How To Schedule A Meeting On Outlook

Learn all about scheduling a meeting on Outlook and discover the features on Outlook that can guarantee a successful meeting!

It’s not easy to find the perfect time for a meeting. There are so many different people with busy schedules, and you need to make sure that everyone is available at the same time. Luckily, Outlook has an easy way of scheduling meetings! This article will show you how to schedule a meeting on Outlook in less than 2 minutes–no more wasted hours trying to figure out when everyone can meet.

How To Schedule A Meeting On Outlook?

You’re busy and you need a way to stay organized. Don’t worry; we’ve got your back with our step-by guide on how to use outlook’s calendar like an expert!

Let’s begin:

Step # 1: Open Up Outlook’s Calendar

First things first, you need to open up Outlook’s calendar. You can do this by clicking on the arrow beside “Home” in the top left corner of your screen (on PC) or finding it under “Mail” (on Mac). Once that is done, go ahead and click on “New Appointment.” This will bring up a window that looks like this:

Step # 2: Enter Invitees’ Email Address

Now, you’ll need to add all of the people that you want to invite to your meeting. You can do this by clicking on “To:” and then typing in their email address. Outlook will automatically populate a list of potential contacts, but feel free to type in anyone’s email address that you like!

Step # 3: Enter Subject

Once you’ve added the invitees, it’s time to enter the subject of your meeting. To do this, click on “Subject” or type in a title for your meeting here. This will enable your invitees’ to get a glimpse of the agenda that you will be discussing in the meeting.

Press Tab to move to the Subject field.

Step # 4: Enter Location

The next tab that you will move onto is the location tab. In the location tab, you will enter the location of the room of your meeting.

If you need to find a room for your meeting, use the Room Finder feature in Microsoft Outlook. This will automatically locate all available rooms and their capacities based on availability at that time of day!

Step # 5: Set Meeting Time

Now that you have all of the information for your meeting entered into Outlook’s calendar, it is time to set a date and time.

To do this simply click on “Start” or “End” depending on when you want your meeting to begin/end. Then type in the times at which your meeting will start and end.

You can choose any desired start time by clicking at the drop-down menu situated at the side of the ‘Start Time’ option.

In the same way, you can also set the end time of your meeting by clicking at the drop-down menu located at the side of the tab named as ‘End Time’.

Step # 6: Enter Message

If you want to attach anything such as an agenda or a file, you can do so by clicking on the last tab called ‘Message’.

When adding attachments here, make sure that they are compatible with Outlook. You don’t want your meeting invitees getting frustrated trying to open up files and documents!

Step # 7: Recurring Meeting

If the meeting you are scheduling is going to happen on a regular basis, you can save yourself some time by making it a recurring meeting.

To do this, check the box that says “Recurring” and then choose how often you want your meeting to take place. You can choose from daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly! You can do so by selecting the Recurring option from the Options group.

The options in the Appointment Recurrence dialog box will be configurable and you can click OK to finish.

Step # 8: Send Invitation

Now that you have filled in all the necessary information and details, you are all set to send the invitation. All you have to do is click on “Send.” Outlook will automatically send out an invite to all of the people that you invited and they can easily add the meeting to their calendar with just one click!

Step # 9: View Invitees’ Calendar view

You can also view the invitees’ calendars by clicking on “Open Calendar” which will bring up their calendar. You can access this through Scheduling Assistant.

You can choose whether you want to view the entire month, week, or day depending on your needs. You can do so by selecting from the options given in between Today and This Week situated at the top left corner of Outlook’s window.

Step # 10: Initiate The Meeting

When the meeting date arrives, you can initiate the meeting by clicking on “Meeting” which is located in the ribbon. This will bring up a menu where you can start or join the meeting!

How To Set Alarms For Your Outlook Meeting?

One great way to stay on top of your Outlook calendar is by setting alarms for your meetings! This will ensure that you never miss a meeting again. To set an alarm for a meeting, simply double-click on the time slot in which the meeting is scheduled.

A new window will pop up and this is where you can set your alarm. You can choose the sound and even set a specific time at which you want your alarm to go off.

The first option is “On Time” which means that the meeting will only be brought up right before it starts; however if you select “15 Minutes Before”, then Outlook will bring it up fifteen minutes before the scheduled start time.

You can also choose “Custom” which will bring up the Custom dialog box where you can set your alarm to go off at a specific time before or after the meeting starts.

This is an excellent way of making sure that never miss another important meeting again! You are now ready to use Outlook’s calendar tools for scheduling meetings on your own!

Outlook Meeting Calendar Tools

When scheduling a meeting, Outlook provides several tools to make the process as easy as possible. These tools enable you to add multiple features to your meeting to make it more efficient and professional.

In this section, we will go over each of these tools and explain how they can be used to help you schedule your next meeting.

1. Time Zone Tools

One of the most important things to consider when scheduling a meeting is whether everyone involved in the meeting will be available at a certain time.

To make sure that there are no misunderstandings, you should always include the location of where your meeting will take place along with its time! This way, invitees from all over the world can easily see when they need to attend.

