Prospecting Time-Block Template
A calendar-ready weekly grid that protects deep-work prospecting blocks from meeting creep, with a minimum-viable version for already-packed calendars and a script for defending a block when someone tries to book over it.
What's inside
- Full Mon-Fri weekly grid with protected deep-work prospecting blocks marked
- Minimum-viable version (2 blocks/week) for already-full calendars
- Checklist for making the blocks stick (titling, recurrence, Do Not Disturb settings)
- Word-for-word decline script for reclaiming a block someone tries to book over
- Friday 5-minute weekly review questions
The rule
Deep-work prospecting blocks go on the calendar first, before a single meeting is accepted for the week. Once blocked, they are treated exactly like a client meeting — not moved for anything short of genuine emergency.
Weekly Grid (copy into your calendar as recurring events, mark as "Busy" and titled "Prospecting — Do Not Book")
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00-9:00 | Prep/admin | Prep/admin | Prep/admin | Prep/admin | Prep/admin |
| 9:00-11:00 | PROSPECTING BLOCK | PROSPECTING BLOCK | Team meeting | PROSPECTING BLOCK | PROSPECTING BLOCK |
| 11:00-12:00 | Meetings/calls | Meetings/calls | Meetings/calls | Meetings/calls | Meetings/calls |
| 12:00-1:00 | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch |
| 1:00-3:00 | Meetings/demos | PROSPECTING BLOCK | Meetings/demos | Meetings/demos | Pipeline review + planning |
| 3:00-4:30 | Meetings/demos | Meetings/demos | PROSPECTING BLOCK | Meetings/demos | Admin/CRM cleanup |
| 4:30-5:00 | CRM/admin | CRM/admin | CRM/admin | CRM/admin | Week ahead prep |
Minimum viable version: if your calendar is already heavy, protect just the two bolded Tue/Wed blocks (4 hours/week) before anything else — that is the floor, not the target.
Rules for Protecting the Blocks
- Block titled generically enough that it doesn't invite "oh you're free" assumptions, but visible as busy to anyone booking
- Recurring, not re-created weekly (so it survives your own forgetting)
- Default calendar tool setting: "no meetings" during these windows, not just "prefer no meetings"
- Phone on Do Not Disturb / Slack status set during the block
The Decline Script (use when someone tries to book into a protected block)
"That block is committed to client/prospect work — I've got [morning/afternoon] open at [time] and [time], would either of those work?"
Weekly Review (5 minutes, Friday)
- Protected blocks scheduled this week: ___ / target ___
- Protected blocks actually held (not moved): ___ / ___
- If blocks got moved, what moved them? _______________
- Pipeline created from blocked time this week: _______________
How to use it
Copy the grid into your calendar as recurring events before accepting a single new meeting for the week, and use the decline script verbatim the first few times someone tries to book into a protected block.