5 Effective Templates for Requesting a Meeting via Email

Ever considered the vital role a meeting request email plays in professional communication? Scheduling a meeting via email is one of the most effective and appropriate ways to book appointments. It also helps you stay organised.

Any idea why 80% of meeting request emails go unanswered?

It’s not because they are inadequately crafted or the recipient does not show a keen interest.

The only answer to the above question is, “All of them sound identical – word for word.”

Are you still emphasising the use of the following lines in your meeting request email? Believe us when we tell you that the recipient will simply ignore your email.

• Can we have a quick 10-minute call?
• I’d like to learn from your experience.
• Let me know what works best for your schedule.

Allow us to tell you the truth: People will not pay attention to your email, irrespective of how crucial it may be for them. As a matter of fact, recipients will swipe your email away just like every other notification, unless it catches their attention.

What if we told you people want to meet with you – if you adopt the right approach via email? No need to ask for meetings!

In this blog, we will delve into what a meeting request email is and how to structure a meeting request so it feels relevant and respectful. We will also share 5 effective meeting request email templates to help you propose and plan meetings.

What is a Meeting Request Email?

The name says everything! 

A meeting request email is a professional email sent to a recipient to politely ask to schedule a meeting, whether in person or virtually.  

Such emails enable you to communicate with your recipients and, at the same time, allow them to respond at their own convenience.

Sending a meeting request email to a recipient isn’t about asking them to give you their valuable time. It is, in fact, about giving an individual a reason to say yes to the meeting.

Meeting request emails should include the following information:

• An email subject line: An email subject line is what makes the recipient open the email, other than increasing open and response rates. Make sure your subject line is captivating and attention-grabbing. This is specifically true when you’re sending cold emails.

• An intro: Did not meet the contact? No worries! You must present yourself professionally, your designation, or the organisation name. Your introduction must be appropriate and to the point.

• The purpose: Focus on making the recipient understand the meeting’s goal and how it will be advantageous for them.

• The meeting time and location: Maintain flexibility in suggesting potential meeting times and locations. Make sure you specify and provide a video conferencing link if the meeting is going to be held over Zoom.

When Can You Send a Meeting Request Email?

A meeting request email can be sent when:

• Proposing your idea to a prospective client
• Following up post-demo
• Connecting with someone you met at an event
• Collaborating with your team on a project
• Discussing something significant with top management 

Advantages of Sending Meeting Request Emails

Meeting request emails are an important form of business communication. Here are a few main 

Benefits.

A meeting request email is undoubtedly an indispensable form of business communication. Listed below are some of the most significant advantages of a meeting request email that you must know:

1. Future Reference

The meeting request email acts as a helpful reminder not only for you but also for the recipient. You can always refer to this email if you seek contact information, time, location, and agenda of the meeting.

2. Convenience of Sharing Meeting Details

This proves particularly useful when conducting online meetings. You can send a calendar meeting invitation email and a link for a virtual meeting. All it takes is a couple of clicks with booking online apps.

3. Confidentiality

An email makes it simpler for you to deliver meeting invitations to your contacts or colleagues. That signifies it is ideal for scheduling meetings requiring a little confidentiality.

4. Zero Miscommunication

One of the biggest benefits of a meeting request email is that it is a viable solution for confirming primary meeting details, such as place or time. Unlike verbal communication, these emails work to your advantage as they help you avoid misunderstandings. As a result, everyone remains on the same page.

Why Most Meeting Request Emails Don’t Perform

Read on to find some of the most common reasons why people ignore meeting request emails in their inboxes.

1. They Lead With Features, Not Value

When your email focuses more on pitching the product than on how it will add value to your recipients.

There’s a higher probability that your email is ignored by the recipient. Why does it happen? When it focuses more on promoting the product rather than emphasising how it will yield benefits for your recipients. 

You must know that recipients are least interested in your product’s features. Rather, they are interested in “Why should they bother?”

People usually find sales pitches utterly annoying, and when your email talks about features, it sounds like you’re trying to sell something.

2. The Way to Ask for a Meeting is Unclear or Self-Serving

If your emails do not clearly state the agenda or the reason for the meeting, they are unlikely to capture attention.

