5 min read · Updated
How to schedule a meeting with people outside your organisation
Short answer
When you can't see other people's calendars, ask them for their availability through a single link that works without an account, give a deadline, and confirm with a calendar invite that works in any calendar app. Avoid tools that require guests to sign in or connect a calendar, because external guests often won't.
Why it's harder with external people
Inside one organisation, tools like Outlook or Google Calendar can show colleagues' free and busy times. Clients, partners, board members and candidates are on different systems, and you can't see their calendars. Booking pages help when they book time with you, but not when several outside people need to agree with each other.
What to send
- 01One short message with the purpose, the meeting length and the deadline for answers.
- 02One link where they can answer in under a minute, with no account and no app.
- 03Once confirmed, a calendar invite (not just an email) with the agenda and the video link.
Respect privacy
External guests may not want their email address shown to everyone else on the list. alignd sends the final calendar invite without exposing guests' email addresses to each other, and guests never need to create an account.
Executive assistants and organisers
If you schedule on behalf of someone else, set the window to their availability first, then send the link to everyone else. Ask for availability rather than votes when senior people are involved: it saves a second round when none of your proposed slots work.