Instead of guessing whether a day-of confirmation email helps or hurts, treat it as a variable to test. Send the email to one cohort of prospects and not to another, then track the show rates for each group. Even a small percentage increase can be significant, providing data-driven validation for your process.
Instead of blaming unreliable prospects, view no-shows as a failure of your pre-meeting process. By implementing a systematic, multi-channel confirmation runway (invites, video, voicemail), you take control and increase the probability of attendance by design, not by luck.
To combat no-shows, send prospects to a video sales letter (VSL) immediately after they book an appointment. This capitalizes on their peak interest, reaffirms their decision, pre-frames the upcoming call, and builds rapport. This single step can be the most effective way to improve show rates.
After sending a calendar invite, record and email a brief, personal video expressing excitement for the meeting. This personal touch makes it psychologically harder for the prospect to no-show because they've seen your face and heard your enthusiasm, creating a social obligation to attend.
When testing copy like titles or subject lines, change only a single modifier word (e.g., add "Quick Fix" to "HR Guide"). This isolates the variable, providing clear learnings about what resonates with your audience, unlike testing two completely different sentences where the "why" is unclear.
Instead of optimizing for a single "best" send time, marketers should vary sending days and times (e.g., evenings, weekends). This strategy acknowledges that different people within your database interact with email at different times, maximizing overall reach and engagement across your entire list.
To combat no-shows, don't end a call after booking a meeting. Ask the prospect to find and accept the calendar invitation while you are still on the line. This simple step ensures the event is actually on their calendar and bypasses issues where invites get lost in email.
Instead of a standard email reminder, send a short confirmation video on the morning of the meeting. This personal touch confirms the appointment, reiterates the value proposition for them, and invites the prospect to add agenda items, which significantly increases attendance rates.
Don't try to prove an event "caused" a deal. Instead, track correlation. Use a simple CRM checkbox to see if deals with event attendees have a higher close rate or velocity. This is a practical, low-stress way to gauge impact.
Instead of a direct confirmation call that can be easily dismissed, leave an enthusiastic voicemail the afternoon before the meeting, when you know the prospect has likely left. This ensures they receive a positive, pressure-free reminder that reinforces your excitement without giving them an easy opportunity to cancel on the spot.
To confirm a meeting with a busy prospect, use a direct, binary question in the email subject line (e.g., "Confirming appointment, yes or no?"). This minimizes cognitive load, allowing them to understand the request and reply without even opening the email.