It's likely that you are using a digital calendar to keep track of your meetings and appointments, but have you automated those bookings with an appointment setting software?

Integrating your digital calendar with a scheduling tool is key to ensuring that you are prepared for, and don't miss, important meetings in the modern world. This is especially true regarding the many appointments that you, as a financial advisor, must set and keep track of. 

Forget a single appointment, and you'll miss out on an opportunity, or even worse, upset your client. By implementing the best appointment setting software and appropriate feature package for your firm, you can be sure to never miss out on any commitments, while also streamlining your bookings.

But what key features do financial advisors need to be aware of before deciding on their appointment setting software? And what features should you, as a financial advisor, absolutely require?

In this article, we'll discuss what appointment setting software is and how to determine which is best for you.

What Is Appointment Setting Software?

Appointment setting software is utilized by a variety of industries and necessary for any company that meets with clientele. The software itself is attached to the company's website and requires a customer to fill in their details to make an appointment with the company’s automated calendar system. The level of automation can vary depending on the software you purchase, the package you select or the functions that you require. 

The main task for appointment setting software is to establish or book meetings and appointments. There are free software options available, but their functions are limited and you may not be able to tap into a wealth of other beneficial  features. These may include:

• Reminders
• 2-way integration of calendars
• Payment processing
• Revenue processing
• And more

By automating these processes, you will experience many benefits, including improving your company's overall efficiencies. Now that we have a clear understanding of what appointment setting software is, let's focus on the many reasons why you, as a financial advisor, need to adopt the use of this software. 

Benefits of Using An Appointment Setting Software For Financial Advisors

Customer Retention 

While your current client base is likely happy with your financial services, they may be seeking a more streamlined process when it comes to connecting with you further, as needed. 

By using an appointment scheduling software, you save your time and the time of your client's by erasing the back and forth phone calls, emails and even text messages when trying to find a time that fits nicely into each other's schedules. You can also reduce the chances of appointment errors and mishaps that sometimes occur during that back and forth. 

You also save even more time as your client will be continuously reminded via automated reminders, meaning you won't have to check-in manually before any appointments.

Encountering less appointment mishaps strengthens trust and loyalty with your client, which in turn builds a strong brand reputation when your client refers you to others.  

Enhance Revenue

When saving time and eliminating all human errors with automated software solutions, you will be able to expand your client base and retain your faithful clients, which in turn, creates opportunities for you to enhance revenue streams.  With extra time on your hands, you will be able to onboard more clients and manage more accounts due to being able to automate those appointments. 

Also, the importance of establishing and maintaining an easy client journey in the modern world cannot be understated. With each generation becoming more and more tech savvy, it could be a deciding factor for some potential clients if you website does not provide an automated booking function. 

Improve Staff Efficiencies 

If you have additional staff members working for your firm, using an appointment setting software solution that allows clients to book with their respective financial advisor automatically improves efficiencies for both themselves and their clients.

No matter how many clients are reaching out to them, by having an automated system take care of their appointment bookings, your staff members can concentrate on the job at hand and improve the service that they are providing. If there's a need for a client or your broker to reschedule, these software solutions will once again streamline the processes, ensuring everyone is confident in the new meeting dates and times.

Minimizing No-Shows

As mentioned above, a major benefit to using appointment setting software is being able to automate reminders for your clients. Fewer and fewer people are interested in receiving phone calls to remind them of upcoming appointments, and now prefer other options via text, email or in app notifications. Clients appreciate having some form of a reminder as it reinforces the confirmation of an appointment, on both ends. Some appointment scheduling softwares can send reminders via several communication channels, providing your client with an option of how they prefer to be contacted, further improving your client experience.

Now that you know the benefits of using an appointment setting software let's discuss the key features you need to take into consideration before choosing your scheduling solution.

Key Features Financial Advisors Need To Consider For Their Appointment Setting Software

By selecting an appointment scheduling software that meets all of your unique needs, you will be able to tap into all of the benefits that we've shared above. Once you've incorporated these features into your booking processes, they will become indispensable to running your financial practice. 

1. Calendar Sync & Integration

Of course, 2-way calendar sync and integration is the cornerstone functionality that all financial advisors need to prioritize when deciding on an appointment setting software. Before you settle on any software, you must ensure that it integrates with your calendar host and syncs regularly to avoid double bookings and other appointment mishaps.

Your appointment setting software should also always allow users on both sides to edit meetings as needed, without any issues. Nothing is worse than trying to reschedule an appointment only to create duplicate appointments, or worse, lose the appointment altogether. 

Another factor to take into consideration is if the software automatically adjust for different time zones. Thanks to video conferencing and the expansion of digital markets, you may be meeting with individuals in various time zones, so your calendar needs to adjust timings for both parties.

As a rule of thumb, if your appointment setting software doesn't integrate with Google, Outlook, GoToMeeting, iCloud, Exchange, Microsoft365, and Zoom, you will need to continue your search for one that does.

While integration is vital when selecting an appointment setting software solution, you also need to consider having lead capture capabilities in the package. 

2. Lead Capture Capabilities

When a visitor lands on your page, your goal is to turn them from a curious browser to a new client, but this transformation can only occur if your appointment setting software package has lead capturing capabilities. This can be done by simply adding a CTA, form or calendar directly to your webpage for clients to book an appointment directly from your page.

When adding the appointment booking form or calendar to your website, ensure it is easy to use and understand. The more accessible and polished this section is, the better it will convert genuine leads and capture their information, making it easier to stay in touch and quicker to onboard them when the time comes. 

Once you've been able to book an appointment with a potential client, you'll want to be able to meet them as soon as possible. However, sometimes meeting in person isn't possible. This is when video conferencing becomes another must-have feature you need to consider when finding an appointment scheduling software.

3. Video Conferencing Integration

As a financial advisor, the importance of meeting to discuss all of your client's options cannot be understated. With social distancing, it's arguably the largest hurdle the industry has had to overcome in the last few years. 

Including video conferencing in your invite means that you can confirm a meeting immediately, whether in person or digitally. While most users will be familiar with Zoom, your scheduling solution should also include video conferencing solutions like Google, Skype, and Microsoft Teams to provide more options and variety for prospects and your clients. Tailoring your video offering means a more streamlined process and fewer issues when connecting with any client. 

4. Professional & Personalized Communications

A significant part of appointment setting software is the ability to send out automated appointment confirmations and reminders. As we've mentioned, this functionality means you and your company will be more streamlined, save time, and experience fewer no-shows.

Professional reminders will assure clients that they are dealing with a financial advisor who takes pride in their brand and wants to provide an elevated user experience. When these reminders are personalized, customers feel important and prioritized, improving brand recognition and loyalty.

5. Customer Support and Training 

When selecting any appointment scheduling solution, you may need to access customer support and training so you can harness its full power. No one logs into a new digital solution knowing all the functionality and how to utilize it to its full potential. Thus, it's important to choose software with good ratings on customer support and training.

Key Takeaways on Appointment Setting Software for Financial Advisors 

By selecting an easy-to-use appointment scheduling software that integrates seamlessly with calendars, automates booking processes, and looks polished and professional, you'll be well on your way to elevating your client experience, improving brand loyalty, and capturing new leads.

While finding the best solution can be tricky, Advisor Websites has its own scheduling solution, MeetingMaker. We'll install, integrate, and train you and your employees on how the software works, so that you can grow your business and save valuable time by allowing clients and prospects to easily book a time with you themselves. Learn more about our powerful and compliant scheduling tool here.