Ÿ A Day in the Life of an Account Rep Using TimeTrade 14 Ÿ TimeTrade for Retail 15 Ÿ Buying Considerations: Questions to Ask 18 Ÿ Buyer’s Checklist 21 Ÿ Vendor Listing 25 Ÿ Next Steps 27 Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 4
  • 5. Scheduling More Sales Calls: The Basics No matter what business you’re in, you can’t pay the bills unless you sell something. And to sell something you need to have a conversation with a prospect. In today’s busy world, it’s harder and harder to connect. Unless you get lucky and reach your prospect on your first contact attempt, you’ll have to deal with voicemail, email or a combination of both. Indeed, often the only way to actually hold a conversation with a prospect is to agree in advance to a mutually convenient time to talk – i.e., an ‘appointment’. The voicemail barrier: Every time you call a prospect to schedule an appointment - and get voicemail instead - it creates a problem. Ÿ You’ll have to wait for them to return your call. But how long should you wait? Ÿ If they don’t call back how can you remember to make another attempt? If they’ve called you and reached your voicemail, it presents a different problem. After leaving you a voicemail message, they just might call – and get through to – someone at a competitor. Before you know it, you’ve already lost the business. The email barrier: If your company uses Microsoft Outlook internally, it’s easy to check your colleagues calendars and find mutually available times to meet. That’s because enterprise installations of Outlook include Microsoft’s exchange server1. But Outlook doesn’t let you see availability of people outside your organization - namely your prospects. 1 A Microsoft server product which provides collaboration features within electronic mail, calendaring, and other tasks. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 5
  • 6. To be clear, you cannot check a prospect’s availability, nor can they check yours, using Outlook’s calendaring features. You can use Outlook however, to send an email to your prospect suggesting options and wait for an email back indicating which , if any, options are acceptable. This is an inefficient method at best. It's imperative that you When you attempt to schedule an appointment with a prospect by email, it involves a multi-step process. connect with a prospect as close to the moment of Step one: Manually check your calendar and make note of your available days and times interest as possible to fuel Step two: Type those options into an email the opportunity momentum. Step three: Send the email to the prospect Step four: Wait to hear back from your prospect – and hope at least one option works for them If none of the appointment slots offered in your email work for the prospect, they'll have to reply back to you with their options. This could take a few rounds of back and forth to find a mutually convenient time. Meanwhile, your prospect is busy and so this becomes a chore - or worse - enough time passes that their interest begins to wane. When a prospect’s interest is piqued, momentum is created. It’s imperative that you connect with a prospect as close to the moment of interest as possible in order to fuel the opportunity momentum. Fortunately, there are several web-based appointment scheduling applications that change the dynamics of scheduling prospect appointments for the better. Web-based appointment scheduling solutions eliminate the back and forth and make quick work of finding a mu- tually agreeable time. “How do they do that?” you might ask. The answer: Prospects simply select an available time on your calendar1 1 They don’t see your actual calendar - only those times that you make available. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 6
  • 7. You’ll see appointments Web-based scheduling means a prospect can view your availability online and schedule an appointment for a mu- appear on your calendar tually convenient time with ease. You’ll see their newly added appointments appear on your calendar automati- automatically without cally without intervention. Web-based scheduling eliminates the hassles of appointment scheduling for every intervention. one which results in three things: 1. You’re more likely to advance the sale because of timely follow-up 2. You’re likely to fit more calls into your schedule 3. You’re likely to close more sales because a greater volume - of timelier calls - equals more sales As web-based appointment scheduling begins to take root, several vendors are popping up on the scene. In this buyer’s guide as in others, we will focus on one product as a featured example of real-world functionality. We are featuring TimeTrade to show how web-based appointment scheduling can help both your marketing and sales departments. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 7
