How to effortlessly schedule coaching sessions with clients

You’ve got clients. You’ve got solid coaching skills. But scheduling? That part can be surprisingly frustrating. Whether you’re meeting one person or running a group session, planning, inviting, collecting payment, and confirming logistics can take up hours. But it doesn’t have to.

With the right setup and a few smart habits, you can make scheduling one of the easiest parts of your coaching workflow. Here’s how to do it.

Start with a Booking Page for 1:1 sessions

If you’re working with individual clients, a Booking Page is your best friend. It lets them choose a time that works for both of you—no email back-and-forth, no misunderstandings.

Here’s what to include on the page:

• The session title (e.g. “Career Coaching – 60 min”)

• Your availability for the week

• Questions to gather important info, like:

  • “What do you want to focus on?”

  • “Is this your first time working with a coach?”

• Any location or video link for the session

Before sharing the link, preview the invite. That way, you can catch any missing info and see it exactly as your client will.

Use a Sign-up Sheet for group sessions

Running a group workshop or in-person event? Switch to a Sign-up Sheet. It helps you organize your attendees and set limits if space is tight.

Here’s an example setup:

You can even decide how people pay—either upfront via Stripe or manually at the event.

Add clarity to every invite

No matter the format, your invite should answer the questions your client didn’t even know they had. Try to include:

• The session goal or focus

• What to bring or prepare

• How the session will run (e.g. “We’ll cover X, then Y, then Q&A”)

• Where and how to join

• Payment method

This takes just a few extra minutes, but makes a big difference in professionalism and trust.

Choose how and when clients pay

Doodle lets you collect payments automatically through Stripe, but you can handle payments manually if that works better for your setup.

Be clear up front—so you’re not chasing payments after the fact.

Consider adjusting your calendar

Sometimes, your calendar looks full—but not with coaching. Maybe there are flexible “free time” blocks or personal tasks you could shift to open more slots.

Ask yourself:

• Can I move non-essential tasks?

• Am I keeping too many private slots blocked out?

• Would offering one or two extra sessions help my flow this week?

But it can also go the other way. Maybe your calendar is too packed with sessions, and your personal time is getting squeezed out. That’s not sustainable. Protect time for recovery, mental health, family activities, and whatever keeps you grounded. You can even block out those hours on your calendar so you don’t accidentally give them away. Just because a slot is available doesn’t mean you have to fill it.

Set your boundaries

Clients appreciate clear rules around cancellations and rescheduling. Here’s what you might include in your invite:

• “Cancellations within 24 hours may still be charged.”

• “If you’re late by more than 15 minutes, the session may be shortened.”

• “Please arrive prepared with your notes or journal.”

It’s not about being strict. It’s about setting expectations so everyone’s on the same page.

See it through your client’s eyes

Before sending any invite, preview it. Look at:

• Are the instructions clear?

• Does it look polished and welcoming?

• Have you personalized the experience where possible?

That extra 30 seconds helps make your sessions feel intentional.

Let Doodle take the stress out of scheduling

Whether you’re running one-on-one sessions, group workshops, or something in between, Doodle gives you the tools to make scheduling effortless. Share your Booking Page, collect payments with Stripe, manage sign-ups with seat limits, and keep it all in one place. So you can focus less on logistics and more on coaching.