WEBVTT 00:00:03.130 --> 00:00:06.060 Matt Abrahams: This Tech Tools miniseries is brought to you by Prezi, the 00:00:06.060 --> 00:00:10.110 presentation tool that makes your ideas easy to follow, hard to forget, and 00:00:10.110 --> 00:00:12.645 faster than ever to create with Prezi AI. 00:00:13.890 --> 00:00:17.430 The best investment is in the tools of one's own trade. 00:00:17.580 --> 00:00:20.370 At Think Fast Talk Smart, we are taking this quote by Benjamin 00:00:20.370 --> 00:00:24.360 Franklin, the famous US inventor and founding father, very seriously. 00:00:24.600 --> 00:00:28.980 As you know, our show strives to share tips and techniques to help you hone and 00:00:28.980 --> 00:00:31.290 improve your communication and careers. 00:00:31.560 --> 00:00:35.820 These practices and approaches can be augmented with tools and technology. 00:00:36.184 --> 00:00:37.235 I'm Matt Abrahams. 00:00:37.294 --> 00:00:40.655 I teach strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business. 00:00:40.955 --> 00:00:46.114 Welcome to this Tech Tools miniseries of Think Fast Talk Smart, the podcast. 00:00:46.714 --> 00:00:50.885 In this multi-part miniseries, we'll introduce you to tools we use at Think 00:00:50.885 --> 00:00:55.444 Fast Talk Smart to help us be better at our spoken and written communication. 00:00:56.105 --> 00:00:59.435 And you'll learn best practices from the founders who created them. 00:00:59.735 --> 00:01:03.305 Taken together, we hope these communication tools will help you find 00:01:03.305 --> 00:01:06.060 new ways to think fast and talk smart. 00:01:07.110 --> 00:01:07.560 Hi Darren. 00:01:07.560 --> 00:01:08.100 Welcome. 00:01:08.100 --> 00:01:09.690 I'm really excited to have you on the show. 00:01:09.960 --> 00:01:10.470 Darren Chait: Likewise. 00:01:10.470 --> 00:01:11.039 Thanks, Matt. 00:01:11.160 --> 00:01:12.539 Really excited to be here. 00:01:12.810 --> 00:01:16.080 Matt Abrahams: So many of us have likely scheduled a meeting through Calendly. 00:01:16.815 --> 00:01:20.745 Some of our listeners might not know exactly what Calendly is. 00:01:21.104 --> 00:01:25.634 Can you share what your product is using the pitch structure I teach my MBA 00:01:25.634 --> 00:01:31.065 students, which is what if you could, so that, for example, and that's not all. 00:01:31.604 --> 00:01:37.005 Darren Chait: What if you could avoid the back and forth of scheduling, the sharing 00:01:37.005 --> 00:01:41.505 availability, navigating time zones, or even working out who the right person is 00:01:41.655 --> 00:01:46.560 to meet for your business, so that you can schedule faster get the right person in 00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:50.430 front of the right team, and ultimately turn those meetings into revenue, 00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:54.630 candidates in the right roles, and a much more efficient way to engage with 00:01:54.630 --> 00:01:59.160 your customers, clients, stakeholders, partners, candidates, whoever it is 00:01:59.160 --> 00:02:00.660 that you meet to get business done. 00:02:01.080 --> 00:02:04.820 For example, you can imbed Calendly on your website, people can come 00:02:04.820 --> 00:02:08.479 to you, they can find a time that works for them, they can even pay you 00:02:08.600 --> 00:02:10.130 depending on the service that you use. 00:02:10.340 --> 00:02:13.370 Or they may be routed to the right person if they're looking for a demo, 00:02:13.519 --> 00:02:16.430 get them to the right territory manager or the right person to meet with them. 00:02:16.940 --> 00:02:21.049 Or you can look across multiple schedules to find the group people that 00:02:21.049 --> 00:02:22.900 they need to meet with, in many cases. 