It seems like a no-brainer.

You set up an appointment about a week ago to see someone in his office. It is set for this afternoon, at two o’clock.

You should call him right away, and confirm that you’re still “on,” right?

Not necessarily.

If the meeting is important, and the person you’re seeing is responsible, it should be on his calendar, and you should be able to count on that.

If you failed to “sell” the importance of the meeting, then it may not have been noted, and your associate might have flown the coop by the time you arrive, or otherwise be tied up.

But note the problem in this scenario, and who is responsible for creating it. It’s your fault; because you didn’t persuade the other party of the meeting’s necessity.

So, you should revise your communication style or content to correct this flaw.

What if the person with whom you’re dealing is disorganized, or so much at the mercy of multiple demands that he is never where he expects to be, at any given time? We know these people exist.

Should they gain admittance to your client list?

If so, you should select and reserve a time to meet that complements their breakneck pace; i.e. for breakfast, at 6:30 or 7, or after hours at 6 or 7.

I’ll set up seminars and speeches that take place up to six months later, and have some correspondence in the interim, but simply fly to the venue at the appointed time, and arrive, on time, ready to perform.

Only once, did this get me into trouble, but because I made the trip, and was billing for it, I was accommodated, and the program came off, without further glitches.

In some telemarketing contexts, I think a follow-up call can provide a convenient “out” for the prospect, who might have stayed the course, had he not been re-contacted.

The way to solidify the appointment or commitment that you think you have achieved, is to do your own “confirmation,” during the initial contact, in which you SLOWLY repeat when you’re arriving, where you’re going to meet, and then you should provide for any questions.

For good measure, you might want to add the words, "Now I'm putting this on my calendar, so please put it on yours!"

After that, your appointment should be solid.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.