webinars

What day is that?

Save the date! says the email.

Do you have an internal calendar that lets you automatically identify the day that matches a date? I certainly don’t.

Unless there’s something outstanding about a particular date – leaving for vacation, tickets for a ballgame – I really need to know the day that matches an invitation date. So when an invitation to a webinar catches my attention, it’s always helpful to know that, for example, the 21st is a Tuesday or whatever.

Why Announce Just the Date? We Need to Know the Day, Too!

Most of us have received “Save the Date” reminders for weddings. That’s ok – most weddings are held on weekends.

But what about other notices to “save the date” for weekday events? It would be nice to know upfront what day of the week matches the date.

I received an email from the “wealth management” firm that’s lucky enough to manage my vast, Bezos-sized investments (/s) that they’re having a mid-year review to discuss what to expect from inflation. It gave the date and time, including the time zone for those outside Eastern time.

But the day of the week? I don’t know offhand when that is. I was ready to sign up when I realized I have no idea what day of the week the 21st falls on. I guess it’s not a big deal to check – after all, I have my iPhone and Google calendars to consult. Still it would be nice to mention the damned day, wouldn’t it?

The Gig Economy Means More People Are Tightly Scheduled

I’m part of the gig economy, which means I have time commitments throughout the week. And as it happens, this event falls during one of those commitments.

That doesn’t mean I’m not interested to learn more about inflation and what to expect. I was pleased to know I already follow what Charisse Jones suggested on TV this morning  (clip paper and download online coupons- check; sales happen about every six days; buying food in bulk can lead to waste – check).

And what did I do with the email? I deleted it, which was stupid because I would be interested in watching a video of the webinar later, or at least any slides. That particular email account doesn’t save deleted emails (I really should check out if it’s the settings) so unless I’m contacted again, I’ll have to remember to search for this webinar.

Put Days, Dates, and Times on Invitations

If you’re doing webinars, my hat’s off to you. I think they’re great and certainly more people used them during the pandemic. Personally, I hope they continue with them.

Some companies require employees to script emails, especially invitations, in a certain manner to convey the important stuff:

• Subject (what the meeting is about)
• Body
  • Topic (again)
  • Date and day
  • Time including timezone if needed

This worked well. Why not extend the same information to the outside world, too? If it’s important and timely enough to invite people, give us what we need to know all at once.