00:02:23.170 --> 00:02:25.780 But that's not all, what if you could have one platform that not 00:02:25.780 --> 00:02:28.609 just allowed the ease of scheduling like you're used to with Calendly 00:02:28.630 --> 00:02:32.440 today, but it also helps you prepare, engage, and follow up on meetings. 00:02:32.769 --> 00:02:36.100 So we've got some advanced AI solutions coming that allow 00:02:36.100 --> 00:02:38.799 you to address preparation, engagement, and follow-ups as well. 00:02:38.920 --> 00:02:41.560 We all know meeting life cycles, not just about how meetings are 00:02:41.560 --> 00:02:45.399 scheduled, but how to make the meetings successful before, during, and after. 00:02:45.760 --> 00:02:47.380 So lots to share there soon as well. 00:02:47.850 --> 00:02:51.180 Matt Abrahams: That's really exciting, just taking out the struggle 00:02:51.180 --> 00:02:55.380 of scheduling a meeting, but to then add onto it, increasing the 00:02:55.380 --> 00:02:57.120 likelihood of success sounds great. 00:02:57.150 --> 00:02:57.720 Thank you. 00:02:58.170 --> 00:03:00.780 So I'm curious to get the origin story of Calendly. 00:03:00.840 --> 00:03:02.640 What led to the creation of the tool? 00:03:02.985 --> 00:03:06.375 Darren Chait: Yeah, so our founder and CEO, Tope Awotona, who is 00:03:06.375 --> 00:03:09.915 our CEO today, still in 2013, he was working in a sales role. 00:03:10.125 --> 00:03:13.635 And like many of us who are selling either with a title that looks like 00:03:13.635 --> 00:03:17.355 a salesperson or just in our everyday professional lives, we all do a lot 00:03:17.355 --> 00:03:21.045 of selling, he was spending such a large part of his day going backwards 00:03:21.045 --> 00:03:24.105 and forwards, trying to find the right time, trying to get the right people on 00:03:24.105 --> 00:03:26.085 the calendar by navigating schedules. 00:03:26.295 --> 00:03:29.775 And we all know when you're booking a meeting with a prospect, a candidate, 00:03:29.775 --> 00:03:33.060 a partner, an advisor, whoever it is, you don't wanna lose that momentum. 00:03:33.210 --> 00:03:36.420 I don't want to have seven point six emails, which we know on average it 00:03:36.420 --> 00:03:38.070 takes to get a meeting scheduled. 00:03:38.250 --> 00:03:40.890 If they're interested in meeting me, I want to meet them as quick and 00:03:40.890 --> 00:03:42.510 as easy and as painlessly as I can. 00:03:42.810 --> 00:03:45.510 So that frustrated Tope, it was hurting his pipelines as 00:03:45.660 --> 00:03:46.950 working in software sales. 00:03:47.100 --> 00:03:51.200 So he founded Calendly to build a solution, to build that scheduling link 00:03:51.300 --> 00:03:53.010 that would now become a household name. 00:03:53.265 --> 00:03:54.465 So that was 2013. 00:03:54.705 --> 00:03:57.405 And naturally you add in all the layers from there. 00:03:57.465 --> 00:04:00.765 It's really great for you and I to be able to schedule seamlessly, but 00:04:00.765 --> 00:04:05.055 I actually need a more technical resource to join this demo, or I wanna 00:04:05.055 --> 00:04:08.415 share the load around amongst the four or five of us that work in a team. 00:04:08.815 --> 00:04:13.554 Or I want you to be able to book your home services appointment via my website 00:04:13.734 --> 00:04:16.344 and then actually wanna charge you right then and there because that's how I 00:04:16.344 --> 00:04:17.724 make money as a small business owner. 00:04:17.904 --> 00:04:21.295 All of these features and use cases allowed us to become the scheduling 00:04:21.295 --> 00:04:22.914 automation platform that we are today. 00:04:23.335 --> 00:04:26.425 The next piece of the puzzle is very much the meeting itself. 00:04:26.605 --> 00:04:30.655 It's an honor to be a part of so many hundreds of millions of meetings a year, 00:04:30.865 --> 00:04:34.484 but being apart in terms of scheduling is a small piece of the puzzle. 