Great news - an investor has agreed to meet with you. It's important to be aware of the details involved in booking the meeting. If the process isn't carefully managed, it could result in the meeting never getting booked, postponed indefinitely, or outright canceled. To help you ensure that the meeting is scheduled without any issues, here’s some advice on what to avoid and why, as well as our own perspective on quickly getting the meeting booked. And, yes, we know some of this will feel old-school, but trust us: investors consider every moment you spend with them when evaluating whether or not they will invest.
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Avoid using scheduling links when setting up a meeting. 

This can give the impression that you are not invested in the meeting, as if it is just another event on your schedule. Additionally, it is more likely that a meeting booked through a scheduling link will be postponed or canceled, as it is easy to view rescheduling and canceling options in the calendar invite. There is one exception below in the template.
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Avoid using your assistant when setting up a meeting.

Although using an assistant can be helpful for easily scheduling meetings with team members, advisors, service providers, and even clients, do not use an assistant when connecting with investors. It is important to take the time to personally provide your availability and show the investor that you are putting in the effort to build the relationship even before you meet. Using an assistant may also make investors believe that you frivolously spend money on things you can easily do yourself, which could deter them from giving you money.
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It is important that you take the initiative to book the meeting with the investor. 

Rather than expecting the investor to determine their availability and send a calendar invite, take the necessary steps to confirm the meeting. Look through your calendar and find a week's worth of availability, then adjust according to the investor's timezone. Do not include availability outside the hours of 8am-5pm their time. Use this template to plug in your availability and get the meeting booked:

Hi [Investor],

Great to hear back — I’d love to connect and share more about [Startup]. Here is some open availability (30m, PST) on my end:

- [Today] Tue, Nov 29: 3-5pm
- [Tomorrow] Wed, Nov 30: 8-10am, 12-3pm
- Thu, Dec 1:  9:30-10am, 11am-2pm
- Fri, Dec 2: 2-5pm

You can just let me know or confirm here: [booking url exception]

If I need to be more flexible because these times do not work, please let me know.

Thomas
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Pro-tip: Take a look at Morgen Calendar which helps you easily identify, timezone-convert, and copy/paste availability.
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Timing is everything to keep the ball rolling.

Work quickly in your scheduling correspondence to maintain investor interest and get that meeting booked. Try to respond to messages and send out invitations on the same day. Additionally, a follow-up thank you note after the meeting should also be sent immediately.

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Ultimately, as an early stage founder, your relationship with potential investors is invaluable. Taking the time to personally provide your availability and make a good impression can help you build trust and form a stronger connection. Automating the process may feel more convenient and save time, but it could be that small make or break when you’re *this* close to securing their investment.