  • 8. Companies have made the erroneous assumption that Beyond the Basics: Accelerate the Sales Funnel they need to generate bulk leads in order to get to the Typically, companies feed the sales funnel through outbound marketing activities. It’s marketing’s job to generate “quality leads”. those leads. Therefore, one of the main metrics used to measure a marketing department‘s success is the number of “leads” generated in a given period of time. More leads poured into the top of the funnel, results in more revenue at the bottom. That’s the underlying concept behind the theory that “Sales is a numbers game.” The numbers-game theory According to the theory, a higher number of leads results in a higher number of quality leads, and a higher number of quality leads results in a higher number of closed deals. But the numbers- game theory is seriously flawed. In fact, there isn’t a direct correlation between revenue and the number of leads. The direct correlation is between revenue and “quality leads.” Companies have made the erroneous assumption that they need to generate bulk leads in order to get to the “quality leads” but that is not the case as you’ll see on page 10. Why quality matters more than quantity According to the 215 Principle, there are only 215 selling days in the calendar year. A salesperson’s selling time is finite. Therefore, the key is to increase the time they spend talking with quality leads and reduce the time they spend on everything else. In fact, by reducing time spent on conversations with non-quality prospects by just 60 minutes a day, they’ll end up with 30 days worth of extra time each year, to spend with real buyers. Could your reps sell more if they had an extra month’s worth of time with sales-ready prospects? The way to accelerate the sales cycle is to eliminate or reduce the number of poor quality leads at the top of the funnel. When that happens, you condense the sales funnel - essentially shortening the amount of time it takes for a quality lead to reach a salesperson while preserving the salesperson’s time for conversations with qualified prospects. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 8
  • 9. Traditional Sales Funnel The traditional sales funnel has many inefficiencies. To start with, most leads that enter the traditional sales funnel are of an “unknown” quality (unqualified leads). In order to determine the prospect’s level of interest, they must be qualified ‘in’ or ‘out’ (the qualification process). The qualification process is done by the sales team through outbound calling and by marketing’s nurturing and lead scoring activities. Under a traditional sales funnel, by the time they’ve qualified a list of prospects ‘in’ or ‘out’ a salesperson has little time left for productive sales conversations. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 9
  • 10. Accelerated Sales Funnel Using web-based appointment scheduling You can shorten the sales cycle by incorporating a web-based appointment scheduling system into the sales funnel process. With web-based scheduling, your reps can skip the effort previously wasted on outbound lead qualification (phone and email tag). Qualified leads will be injected much deeper into the sales funnel with self- service appointment scheduling, thus shortening the sales cycle. The sales funnel is much more efficient when salespeople waste less time chasing unqualified prospects at the top of the funnel . Salespeople can focus on higher quality leads much sooner than before. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 10
  • 11. Getting to the “When” of Sales Connecting a qualified We’ve shown how web-based appointment scheduling can accelerate the sales funnel by surfacing quality prospect with a salesperson prospects - “the Who” in the sales process - but most sales organizations still struggle to control the “When.” at the peak of interest is the fastest way to close deals. In sales, timing really is everything. How quickly can your reps have a conversation, either on the phone or in person, with prospective customers? Winning the deal depends on timely interactions. Reaching prospects is difficult at best. Salespeople who spend their day tracking down leads will tell you how frustrating and time consuming it is to book sales appointments. In fact, the average sales rep can waste as much as an entire day each week trying to schedule sales meetings through back-and-forth telephone/voicemail tag or e-mail “ping pong” to synch up calendars with prospects. For retail sales, the challenge is slightly different. How many big-spending customers come and go without connecting with a salesperson? In the peak periods, customers who want to buy a $2,500 computer and $1,500 printer wait “in line” with those who want to get the scoop on all the latest flash drives – and opportunities are lost. This doesn’t have to happen if sales-ready customers can easily reserve time with a salesperson through web- based scheduling. Connecting a qualified prospect with a salesperson at the peak of interest is the fastest way to close deals. Web-based appointment scheduling solutions like TimeTrade streamline the process of getting your salespeople and prospects into a sales conversation and shorten the time to revenue . Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 11