00:04:34.544 --> 00:04:38.414 And we know that our customers are looking to us for more of the lifecycle. 00:04:38.565 --> 00:04:42.495 How do we prepare and engage and follow up on the meetings as well? 00:04:42.614 --> 00:04:44.625 And that's where we're heading as a business. 00:04:44.895 --> 00:04:45.614 Matt Abrahams: Thanks for that. 00:04:45.614 --> 00:04:48.284 And it's certainly a ripe field, right? 00:04:48.284 --> 00:04:49.724 There's a lot that can be done. 00:04:49.784 --> 00:04:53.354 I know your firm has conducted research into meetings. 00:04:53.650 --> 00:04:56.620 What are some of the most interesting and useful results that 00:04:56.620 --> 00:04:58.330 you've found from that research? 00:04:58.420 --> 00:05:00.820 Darren Chait: We've been talking about meetings for more than ten years, 00:05:00.820 --> 00:05:04.780 and it's an area that anyone who, you know, has an interest in productivity 00:05:04.780 --> 00:05:07.960 in the workplace and the way we work together thinks about a lot naturally. 00:05:08.200 --> 00:05:10.570 We've actually just released our state of meetings report for 00:05:10.570 --> 00:05:12.640 2024, and it's a really good read. 00:05:12.640 --> 00:05:16.810 I can, I can pass on a link if you're interested, but what I found fascinating 00:05:16.810 --> 00:05:18.935 was the change in perspective over time. 00:05:19.560 --> 00:05:22.560 So we all talk pretty poorly about meetings and there's lots of 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:24.960 meetings out there about meetings that should have been emails. 00:05:24.960 --> 00:05:29.130 And we all, we don't purport to want less meetings and meetings 00:05:29.130 --> 00:05:31.620 that didn't need to be meetings and all that sort of sentiment. 00:05:32.099 --> 00:05:35.490 But the reality is that meetings are where we make money. 00:05:35.550 --> 00:05:38.390 Meetings are where we align teams, meetings are where we get work done. 00:05:38.580 --> 00:05:43.170 In many roles, especially customer or externally facing roles, without 00:05:43.170 --> 00:05:45.810 meetings, you don't make money, you don't get any work done. 00:05:46.020 --> 00:05:48.900 But the reality is obviously many meetings are not effective. 00:05:48.930 --> 00:05:50.099 Many meetings suck. 00:05:50.340 --> 00:05:51.810 They don't achieve those outcomes. 00:05:52.290 --> 00:05:55.560 And for the first time in all the years I've been thinking about this, 00:05:55.770 --> 00:05:57.330 that was really clear in the data. 00:05:57.510 --> 00:06:00.865 Where respondents, professionals, the thousands of people we spoke 00:06:00.865 --> 00:06:05.185 to, really said quite expressly that more meetings would be helpful. 00:06:05.215 --> 00:06:06.244 They want more meetings. 00:06:06.474 --> 00:06:10.284 Eighty-one percent of respondents in this particular study said that more 00:06:10.284 --> 00:06:14.455 productive meetings or more meetings that were productive, would help with the work, 00:06:14.815 --> 00:06:18.085 and fifty-four percent said more meetings would enhance their productivity at work. 00:06:18.505 --> 00:06:23.205 So on one sense, on one side, we are out there talking about meetings that should 00:06:23.205 --> 00:06:26.295 have been emails, these unproductive days that I spend in meetings. 00:06:26.415 --> 00:06:29.385 But then the overwhelming majority of professionals saying, gimme more. 00:06:29.385 --> 00:06:30.495 I need more meetings. 00:06:30.645 --> 00:06:33.315 And that's a really interesting dichotomy to reconcile. 00:06:33.705 --> 00:06:37.035 Matt Abrahams: I can certainly appreciate the need for effective 00:06:37.035 --> 00:06:40.395 meetings, and that's really where it becomes the challenge. 00:06:40.395 --> 00:06:43.845 And effective could be who's in the room, what we're trying to accomplish. 