If you’re tired of chasing prospects to confirm meeting times, this is for you. Booking demos and intro calls shouldn’t mean endless email tag or fiddling with half-baked calendar apps. If you already use Gmail and want to keep things simple, the Yesware meeting scheduler might be what you need. This guide walks you through setting it up, using it to book more calls, and avoiding the usual headaches.
Who Should Read This
- Sales reps or SDRs looking to book more meetings with less hassle
- Teams already using Gmail and considering Yesware for scheduling
- Anyone who wants a dead-simple way to send booking links without switching tabs all day
If you’re managing a massive inbound funnel or need a heavyweight scheduling tool with every bell and whistle, this isn’t for you. But if you want something that works inside your inbox and doesn’t get in your way, keep reading.
1. Quick Reality Check: What Yesware’s Scheduler Can (and Can’t) Do
Let’s get clear: Yesware is built for sales teams who mostly live in Gmail. Its meeting scheduler is designed to let you:
- Create simple booking links for prospects to pick a time on your calendar
- Embed those links right into your emails
- Avoid endless back-and-forth
- See meetings show up on your (Google) calendar automatically
What it won’t do:
- Handle multiple team members’ availability on the same link (e.g., round robin)
- Offer custom branding or page design
- Integrate natively with Outlook, Apple Calendar, or video tools outside Google Meet
If you need advanced routing, payments, or marketing automation, look elsewhere (Calendly, Chili Piper, etc.). But for one-person booking from Gmail, it nails the basics.
2. Get Set Up in 10 Minutes
Step 1: Install the Yesware Chrome extension
- Go to the Chrome Web Store and search for “Yesware.”
- Click “Add to Chrome” and follow the prompts.
- Sign in with your Google account.
Step 2: Connect your Google Calendar
- Yesware will ask for permission to access your calendar. Say yes—otherwise, it’s useless.
- Pick the calendar you use for work (not your family’s shared one unless you want prospects seeing “Pick up dog from vet”).
- If you have multiple calendars, make sure you’re linking the right one.
Step 3: Open Gmail and find the Yesware sidebar
- You’ll see a Yesware panel inside your Gmail inbox.
- Click the calendar/meeting icon. This is where you’ll manage your meeting links.
Pro tip: If you’re not seeing the Yesware panel, try refreshing Gmail or making sure the extension is enabled.
3. Create Your First Booking Link
Step 1: Click “Create Meeting Link” in the Yesware dashboard
- Give your meeting a clear name: “Product Demo with [Your Name]” beats “Meeting.”
- Set the default duration (15, 30, 60 minutes—whatever you typically offer).
- Choose your availability: You can set your standard hours (e.g., 9am–5pm, weekdays only).
Step 2: Set up buffer times and advance notice
- Buffer times prevent meetings from getting booked back-to-back. (If you want a breather between calls, set at least 15 minutes.)
- Advance notice lets you block last-minute bookings. No one wants a “Can we meet in 10 minutes?” surprise.
Step 3: Add meeting location details
- Yesware lets you set a default location—Google Meet, phone, or in-person.
- Paste your video link or call instructions. If you use Google Meet, it can auto-generate the link.
Step 4: Save your link
- You’ll get a unique URL for this meeting type.
- You can create multiple links for different meeting types (e.g., demo, intro call, customer check-in).
4. Add Booking Links to Your Emails (Without Making It Weird)
Here’s where Yesware shines: you can drop your booking link into any email right from Gmail.
Step 1: Compose an email in Gmail
- You’ll see the Yesware icon at the bottom of your compose window.
- Click it, and select “Insert Meeting Link.”
- Pick which link to insert (e.g., “Demo Call – 30m”).
Step 2: Write like a human, not a robot
Instead of “Here is my scheduling link,” try:
“Happy to chat—here’s my calendar if you want to pick a time that works for you: [link]”
Or, if you want to sound less pushy:
“If it’s easier, feel free to grab a spot on my calendar here: [link]”
What to avoid: - Don’t send the link as the only thing in your email. It feels lazy. - Don’t force people to use it—if they suggest a time, just book it.
Pro tip: If you’re sending lots of cold emails, test putting the link in your first email vs. after they reply. For some audiences, it’s too aggressive upfront.
5. What Happens When Someone Books?
- Yesware sends a calendar invite to both you and your prospect.
- The meeting shows up in your Google Calendar, including any details you set (video link, phone number, etc.).
- You’ll get an email notification, and the prospect gets a confirmation with a way to cancel/reschedule.
No-shows and reminders: - Yesware doesn’t send automatic reminders to prospects (as of now). If you want that, you’ll need to remind people manually or use a separate tool. - There’s no fancy SMS or text reminders—just calendar invites.
6. Pro Tips and Honest Advice
What works:
- Booking links speed up the process, especially for warm prospects.
- Yesware’s scheduler is dead simple—no extra logins, no interface to learn.
- It keeps everything inside Gmail, which means less tab-switching.
What doesn’t:
- If you’re trying to coordinate with teammates (e.g., two people on your side, one on theirs), Yesware can’t handle it. You’ll need to coordinate manually or look at a more advanced scheduler.
- There are no workflows for approvals, group polls, or “find a time for 5 people.” This is one-to-one scheduling, period.
- If your clients refuse to use booking links and prefer old-fashioned back-and-forth, don’t try to force them. Just use Yesware for the ones who like it.
What to ignore:
- You don’t need to customize every detail (e.g., upload a logo, tweak every setting). The default link works fine for 99% of cases.
- Don’t get hung up on advanced integrations you don’t need. Focus on booking calls, not building a Rube Goldberg machine.
7. Tracking Bookings and Measuring What Matters
Yesware lets you see which meetings were booked, and you can track booked meetings per campaign or template.
- Use this to see which email templates actually result in meetings.
- If you’re managing a team, you can see stats for all reps (on certain plans).
A note on metrics: - Don’t obsess over every data point. The real goal is more quality conversations, not just more meetings booked for the sake of it.
8. Troubleshooting and Common Pain Points
Issue: Meeting times look wrong or get double-booked - Check your Google Calendar for conflicts. Yesware only blocks times that are marked “busy.” - Make sure your work calendar is the one Yesware is syncing.
Issue: Booking link not working for prospects - Sometimes email firewalls or weird formatting can break links. Test your link from a personal email. - If someone says it’s not working, just offer to book manually. Don’t turn it into a tech support call.
Issue: Not seeing Yesware in Gmail - Make sure the extension is enabled and you’re signed into the right Google account. - Try disabling other extensions that might interfere (sometimes ad blockers do this).
9. Should You Use Yesware’s Scheduler, or Something Else?
Use Yesware’s scheduler if: - You want a simple, Gmail-centric tool that just works. - You’re mostly booking one-on-one meetings. - You don’t need team routing, payments, or branding.
Consider another tool if: - You want to route meetings to multiple people automatically. - You need reminders, integrations with CRMs, or custom branding. - You’re not using Gmail.
There are fancier options (Calendly, Chili Piper, HubSpot Meetings), but they’re usually overkill for solo reps or small teams.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Don’t overthink this. The point is to book more real conversations, not to spend hours fiddling with settings. Set up your Yesware meeting link, drop it into your emails, and see how prospects respond. If it works for your workflow, great—if not, don’t be afraid to try something else. The best tool is the one you’ll actually use.
Now go book some meetings—without the calendar chaos.