If you’ve ever tried to schedule a sales demo with people from different companies, departments, or even time zones, you know it can get ugly fast. Endless email threads, “Does Tuesday work?” messages, and someone always misses the invite. This guide is for sales pros, account managers, or anyone who needs to get a bunch of busy people into one demo call—without losing your mind.
The good news: you don’t need a fancy scheduling platform or a calendar assistant. You just need Doodle and a bit of common sense. Here’s how to get it done, step by step, plus what actually works (and what’s a waste of time).
Step 1: Get Clear on Who Really Needs to Be There
Before you even open Doodle, make sure you know who actually needs to be on the demo. This saves headaches later.
- Make a list of decision-makers and stakeholders. If someone’s a “nice-to-have,” leave them off for now.
- Double-check with your point of contact: “Is there anyone else who should join?”
- Be realistic—if your group has more than 6 people, start thinking about splitting the demo or running separate sessions. Herding cats only works in cartoons.
Pro tip: If you’re not sure who’s essential, ask: “If X can’t make it, should we reschedule?” If the answer is “yes,” invite them.
Step 2: Set Up Your Doodle Poll
Now the fun part: making the poll. Here’s what actually matters:
- Go to Doodle and sign up (if you haven’t already). The basic version is free and works for most situations.
- Click “Create a Doodle” and choose “Group Poll.” This lets everyone vote on the times that work for them.
- Title your poll clearly (e.g., “Acme Corp/WidgetCo Sales Demo”).
- Add a short description. Include the agenda, expected duration, and what you need from attendees.
- Set the meeting duration. Be honest—don’t say “30 min” if you know it always takes 45.
- Choose possible dates/times.
- Offer at least 4-5 options, spread over a few days.
- Avoid early mornings, late afternoons, and—please—Fridays at 4:30pm.
- If you’re dealing with multiple time zones, use Doodle’s timezone feature. Otherwise, someone will show up an hour late. Or not at all.
- Decide on poll settings:
- Limit participants to one vote per option (helps avoid “I’ll vote for everything” chaos).
- Allow participants to choose multiple options (so you can spot overlaps).
- Hide results until poll closes if you want to avoid groupthink (not essential, but sometimes helpful).
Step 3: Invite Stakeholders the Smart Way
Don’t just paste a big list of emails into Doodle and hope for the best. Here’s what works:
- Send a short, direct email with the Doodle link. Explain why you’re using Doodle: “To save us all a dozen back-and-forth emails…”
- Keep your ask simple: “Please pick all the times that work for you by Thursday.”
- If you’re dealing with execs or “email allergic” folks, ping their assistant or drop the link in Slack/Teams as well.
- BCC everyone if you’re sending a group email—people appreciate not having their inbox blown up with replies.
Copy-paste email template:
Hi all,
To make scheduling easier, I’ve set up a quick Doodle poll for our sales demo.
Please pick all the times that work for you by Thursday: [Doodle Link]
Let me know if you have questions—thanks!
Step 4: Nudge (But Don’t Nag) for Responses
People are busy. Some will forget. Here’s how to avoid chasing everyone for a week straight:
- Send a gentle reminder one day before the deadline:
“Quick nudge—if you haven’t voted yet, could you take a second to fill in the Doodle poll? Thanks!” - Skip multiple reminders. If someone’s non-responsive after two pings, ask your main contact to chase internally. You’re a sales pro, not a babysitter.
- Track who’s voted. Doodle shows you as responses come in. If you see key people missing, reach out directly.
Step 5: Pick the Best Time and Book It
Once everyone’s responded (or your deadline hits), it’s time to close the poll and lock in your meeting.
- Pick the slot with the most overlap. If there’s no perfect slot, go with the one that works for the key decision-makers.
- Close the poll in Doodle. This sends a confirmation to everyone who voted, which cuts down on “Wait, what time is it?” replies.
- Send out a calendar invite immediately. Don’t trust people to add it themselves.
- Include the video link (Zoom, Teams, etc.), agenda, and any prep materials.
- Double-check time zones—again. Doodle does its best, but your calendar invite is the final say.
- For no-shows: If someone important can’t make it, decide: reschedule, record the session, or plan a quick follow-up.
Step 6: What to Ignore (and What to Watch Out For)
Doodle’s great, but it’s not magic. Here’s what you can skip—and what to keep an eye on:
- Ignore “Doodle Premium” unless you’re running dozens of polls. The free version is fine for most sales teams.
- Don’t overcomplicate with too many options. More than 6-7 time slots and people get overwhelmed.
- Skip the “auto-reminder” feature. It’s easy to miss and often ends up in spam.
- Watch out for weird time zone mix-ups. If one person is in London and everyone else is in New York, clarify which time zone you’re using.
- Don’t rely on Doodle alone for execs. If the CEO is invited, triple-confirm their assistant has the invite.
Pro Tips for Smoother Demos
- Batch your polls: If you’re running demos for several clients each week, block out demo “windows” on your calendar and only offer those times.
- Keep polls open for 48 hours max. The longer it’s open, the more likely people forget about it.
- Always send a follow-up: After the demo is booked, confirm the agenda and ask if anything changed.
- If someone missed the poll: Just add them to the calendar invite once you’ve picked a time. No need to redo the poll.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple
Coordinating sales demos shouldn’t turn into a second job. Doodle works because it’s simple—don’t try to make it fancy. Get clear on who matters, offer a handful of good times, and nudge people just enough. When in doubt, err on the side of fewer emails and more clarity.
Try it once, tweak your process, and keep it moving. Scheduling isn’t the hard part of sales—so don’t let it slow you down.