Time zone tools in Outlook enable you to schedule your meeting for a single time zone or multiple zones. To do so, simply click on the “Time Zones” option which is located in the Options group of the ribbon when creating an appointment. It will open the Time Zones dialog box which shows all of the time zones available in Outlook. You can double click on anyone to use it right away or you can choose a specific zone by clicking “Add” and selecting from the list that pops up!

Outlook will automatically add all relevant times and dates with their respective time zones!

2. Availability Tools

Another important aspect to consider when scheduling a meeting is whether everyone invited will be available for the entire duration of it. To make sure that you do not waste your time and effort, Outlook offers availability tools that can help you find out if an invitee is free at certain times! This way, you will save yourself from having to send countless reminders and you can be sure that your meeting will not get canceled at the last minute.

To use these tools, simply open a contact in Outlook by clicking on “People” which is located under Contacts in the left navigation pane of Microsoft’s email program. This will bring up the Contact window where all relevant information about an individual is stored. In the Availability section of this window, you will see a list of all the days of the week and their respective times.

To check an invitee’s availability for a specific day, simply click on that day and then select from one of the three options listed: “Free”, “Busy” or “Out Of Office”.

If you want to check an individual’s availability for a range of dates, then use the “Select Date Range” option which is located in the Availability group of the ribbon. This will open the Select Date Range dialog box where you can select two or more dates and see their respective availability status!

Once you have checked an invitee’s availability, you are ready to schedule your meeting!

3. Recurring Meetings

If you have to schedule a large number of meetings, then it would be in your best interest to use Outlook’s recurring event tool! This is an excellent way of saving time and avoiding the hassle that goes into adding all relevant information such as date, location, and attendees each time. All you need to do is add the meeting once and Outlook will do the rest!

To create a recurring event, open your calendar and click on “New” which is located in the Home tab of the ribbon. This will open a new window where you can add all the details about your meeting. In the Category section, select “Recurring Meeting” from the drop-down menu and specify how often you want your meeting to take place.

Once you have scheduled the first occurrence of your meeting, Outlook will automatically add it as a recurring item on all following dates that match with the settings!

This is an excellent way of saving time and avoiding the hassle that goes into adding all relevant information such as date, location, and attendees each time. All you need to do is add the meeting once and Outlook will do the rest!

How To Add Guests To The Meeting?

What’s a meeting without the guests. You need to add in all the people who are relevant to the meeting. For this purpose, you need to know how to add guests to your meeting. Let’s see how you can do that.

After creating a meeting, you can easily add attendees by clicking on “People” which is located under Contacts in the left navigation pane. This will bring up your list of contacts where all relevant information about an individual is stored. Simply click on the “+” icon next to their name and select from various options such as “Invite to Lunch”, “Add As Attendee” or even add them as a planner.

And there you have it! Your guests will be automatically added to your Outlook meeting.

How To Record Your Outlook Meeting?

Sometimes, you may need to record your meeting. This is useful when someone is unable to attend or if they have missed a crucial part of the discussion. Whatever the case may be, it is always helpful, and advised, to keep a recording of your meeting with you so that it can be of help in the future.

To do this in Outlook 2010, open your calendar and click on “Recording” which can be found under the Recording group of ribbon tab.

You will see that an audio recording has been created for the meeting. You can play it back by clicking on “Play” which is located in the Playback group of ribbon tab!

Now, whenever you need to refer to your meetings or check what was discussed during that particular meeting, simply click on “Recording”, and all will be revealed before your very eyes!

How To Send An Outlook Meeting Request?

The final step in the process of scheduling a meeting is to send out the request! This can be easily done by clicking on “Send” which is located in the Meeting ribbon.

A new window will open where you can enter all the necessary information about your meetings such as Subject, Location, and Body. You can also select an invitee from your Outlook contacts or even type in their email address manually.

Once you are done, simply click on “Send” which is located at the bottom! The meeting request will be sent out to all relevant parties involved along with a set of suggestions for date and time based on available availability. Now no one can refuse to attend your meeting!

How To Manage An Outlook Meeting?

Once you have scheduled a meeting, there are certain things that need to be done so as to manage it properly. These include canceling the meeting if necessary or editing its details.

To cancel an event, open your calendar and click on “Recurrence” which is found under the Meeting ribbon. You will see all the details of your meeting here including its status and whether or not it has been canceled. Simply click on “Cancel” to cancel the event!

To edit an event, open your calendar and double-click on the event that you would like to change. This will bring up a window where you can edit all the details about your meeting such as its location, date and time, etc. Here you may also decide to delete it if needed!

How To Mute / Unmute On Outlook?

Sometimes, you may need to mute or unmute your microphone during a meeting. Muting or unmuting the meeting can help you to keep better control of your meeting and it even lets your attendees know who’s in charge.

Muting or unmuting can be easily done in Outlook by clicking on “Mute” which is located in the Recording group of ribbon tab!

Once muted, all sound coming from your microphone will be turned off and no one will be able to hear you. To unmute, simply click on “Mute” again. This will allow you to once again communicate with others through your microphone!