  • 12. Accelerate The Sales Funnel: with Web-Based Scheduling TimeTrade streamlines the TimeTrade’s web-based scheduling is good for any sized company. Whether you need to deploy a system for a appointment scheduling process, large enterprise, for a workgroup or only for yourself, TimeTrade’s web-based software provides all the tools and moving deals through the funnel processes you’ll need to reduce the amount of time and effort spent scheduling meetings or booking at a more rapid pace. appointments for services. And TimeTrade integrates with systems that sales, marketing and service organizations use to connect, engage and interact with outside parties. Sales organizations that use TimeTrade have more control over the process of scheduling meetings and can spend less time and effort prospecting, acquiring and retaining customers. Because of the efficiencies it enables, TimeTrade accelerates the funnel and shortens the sales cycle by driving qualified leads directly to sales reps and facilitating a quicker “time-to-meeting.” Drive Inbound Sales TimeTrade drives inbound sales by enabling customers to book meetings and appointments with a company's representatives directly from a company Website or in response to a marketing campaign prompting them to “Click to Meet.” Allow Reps to Easily Book Meetings When sales reps include a TimeTrade link in their outbound emails, or when they “Offer an Appointment” to prospects through Salesforce.com, prospects can view their available meeting times and immediately schedule a convenient time for a call or demo. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 12
  • 13. Automate the Scheduling Process, Start to Finish Whether through email, Salesforce.com interactions, responses to a marketing campaign, or customer self- scheduling, TimeTrade automatically sends email confirmations of the mutually agreed meeting time and adds the appointment to the personal calendars of all participants - whether they use Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, iCal, or Salesforce.com calendars. On the following pages are examples of how TimeTrade helps sales pros increase their productivity and land more and better sales meetings, while simultaneously driving revenue and customer satisfaction. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 13
  • 14. A Day in the Life of an Account Rep Using Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 14
  • 15. TimeTrade: For Retail “Customers are no longer willing World-class retailers know that having successful “customer conversations” is a key to growth and profitability, as to be ‘locked into’ suppliers who well as a major contributor to improving customer satisfaction and loyalty. In fact, according to the Wall Street don't value their time or their Journal Online, the National Retail Federation says that the number one way to increase sales is to find ways to talk patronage.” to customers because interactions lead to transactions. Patricia Seybold, Customers.com TimeTrade helps retailers’ customers make instant appointments with retail associates and service reps, to conduct these important conversations that drive business. Using TimeTrade's online appointment scheduling solution, top retailers increase revenue, improve service and operational efficiency and see solid results, including: Ÿ Higher sales by enabling Website visitors to immediately book an appointment when their interest is at its peak – turning a prospect’s interest into a confirmed appointment, 24/7 Ÿ Increased customer satisfaction by offering the convenience and immediacy of self-service appointment scheduling Ÿ Improved staff productivity Ÿ Reduced costs by giving retail managers real-time visibility into appointment volume to adjust staffing levels to meet demand • Improved sales results from email marketing campaigns, social networks and a company’s Website. TimeTrade integrates with outbound and inbound marketing programs to turn contacts into sales Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 15
  • 16. TimeTrade One-Step Appointment Online appointment scheduling is critical to staying competitive for 3 very important reasons: Scheduling is a powerful, scalable 1. New customer acquisition: Quickly convert Website visitors into first purchase in-store solution that builds customer customers. loyalty, by simplifying how and when they meet with retailers. 2. Loyalty program effectiveness: Drive a larger sales ticket with pre-scheduled high loyalty customers. 3. Brand enhancement: Beat your competitors through speedier contact with customers and a superior retail customer experience (e.g. “Click for an Appointment” or “Reserve time with a Personal Shopper”). Don’t keep customers waiting! “Contact Us” forms on retail Websites can actually slow Click here to test-drive down the sales process… this Website. TimeTrade One-Step Appointment Scheduling puts customers in touch with your retail reps faster. Watch a quick video to learn more Phone and in-person meetings about TimeTrade for Retail. are the best way to build on prospect interest and convert their needs into a sale. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 16
  • 17. Service Retailers Generating Revenue through Customer Appointments Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 17
