Most of you probably know Doodle like this: You create a survey with different dates, send the link to all participants and select the best date last.
But Doodle can do much more than that. In this blog post, I'll explain how you can use a few tricks to help you plan meetings.
Create Doodle account
A Doodle account is required to use the extended and very helpful functions. You can create an account by using your existing Facebook, Google or Microsoft account. The advantages of linking Google and Microsoft accounts are explained in the next section.
Integrate calendars and contacts
You have all your contacts and appointments stored in a Google or Microsoft account (Office 365)? Then the Google or Microsoft login is definitely recommended. When you're planning meetings, you get direct access to your calendar so you can choose the options that's right for you. By sending the survey directly from the Doodle website, you can easily select from your linked contacts and avoid the hassle of searching for email addresses.
If you already have a Doodle account and want to link the calendar and your contacts afterwards, you can do so in Account Settings.
The integration of your calendar brings another advantage. You probably know it: A Doodle survey for an employee event lands in your inbox, you fill out the Doodle with a short check of your calendar and look at the mail as done. After a few weeks you will receive another mail with the final date. Now the problem: In the meantime you have already planned a skiing day with friends. If only you had linked your calendar to Doodle earlier! Because this would have prevented the appointment collision.
The integration offers the following advantages:
When you fill out the Doodle, you will see all the appointments in your calendar. Doodle even suggests which appointments suit you and which don't.
Once the survey is complete, Doodle temporarily saves all selected appointments in your calendar. This prevents you from planning anything else for one of these appointments.
Once the survey is completed by the organizer and the best option is defined, Doodle saves the appointment to your calendar.
With the premium version of Doodle, you can announce the date of a meeting by inviting people to your calendar. The appointment is then added directly to the calendars of all participants and nobody will forget the meeting.
After you have selected the options for the Doodle survey as the organizer, you can make other great settings.
Yes, No, If necessary
Participants may indicate as an additional option that an option is not optimal for them.
Limit the number of participants per option
Whoever gets there first has a free choice. As soon as the specified number of participants has been reached, the corresponding option is no longer available.
Participants can only choose one option
Each participant can only select one option. However, one option can be selected by several participants.
Hidden Survey
The names and votes of the participants are confidential. Only you as organizer can see the results.
With a paid profile you also have these great settings:
Set deadline
Indicate the deadline for voting to participants.
Ask for contact details
Invitees will be asked to provide email address, phone number or address.
Remove advertising
The Doodle survey can be sent in a professional design without distraction.
Activities of all invitees
Find out who else is missing and who received and opened the invitation.
Doodle can be used to create a MeetMe page. It's linked to your calendar and shows your family, colleagues and partners when you're best available. An appointment request can then be sent to you directly from this page.
With Doodle 1:1, which is unfortunately only available in the paid version, you can make appointments with one person with 2 clicks. You select some options that suit you, send them to your meeting partner, who confirms the best date for him. You will then be informed and the meeting will automatically be entered in both calendars.
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