How To Forward An Outlook Meeting?

Once you have your Outlook meeting all set, you can send it to whoever you want to invite. For this purpose, you need to forward your Outlook meeting.

You can easily forward a meeting request by clicking on the arrow button which is located at the bottom right of the window. You may also do this by simply dragging and dropping it into another email. Then just click send to forward your meeting request!

How To Turn Your Camer Off In Outlook?

It is not necessary to have your camera on all the time during the meeting. Sometimes, the situation, or the surroundings, may demand you to turn your camera off during the meeting.

In Outlook 2010, you can easily do this by clicking on “Camera” which is located in the Recording group of ribbon tab! Once you click on it, your camera will turn off, and your meeting members wont be able to see you. You can turn it on at any time by simply clicking on the camera icon again.

How To End Your Outlook Meeting?

After completing a successful meeting, you will need to end your meeting. This will ensure that everyone knows the meeting is finished and they can leave the chat room.

To end an Outlook meeting, click on “End” which is located in the Meeting ribbon tab! You will see a message asking you to confirm whether or not you want to end the meeting. Simply click on “End Meeting” and your meeting will be finished! Your meeting participants will also get the indication that the meeting is over and that they can leave it as well.

How To Save Your Outlook Meeting Recording?

Recording your Outlook meeting is of no use until and unless you save it. Otherwise, you will not be able to share your meeting recording with anyone and all your efforts of recording would go down the drain.

If you want to save your Outlook meeting recording, then you will need to do it before ending the meeting.

To save your Outlook meeting recording, click on “Save” which is located in the Recording group of ribbon tab! You will be asked to provide a name for your file and select a location where you would like to save it. Once you have done that, your meeting recording will be saved!

How To Welcome Your Participants To Your Outlook Meeting?

Whenever you schedule a meeting and whenever you start a meeting, it is necessary to give a warm welcome to your attendees to make them feel that they are investing their time for a worthy cause. Apart from merely saying the words welcome, make sure to put on a cheerful smile to give a friendly impression, and to make your attendees comfortable.

When you schedule a meeting on Outlook, you can easily send out a welcome message to your participants. This will let them know who the host of the meeting is and what the objective of the meeting is.

To send out a welcome message to your participants, click on “Welcome” which is located in the Meeting ribbon tab! You will be asked to provide a title for your meeting and write an introduction message about the topic of the meeting. After you are done, click “Send.” Your participants will receive messages with all this information, which is great!

How To Respond To Chat Messages On Outlook?

Outlook also provides its users with the feature of chat messages. Attendees and the host of the meeting can converse in the chat messages regarding the meeting. Chat messages can be a great way to get feedback from your attendees about the meeting. For this reason, it is necessary for them that they know how to contact the host of the meeting and what medium can be used by them if any problem occurs (in case there are no other participants available).

To respond to a chat message, simply click on “Reply” which is located at the bottom right of the window. Type in your response and hit enter! Your chat message will now be sent to the recipient. In such a situation where someone sends you an instant message, Outlook will display a small notification in the bottom right corner of your screen.

To reply to an instant message, click on the “X” which is located at the right side of the message! You can then type in your reply and hit “Enter.” Your chat message will be sent to the other person! If you want to close the chat window, simply click on “X” which is located in the upper right corner of your screen!

How To Access The Recording Of Your Outlook Meeting?

If you have recorded your Outlook meeting, then you can access it anytime you want! This will help you in case you want to share the recording with someone or if there is some information that was discussed in the meeting and you need to review it again.

To access the recording of your Outlook meeting, click on “Recording” which is located in the Meeting ribbon tab! You will see a list of all your recorded meetings. Simply click on anyone to play it or right-click and choose “Save Recording.” This option enables you to save your meeting recording as an MPX file, which can be played later by opening Outlook again.

How To Change The Duration Of Your Outlook Meeting?

Usually, Outlook meetings are scheduled for an hour. However, you can always change the duration of your meeting if need be!

To do this, click on “Meeting” which is located in the Meeting ribbon tab. You will see a list of all your created meetings at the bottom right corner of your screen under “Scheduled Meetings.” Simply click on the meeting that you want to change and a dialog box will pop up. In this dialog box, you can edit various settings of your meeting such as the start time, end time, or duration!

Wrapping Up

Outlook is a great platform for holding and scheduling meetings in advance. Always try to schedule your Outlook meeting at least a day before the actual date so that you have ample amount of time for preparation. If any problems arise during your meeting, always try to resolve them immediately by chatting with the other participants! In case there is any doubt or question, you can always send out a chat message to one of the participants and ask them about it! This will help in getting quick responses from everyone concerned. Another important thing you need to keep in mind is that to make sure to check your calendar regularly for any other important event!

When conducting a meeting on Outlook, always welcome your participants with a smile. Make them feel that they are investing their time for a worthy cause. Apart from merely saying the words welcome, make sure to put on the agenda the most important issues that you want to discuss. And then, do not forget to send a confirmation email and reminder emails as well!

That’s all for now! Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on how to make the most out of Outlook! Hope this helped!

Get 2x More SalesGet Started