  • 18. Buying Considerations: Questions to Ask Yourself Using TimeTrade as an There’s no question that web-based appointment scheduling is beneficial for both buyers and sellers. Eliminating example, we showed how the back and forth of appointment scheduling and giving prospects a convenient and fast way to book time with easy web-based appointment sales reps results in more time with better quality prospects, a better customer experience, and an accelerated scheduling can be. sales funnel. Using TimeTrade as an example, we showed how easy web-based appointment scheduling can be. What should you look for when shopping for an online scheduling solution? The following buyer consideration questions will help you understand your needs so you’ll be better equipped to make the best decision. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 18
  • 19. Buying Considerations: Questions to Ask Yourself Page 1 of 2 Download Timing What is the projected timeline for deciding on a solution? Who are the decision makers? Spreadsheet What kind of appointments does your team schedule? Are they with customers and prospects? Do they involve Appointment Type* resources like facilities, conference rooms and equipment? Appointment Type* Do your appointments span multiple locations and time-zones? Do you offer appointments for specific activities or services like live demos, personal shopping, bridal consultations or Appointment Type* financial advisory sessions? Appointment Metrics* Are those time slots being filled on a regular basis? How many appointments does an average rep at your company schedule each week (sales calls, service calls, etc. -- face- Appointment Metrics to-face or on phone meetings) with customers or prospects? Appointment Metrics On average, how much time does an average rep spend each week setting appointments (i.e. 2 - 5 hours, > 5 hours, etc.) Appointment Metrics Based on the 215 Principal (page 8) how is the lost time affecting productivity and revenue? On average, how many interactions with a client (voicemails, emails, etc.) does it take to get an appointment time Appointment Metrics* agreed upon and scheduled? On average, how much time elapses between asking for and getting a meeting scheduled with prospects and customers? Appointment Metrics* (i.e. 3-4 days, >4 days, etc.) Appointment Metrics* How often do your clients cancel or not show up for a scheduled appointment? Appointment Metrics What percentage of your qualified leads convert into an initial appointment with a sales rep? Appointment Metrics* Is there a direct relationship between the number of appointments and revenue? Do you measure your reps performance based on the number of appointments they schedule? If not, should you and Appointment Metrics why aren't you? Appointment Metrics* How easy is it to learn how many appointments are scheduled in a given period of time? Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 19
  • 20. Buying Considerations: Questions to Ask Yourself Page 2 of 2 Download What are the main methods used by your team to schedule appointments with customers and prospects? (i.e. Send Spreadsheet Effectiveness emails, send outlook invites, send invites from CRM system, phone or voicemail exchanges) Effectiveness How effective would you rate your sales force's ability to easily and quickly schedule appointments? Effectiveness Do your reps consistently send out confirmation notices/reminders before a scheduled appointment? Effectiveness When following up on a lead how important is it for your rep to be the first vendor to talk to the prospect? Effectiveness How effective are your sales people at being the first to schedule a time to talk to a new prospect? When following up on a first appointment how important is it for your rep to be the first vendor to do a presentation Effectiveness to the prospect? Effectiveness How effective are your sales people at being the first to schedule a presentation with a prospect? Can web visitors immediately schedule an appointment with the appropriate person or resources directly from your Web-based appointments* web site? If not, would you like them to? Web-based appointments* How many appointments are currently being made through your Website? Scheduling Process Which calendar software must your scheduling solution integrate with? (i.e. Outlook, Google) Scheduling Process* Do you want to track scheduled appointments in your CRM system? Scheduling Process* Does your scheduling solution need to integrate with your IVR system or call center? Scheduling Process What does the appointment scheduling process look like from your prospect's point of view? Scheduling Process* Are you able to secure a confirmed appointment while a prospect’s interest is at its peak? Scheduling Process Will you need to access your scheduling solution via smart phones? Scheduling Process Do you need a scheduling solution that can be incorporated into Social Network activities? *Especially applicable to retail services organizations, investment firms and mortgage companies. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 20
