Inbound scheduling can be used in three scenarios:

1. For scheduling appointments
2. For scheduling repetitive activities of the same type
3. For scheduling one on one meetings

With the first two scenarios it’s easy to know when they should be used. See the Appointment scheduling and Activity scheduling articles.

One on one meetings however, need a deeper explanation. There are two ways to schedule one on one meetings – using inbound scheduling and using outbound scheduling. Let’s explore when to use each type:

With outbound, you do the “work” of creating the invitation and proposing times. All your invitee does is respond with availability. With inbound, the roles are reversed – The person who wants to meet with you creates the invitation while you simply pick a time.

As a rule of thumb, when you want to meet with someone, use outbound – you’re doing the asking, so you do the “work”. When someone wants to meet with you, simply send them to your inbound page and have them submit an invitation.

Another important factor in the decision is the level of control that you need. If you want to be the one proposing the times then outbound is your choice. If you are fairly flexible with times then inbound would be a better choice.

When using inbound and outbound, but especially with inbound, it's important that people don't view it as an act of disrespect.  At the end of the day it's all about how you position it. For example, you can apologize and say that you currently have no access to your calendar and ask the person to do you a favor and submit an invitation through your inbound page. The more meetings you schedule through inbound, the more efficient you will be, and as you schedule more meetings, you will find that most people are responding positively and are having a good experience which saves them time as well.

Watch the inbound scheduling video