Tag: calendar sync

Sync Insightly Events to Your External Calendar

Why fix something that’s not broken, right?

Here’s the problem with this perspective: external calendars, while convenient, offer limited accountability. Sure, you might be able to “see” a colleague’s calendar, but can you pull a report showing last month’s sales calls? Unless you’ve integrated his or her calendar to your CRM, the answer is probably not.

Get the best of both worlds by enabling Insightly’s synchronization to external calendars. Staff can continue to operate as they always have, and your management team can delegate and track events with just a few clicks.

Here’s how to set it up. (Note: If you’re on a free plan, you’ll first need to upgrade to a paid account.)

1. Log in to your Insightly account and navigate to “user settings” from the top right icon’s drop down menu.

2. Click on “calendar sync.”

3. Select the correct type of external calendar that you’re using.

4. Decide whether or not you want to also sync Insightly tasks and milestones (if not, only calendar events will sync).

5. Complete the authorization process.

Save the Intro for Last

“Work begun is work half done.”

We’ve all heard this saying a time or two in our lives. And, when it comes to creating content for your website, nothing could be more true.

Unfortunately, simply starting work on a piece of content can seem daunting. With each flash of the cursor on a blank page, your anxiety increases. Your mind races with the endless ways to start the article. How can you capture the reader’s attention? What should you say?

The next time you’re in this situation, just skip the introduction altogether. Instead, jump straight into the “meat.” After all, you know what you want to say. It’s just that dang introduction that keeps getting in the way.

Once you’ve captured the main points, go back to working on the introduction. Remember, an effective introduction does not have to be long. In most cases, less might actually be more.

If you’re still struggling, try asking yourself these questions in the context of your message:

• What is the main point of this article?
• What (if any) questions can I pose to get the reader thinking about this topic?
• Are there any emotional connections to be made with the subject matter?
• What statement of fact can I make to gain immediate buy-in?
• Are there any “eyebrow-lifting” points in the article worth alluding to?

To recap, jump in and work on the part that feels most natural. Introductions can wait.

Stop Wasting Your Life (Coordinating Appointments)

Do any of these sound familiar?

• “Sorry, I can’t meet at that time. Do you have any other open slots?”
• “Is there a time on your calendar that we can connect?”
• “What does your calendar look like for next Tuesday?”
• “I need to reschedule – can we try again for next week?”

To coordinate any given appointment, there could be several minutes of your life wasted. Multiply this across your entire career, and you could be looking at weeks of wasted time. Pretty depressing, huh?

Alas, there’s no reason for despair. Luckily, there are apps that can help you take control of the situation. For example, YouCanBook.me is a pretty nifty (and free) tool that connects to your existing calendar. Instead of trading emails, texts, or phone calls just to schedule an appointment, just share your public calendar page. Prospects and colleagues can view open time slots and book time in a self-service environment.

When someone books time with you, an event is automatically added to your calendar (and an email is sent to you). Those booking time with you will also receive a confirmation email and calendar invitation. Best of all, you never lifted a finger.

Congratulations, you just saved another five minutes of your life!

Set Your Appointment Goals for Q2

New deals don’t just fall from the sky. Like anything else in business, the outcomes we achieve are usually directly related to prior effort.

With this in mind, the first quarter is drawing to a close. Is it living up to everything you had hoped for? Will you beat your quota? If not, what caused the discrepancy?

Perhaps you’re not being strategic enough with your appointment setting goals. All things being equal, more sales appointments result in more quotes and proposals – which, of course, translate into new customers.

So, what are some simple ways to boost the number of appointments next quarter? Try these:

Don’t Just Wait for Inbound Leads – Inbound marketing can be a great source of new leads, but it’s not everything. Never stop cold calling and searching for new sources of your own leads. Be your own lead source to supplement what comes in from your website.

Circle Back to Closed-Lost Deals – Unless you’re selling a piece of equipment that lasts indefinitely, there’s always a possibility that lost opportunities could reignite. It’s therefore healthy and wise to occasionally circle back with those who originally said “no.”

Partner with Your Marketing Team – Your marketing team is always looking for new ways to engage prospects and customers. Don’t be shy about sharing upsell, cross-sell, and brand awareness ideas with marketing. Email, social, and PPC ads are great ways to stir up interest – and, of course, generate more appointments for you.