  • 21. Web-Based Scheduling: Checklist The amount of effort One of the hardest things to do when shopping for any solution is to compare features across vendors. One required to gather reason is that vendors often call features by different names. Another reason is that vendors often have different information goes up versions, each with varying feature-sets. exponentially as you add more vendors to your research list. The amount of effort required to gather information goes up exponentially as you add more vendors to your research list. What we recommend instead, is to create your own list of needed features then make the vendors do the work. Ask yourself the buying consideration questions on page 19. Then review the checklist on the next two pages. The checklist is also available as a downloadable spreadsheet so you can modify it as needed. The downloadable checklist will give you the ability to mark the appropriate column: don’t need, nice-to-have, must-have. Perhaps you’ll even want to add additional columns such as: don’t need now, will need in the future. Have each of your constituents complete the checklist so everyone’s requirements and priorities are considered. As you talk with vendors, share your requirements with them. Instead of having to match vendors to your requirements, let the vendors match their software to your needs. You’ll find out quickly which vendors are truly customer-oriented by the way they respond. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 21
  • 22. Web-Based Scheduling: Checklist Don't Nice to Must Category Functionality Description Need Have Have Sync a rep or resource's calendar (Outlook, Google Calendar, etc) with their schedule of availability Download Calendar Software enabling the scheduling solution to display real-time availability for appointments. New appointments Spreadsheet Compatibility Integration flow into their calendar automatically and the system reads busy times from their calendar removing availability for committed time-slots and preventing double-bookings. Offer specific times for a quick meeting or phone call in a ad hoc manner versus offering times for pre- Ease-of-Use Ad Hoc Invitations scheduled activities. Ability for customers and prospects to search for the first available time slot for their desired Ease-of-Use Appointment Search appointment as well as search for availability on a particular date. Ease-of-Use Appointment Changes* Ability for customers and prospects to track, cancel and reschedule their own appointments online. Resource-selectable Ability to schedule not only people, but also specific resources including facilities, equipment and Ease-of-Use Scheduling* inventory. Ease-of-Use Appointment Reminders Reminder email sent automatically to both user and customer/prospect. Functionality Data Collection Lets you collect information from prospects when they schedule an appointment. Functionality Branding Branded scheduling interface, confirmation and reminder emails. Send appointment invitations right from your iPhone. People you invite can book time from their mobile device or computer. As people book time with you, the appointments flow into a real-time feed Functionality Mobile on the app home screen. Use a “follow-up list" to see who hasn't yet responded to your invitations. Multiple calendar overlay from the calendars on your iPhone eliminates double-booking. *Especially applicable to retail services organizations, investment and mortgage firms. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 22
  • 23. Web-Based Scheduling: Checklist Don't Nice to Must Category Functionality Description Need Have Have Unlimited Resource Functionality No limit to the number of resources, activities and appointment transactions. Scheduling* Download Spreadsheet Functionality Self-Service Scheduling Via a Website, an email invitation or an Interactive Voice Response System. Assisted Service Via the phone, with a store representative or call-center agent, or in-person with in-store staff Functionality Scheduling* member. Supports ability to schedule events (such as seminars, classes and trunk shows) and manage Functionality Event Scheduling* participant registration. Functionality Wait Listing* The ability to place prospects and customers on a wait list pending availability for their appointment. Functionality Social Media Appointment link for Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other social media sites. Management Report Types Built-in (canned) reporting as well as the ability to create customized (ad hoc) reports. Monitor activity; see number of invitations sent and appointments made by week by user, sort by Management Usage Reporting group, export data for use in other applications. Central License Management Add users one at a time or in bulk, change user type to administrator, enable or disable users. Administration Management User Dashboard View a list of all users, their email address, assigned group and last access date. Data-driven Administrative screens that manage thousands of configuration settings. Governing rules, workflows, Management Customization* user rights, activity, resource properties and more can be customized via an easy to use admin screen. Resource Allocation Multiple methods for allocating resources chosen from a pool of substitutable resources including Management Rules* random allocation, round-robin allocation, and ranked allocation based on skill, cost, location, etc. *Especially applicable to retail services organizations, investment and mortgage firms. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 23