00:06:44.175 --> 00:06:48.195 So I'm glad that there's data that are helping us hone in and figure 00:06:48.195 --> 00:06:51.280 out what is desired out of meetings. 00:06:51.280 --> 00:06:53.970 Because many of our meetings aren't as effective as they could have 00:06:53.970 --> 00:06:57.250 been and helping people understand what makes for an effective 00:06:57.250 --> 00:06:58.720 meeting, I think is really helpful. 00:06:59.219 --> 00:07:01.409 Darren Chait: I used to say meetings, debate, decision making and 00:07:01.409 --> 00:07:03.450 discussion, and we saw that, right? 00:07:03.590 --> 00:07:06.510 forty-one percent of respondents said the external meetings, they're 00:07:06.510 --> 00:07:09.719 much more productive when they're used for direction and goal setting. 00:07:09.870 --> 00:07:12.750 A similar proportion said when they're used for decision making. 00:07:12.900 --> 00:07:13.919 That's exactly it. 00:07:13.919 --> 00:07:15.330 It's what's the purpose of the meeting? 00:07:15.330 --> 00:07:16.469 Why do I need the meeting? 00:07:16.590 --> 00:07:19.135 If it's for the right reasons we all crave it. 00:07:19.135 --> 00:07:19.945 We want more of them. 00:07:20.094 --> 00:07:24.145 If it's not for the right reasons, if we're just sharing information, if we're 00:07:24.145 --> 00:07:28.195 going in circles without a clear goal or objective, we don't wanna see it. 00:07:28.195 --> 00:07:29.455 That competes with productive work. 00:07:30.225 --> 00:07:30.825 Matt Abrahams: Absolutely. 00:07:30.825 --> 00:07:35.535 So make meetings useful instead of competition for getting work done. 00:07:35.535 --> 00:07:36.375 Thank you for that. 00:07:37.305 --> 00:07:40.725 So Darren, before we end, I'm asking all of the guests of 00:07:40.725 --> 00:07:42.705 this miniseries two questions. 00:07:42.705 --> 00:07:43.605 Are you ready for this? 00:07:43.635 --> 00:07:44.385 Darren Chait: Let's do it. 00:07:44.625 --> 00:07:45.255 Matt Abrahams: Alright. 00:07:45.515 --> 00:07:49.605 I'd be very curious, who is a communicator you admire and why? 00:07:49.900 --> 00:07:52.780 Darren Chait: The storyteller archetype, in my view, are the 00:07:52.780 --> 00:07:54.070 best communicators out there. 00:07:54.100 --> 00:07:56.380 And I was just thinking then about who I would describe. 00:07:56.440 --> 00:07:58.270 I'll tell you a storyteller who I really admire. 00:07:58.390 --> 00:08:03.160 Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb, go and look up the, when they announced trips, 00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:06.640 one of their new features, the way he tells this story for a prolonged period 00:08:06.640 --> 00:08:08.620 of time, had me on the edge of my seat. 00:08:08.860 --> 00:08:12.190 And I think it's such a great example of the importance of 00:08:12.190 --> 00:08:15.820 storytelling in everything you do professionally and personally. 00:08:16.060 --> 00:08:18.909 So big fan of his as a communicator for that reason. 00:08:19.210 --> 00:08:22.000 Matt Abrahams: I think storytelling is a critical skill for getting 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:25.120 lots of information across and talk about a tool for engagement, 00:08:25.120 --> 00:08:26.680 storytelling actually works. 00:08:26.680 --> 00:08:29.230 Something that many people don't think about, germane to what we're 00:08:29.230 --> 00:08:32.830 talking about, is you can bring story into meetings, and in fact, it can 00:08:32.830 --> 00:08:34.419 help make meetings more memorable. 00:08:34.419 --> 00:08:36.189 So thank you for highlighting that. 00:08:36.665 --> 00:08:37.625 Final question. 00:08:37.835 --> 00:08:43.085 Beyond your tool, beyond Calendly, what is one communication hack, tool, or 00:08:43.085 --> 00:08:47.735 shortcut that you use to help yourself be more effective in your communication? 