If your user invitation email lacks the meeting agenda or its reason, it’s highly unlikely that it will capture attention.

What does not work is “Let’s have a quick chat” or “Let’s meet.” They’re a strict NO-NO.

It creates the perception that you are only concerned with the number, not with your recipient’s benefit.

3. Replying Feels Like a Task

This seems like a silent killer.

Asking individuals to propose times and endless scheduling does not yield anything fruitful. It unnecessarily causes delays.

People will avoid replying to your email even if it takes a little effort.

Keeping this in mind, you must focus on making your meeting request email easier to respond to.

4. They Don’t Respect the Reader’s Time

“Let’s schedule a meeting.” Is this a major request you’re making?

People who already have an extremely busy schedule are likely to avoid it.

5. The Email Was Not Even Delivered

No matter how well or beautifully you’ve crafted a meeting request email. If it does not reach the recipient’s inbox, it’s bound to go unanswered.

Using a new domain, poor sender reputation, and incorporating spammy language into emails are some of the common reasons why the email can fail.

But you don’t have to worry. They can be resolved. How you structure your meeting request is the way to fix these problems.

6. No Easy Way to Opt Out

Make sure you include an opt-out option in your meeting invitation email. If you don’t, recipients will feel overly pushed.

They will be left with no other option than to move the email to spam or delete the message.

How to Write a Meeting Request Email – 7 Easy Steps

When writing a meeting request email, most people add way too much information, ignore the important details, or overthink it. You don’t need to make it feel complicated.

To make your email feel more natural and harder to ignore, you must follow the useful steps below:

Step 1: Research Your Recipient

Identifying who you’re sending the email to plays a vital role in drafting an email.

Avoid going too deep in research or needing a lengthy profile summary.

What you need is enough context, as it will help you avoid sounding generic. 

Step 2: Write a Clear, Benefit-Driven Subject Line

What’s the first thing a recipient sees in their inbox?

It’s the subject line. 

Ensure your subject line is compelling and attractive enough for the recipient to open the email. Because if it is not, your email will land in the trash folder. 

Hence, you must work on a subject line that not only piques curiosity but also answers the following question:

“What do I gain by opening this email?”

Step 3: Open with a Customised Greeting

Hey, your recipient has opened the email. 

Thanks to the compelling and enticing subject line you wrote. 

What they observe next is the email greeting.

Many professionals usually lack an understanding of the importance of this vital section. Instead, they opt for uninspired greetings, including:

• To whom it may concern
• Dear Sir/Madam
• Hi there
• Greetings

These greetings won’t have a positive impact on the recipient. Instead, they will give the impression that emails were not addressed to them

Step 4: State Your Purpose Clearly

This is where most meeting requests go unnoticed.

Stating your purpose clearly is what you must focus on. If you want a person to give you their consent for a meeting, they must have a strong, clear reason to meet you. You should offer them something that proves beneficial for them.

Step 5: Specify the Meeting Details

Ignoring to mention the purpose of your meeting request email will not get you a response to your email. 

Count on the fact that people are occupied. They won’t even think about responding to your emails unless you’ve specifically stated the reason.

This helps get rid of hesitation by explaining what the meeting will look like.

Step 6: Offer Specific Time Options

Although a small detail, most people still tend to miss it.

They often overlook setting a fixed timeline and asking for their opinion. This is after they have mentioned everything of importance.

Consider offering 2 or 3 specific options with dates and time zones rather than asking when they’re free.

This makes replying straightforward without going in circles.

Step 7: Close with a Soft CTA and Easy Out

A CTA (call to action) always comes at the end, and there’s no way you can go wrong with it.

Make sure you end the email with politeness and avoid being pushy.

Craft a closing line in a way that makes it comfortable for them to decline if the time does not seem right.

If you include a clear CTA, the recipient will know what to do next.

This increases the likelihood they will accept your meeting request.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Meeting Request Emails

Four obstacles adversely affect conversion before you click the send button.

• Vague Subjects: “Meeting request.” Does it not sound like a bot? Instead, stress using conversational subjects such as “Question” or reference a topic: “Your Q2 adherence rollout.”