  • 24. Web-Based Scheduling: Checklist Don't Nice to Must Category Functionality Description Need Have Have Management Overbooking* Authorized users can override capacity constraints in order to overbook activities and resources. Download Spreadsheet Front Desk/Receptionist Appointment management dashboard where you can check customers in and out, cancel and Management Interface* reschedule appointments, manage resources and view a dashboard of the day’s appointments. Solution uses your assignment rules, such as state or product, to route a prospect to available meeting Technology Smart Routing times with the appropriate rep. Standards-based Mechanisms such as Web Services, HTTP redirection , and Active Sync data interchange technology for Technology Integration Mechanisms* integration with CRM systems, Websites, call center software and more. A robust mechanism to calculate costs and assess fees for appointments based on configurable rules Technology E-Commerce* and rates. Supports customizable roles-based rights that control access to individual screens within the Technology Roles-based Rights* application, ability to view and/or edit screens on a field-by-field basis, and ability to perform a wide range of scheduling tasks, run reports, and perform system administrative functions. Secure transmission of data across the network, as well as within the application to support storage of Technology SSL encryption sensitive information. Performance and Technology Scales to support millions of appointment transactions per month. Scalability* *Especially applicable to retail services organizations, investment and mortgage firms. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 24
  • 25. Web-Based Scheduling: Vendor Listing Because it’s difficult to differentiate a long list of vendors, we thought “why not use their own words”? So the following list of vendors (in alphabetical order) states the main message we found on their Website home-page. Get a feel for their positioning by what they themselves choose to emphasize. We visited the Website of each company on the list and made note of (what we interpreted to be) their homepage main marketing message. Next, we list the lowest and the highest pricing found on their site. We’ve provided a link to their Website as well. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 25
  • 26. Web-Based Scheduling: Vendor Listing Increase sales productivity and customer satisfaction Lowest Price found Highest Price Company Name Web URL From Website on Website found on Website Appointment-Plus www.appointment-plus.com Online Appointment Scheduling Software $39/org/mo $79/org/mo $159.99/mo based AppointmentQuest www.appointmentquest.com Make your life better one appointment at a time. $6.59/mo on number of appts CalendarSpots.com www.calendarspots.com Simplify your appointment scheduling. Free $34/20 users/mo $19.95/20 CheckAppointments www.checkappointments.com Free online appointment scheduling software Free users/mo https://www.doodle.com/premium Get rid of inefficient e-mail chains and save your customers and No other price Doodle $119/5-users/yr /business.html employees precious time. found FlashAppointments www.flashappointments Making appointments happen, around the clock, around the globe. $10/user/mo $125/100 users/mo Genbook www.genbook.com More appointments, less hassles. $19.95/sole user/mo $39.95/org/mo OpenCal www.opencal.com Online appointment scheduling done right. $19/user/mo $39/10 users/mo ScheduleView www.scheduleview.com Appointment Scheduling Software as Easy as "Point and Click". 197/user 597/user Puts your calendar online so your clients can find an appointment Schedulicity www.schedulicity.com 19/user/mo 39/user/mo that works for them. SimplifyThis http://www.simplifythis.com Convert your Website visitors to clients. $9/2 users/mo $29/10 users/mo TimeBridge www.timebridge.com Stop Playing Schedule tag. none listed None listed TimeCenter www.timecenter.com More appointments guaranteed. Get started in 60 seconds. $29/user/mo $99/50 users/mo Increase sales productivity and customer satisfaction with online TimeTrade www.timetrade.com $29.95/user/mo $249/user/yr appointment scheduling. Tungle www.tungle.me Scheduling made easy. Free $49/user/year Web-Appointments.com www.web-appointments.com Accept appointments online now. $9.90/org/mo $11.90/org/mo Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 26
  • 27. Next Steps Keep this Buyer’s Guide handy: print a copy, bookmark it, or save it to your computer Download and complete the Buyer Considerations spreadsheet. Download and complete the Appointment Scheduling Feature check-list. See TimeTrade in action. Schedule a 15-minute introductory call now. Visit www.timetrade.com to learn more. Sign up for our free weekly digest of events and publications. Buyer’s Guide: Web-Based Scheduling @2011 Smart Selling Tools all rights reserved www.SmartSellingTools.com 27