00:08:48.035 --> 00:08:52.025 Darren Chait: So this might sound strange being in the business of meetings, but 00:08:52.115 --> 00:08:56.945 asynchronous communication or asynchronous collaboration is how I'm successful. 00:08:57.215 --> 00:08:59.945 So what I mean by that is I spoke earlier about when you need 00:08:59.945 --> 00:09:00.830 a meeting and when you don't. 00:09:01.455 --> 00:09:04.635 When I don't need a meeting, I still need to collaborate with my peers. 00:09:04.635 --> 00:09:07.815 And we all know that often we feel the temptation to just schedule 00:09:07.815 --> 00:09:09.075 meetings when it's unnecessary. 00:09:09.345 --> 00:09:12.645 So I know you've spoken to the folks at Loom who I'm a big fan of, but as 00:09:12.645 --> 00:09:16.485 a principal in general, being able to share content in an asynchronous 00:09:16.485 --> 00:09:20.584 way, video, audio notes, high bandwidth ways of sharing too, right? 00:09:20.584 --> 00:09:24.574 Rather than just a message or an email, is really how my team is so effective, 00:09:24.635 --> 00:09:28.625 particularly across time zones, remote, different working styles, and so on. 00:09:28.984 --> 00:09:32.405 It's a very strong principle in the way I work and I collaborate 00:09:32.555 --> 00:09:37.625 by using video, audio, and the like to share messages asynchronously. 00:09:38.265 --> 00:09:41.265 Matt Abrahams: I really appreciate that because that is a super useful 00:09:41.265 --> 00:09:47.085 strategy for getting things done and it allows meetings to serve the function 00:09:47.085 --> 00:09:50.925 that meetings should, which is for creative collaboration, the ability 00:09:50.925 --> 00:09:53.835 to iterate and decide and challenge. 00:09:54.225 --> 00:09:57.195 It offloads a lot of the things that we use meetings for. 00:09:57.195 --> 00:10:00.165 One of the most important things I think, that I really wanna highlight that you 00:10:00.165 --> 00:10:03.859 said is these are for the interactions that allow for the meetings to be 00:10:03.859 --> 00:10:05.870 effective, and I really appreciate that. 00:10:06.290 --> 00:10:08.030 Darren, this has been a great conversation. 00:10:08.030 --> 00:10:12.170 You've given us lots of insights into how we not only can schedule and plan 00:10:12.170 --> 00:10:15.109 for our meetings, but some of the things that we should be thinking about and 00:10:15.109 --> 00:10:16.790 doing when we are actually meeting. 00:10:16.790 --> 00:10:19.790 I appreciate your time and I appreciate the advice. 00:10:19.939 --> 00:10:20.719 Darren Chait: Great to chat. 00:10:21.260 --> 00:10:22.490 Thanks very much for having me. 00:10:24.530 --> 00:10:25.939 Matt Abrahams: Thank you for joining us for one of our 00:10:25.939 --> 00:10:29.900 Communication Tools episodes of Think Fast Talk Smart, the podcast. 00:10:30.449 --> 00:10:33.850 Please be sure to listen to all of the episodes in this miniseries. 00:10:34.079 --> 00:10:36.900 We appreciate Prezi's sponsorship of these episodes. 00:10:37.845 --> 00:10:43.125 This episode was produced by Katherine Reed, Ryan Campos, and me, Matt Abrahams. 00:10:43.395 --> 00:10:44.954 Our music is from Floyd Wonder. 00:10:45.015 --> 00:10:47.415 With special thanks to Podium Podcast Company. 00:10:47.835 --> 00:10:51.135 Please find us on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. 00:10:51.375 --> 00:10:53.415 Be sure to subscribe and rate us. 00:10:53.715 --> 00:10:59.244 Follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram, and check out fastersmarter.io 00:10:59.265 --> 00:11:03.525 for deep dive videos, English language learning content, and our newsletter. 00:11:03.959 --> 00:11:07.469 Please consider our premium offering for extended Deep Thinks episodes, 00:11:07.560 --> 00:11:13.080 Ask Matt Anythings, and much more, at fastersmarter.io/premium.