• Asking for Plenty of Time: “Can I get an hour or two?” It feels endless. Start with 5 minutes instead.

• Fake Urgency: “Last chance” might work to your advantage in consumer marketing. However, B2B buyers are aware of and can see through it. Urgency that sounds authentic converts in real. Fabricated urgency seems annoying.

• Ignoring Mobile: Lengthy paragraphs don’t look appealing on smartphones. Instead, you must keep them to not more than 3 sentences. Don’t forget to test them on mobile devices before sending.

5 Meeting Request Email Templates

Seeking inspiration? At TrueSend, we share 5 effective and courteous meeting request email samples that will help you kick off.

1. Cold Meeting Request Email

This meeting request email template is an ideal solution for cold email outreach. Make the most of it for delivering cold sales meeting invitations to people with zero prior interaction.

Dear [Recipient’s name],

This is [your name]. I am [your job title] at [your organisation name]. We have a great solution to level up your business for [operational headaches].

We’ve helped [previous customer names] to achieve [business analytics] with the same passion.

If you have time [suggested meeting time], we could discuss [your proposed benefit] further.

Regards,

[Your name]

2. Meeting Request Email for a Potential Client

Use this template for setting up meetings with prospects whom you’ve already met (e.g., at an event or conference). Follow the KISS (Keep it short and simple) approach. Make sure you mention the place you’ve interacted previously.

Hi [Prospect’s name],

We met at [event] yesterday.

Seemed like you had a keen interest in some of our [services].

Eager to book a quick meeting this week?

Let me know about your availability.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

3. Team Meeting Request Email

Schedule meetings by using this template with your entire team or several colleagues. However, you must make sure that you include the meeting’s purpose and time as well.

Dear colleagues,

As the new month is approaching, I would like to schedule a brief meeting to discuss [meeting topic]. I request that all team members be present at the meeting, and it will be held at [meeting time].

Awaiting your confirmation.

Regards,

[Your name]

4. Meeting Request Email for a Colleague

This meeting request email template makes it simpler for you to schedule a one-on-one meeting with a colleague. However, you must focus on giving some concise context when mentioning the meeting’s purpose.

Hi [Colleague’s name],

I hope this email finds you well. I’d like to jump on a quick call regarding [meeting topic]. Can you spare a few minutes to connect this week?

I’d appreciate it if you could let me know when you’re free. 

Best,

[Your name]

5. Meeting Request Email for a Product Demo

This template can be used to set up a product demo, which is an important step in the sales process. You can also link to a booking landing page and let clients book a demo in real time.

Make the most of this template when setting up the demo of a product – a crucial step in the sales process. Link it to a booking landing page and enable clients to schedule a live demo instantly.

Dear [Client’s name],

I hope this email finds you well. I’d like to schedule a quick catch-up to discuss the profound impact our services are having on your business goals..

We value and sincerely appreciate your input. This meeting will help us target new areas for expansion with respect to our ongoing collaboration.

I’d appreciate it if you could let me know your availability. I’ll arrange a time that works better for you. 

Looking forward to our insightful discussion.

Best regards,

[Your name]

Wrapping up

Meeting with potential clients is a significant part of the sales process. It creates an agenda, allowing you to go further into their problems and your solutions without vying for their attention. Don’t forget that requesting a meeting is only the first step you take. Moreover, you ought to have an effective plan for what steps to take next once they accept your request. 

FAQs

1. How can using a template benefit me when requesting a meeting?

Templates help you save time and maintain utmost professionalism. Furthermore, they guarantee your meeting invite includes all the details required.

2. What is the ideal length or word count for a meeting invite email?

50 to 125 words are needed to make it worth your invitee’s time and increase the response rate.

3. What are the important details required in every meeting invite email?

Always include your meeting objective, a flexible time or range, and a preferred platform, with a clear call-to-action (CTA).

4. How can I select a meeting template appropriate for my needs?

Select a meeting template to suit your invitee, objective, required level of formality, and so on.

5. What day and time are suitable for emailing a meeting request?

Mid-week mornings, particularly Tuesday and Thursday between 8:00 AM and 10:00 They prove beneficial for you, as they yield high response rates.