Personally write a hand-written note to your upcoming appointments letting them know you are looking forward to seeing them. You can also let them know that although you are not charging for the initial consultation, your time is valuable and you would appreciate knowing at least one day in advance if they cannot attend a meeting.
Benjamin,
What a great question! I can identify with your appointment-keeping struggles from early on in my career. A few thoughts that may help:
Now that you have survived three years in the business, it says a lot about you as a producer. You are here to stay. I have to say, five appointments per day is a very lofty goal. If it is a pace you can maintain, then more power to you. I would have to question how you are able to prepare for your appointments. The late Arthur Ashe said “One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.”
I encourage you to focus more on having quality appointments than quantity. You may now be at the point in your career where you can stop and reflect on the type of clients you want to do business with and how you want to spend your time. You can now afford to be a bit more selective and not have to chase every possible sale. Your time and expertise are your most valuable assets, and I would encourage you to be selective in how you choose to spend both.
Perhaps you can have your team “pre-screen” some of the appointments to make sure they meet your “Ideal Client Profile” (or whatever you want to call it). I am part of Dan Sullivan’s Strategic Coach Program, where he emphasizes the Entrepreneurial Time system of having Focus Days™ (your appointment and income earning days), Buffer Days™ (days spent preparing for appointments and honing your skills) and Free Days™ (days spent not working, doing things you enjoy). Scheduling a “Buffer Day” might allow you to: