March 15, 2024
A major chunk of our business communications is driven through emails. According to Forbes, an email will continue to hold a rooted place for formal communication even in the far future. Since everything is turning into online biz, marketers are also getting more focused on email marketing. It is estimated that around 306.4 billion emails were sent out and received every day in 2020 and the numbers have been on the rise since then.
Be it addressed to your potential customer, your internal team, or your clients; be it for meeting follow-ups, proposal reviews, or a simple sync meeting with the team; the context and clarity of the email body decide how impactfully it works for you.
Formulation of a structured email requires skill, creativity, information, and the right bit of empathy. You wouldn't want the reader to drift apart without even reaching the end of the email. More so, when you are in their inbox to invite them for a meeting. The first step to having a successful meeting with your clients or perhaps anybody is to write a perfect meeting invitation email.
Along with the email content that gives the context about the meeting, a few other particulars such as the date, time, platform, participants, etc make a meeting email more relevant than any regular email rendering the following benefits:
Here, we will explain the checkpoints you need while scheduling a meeting through email.
Precision is the most important criterion. The subject line must be interesting to catch the reader's interest. So, try to make it engaging. Input words that would convince the recipients to open the mail and read the mail body.
You can add words such as - meeting, schedule, or a recipient's name to make the email easy to search. Also, this would assure them that it’s not some spam mail, rather something relevant and worth their time and attention.
If the mail is about any business meeting, then you must keep in mind that there is always a specific format for business invites. You must not include "Dear Mr./Ms." or simply the recipient's last name.
You must address the email with the full name of the recipients and confirm whether they are male or female. This stands for your effort and interest in hosting the meeting and the recipient's importance in making the meeting worthwhile. If your mail is directed to multiple people, then you must use group titles, such as "Dear Administrative head" or "Dear Creative team".
After you are done with the subject and salutation, it is time to introduce yourself. If the mail is directed to someone who is not expecting the mail or hasn't met you personally, you must put a relative attribute about you and your designation. This ensures that the mail is authentic and also puts a pin on the relevance of the email.
You can start with -
My name is (----------), and I am working as (your designation and company name). This would help the recipient verify the facts and consider the mail seriously.
Do not drag too long. You need to be quick while explaining why the meeting is being scheduled to further establish the relevance of the email. Inform the reader of how the meeting will be conducted - over the phone or an online platform or through an in-person meet. This would help the recipients understand the complete purpose of the meeting and encourage them to revert to it.
You need to be specific about the mail content and keep it short. Nobody likes to keep reading through a page. You should always draft the mail keeping in mind that everyone is busy and they have less than 5 minutes to spare. Try to keep the read time to 30seconds to 1minute.
You can include - "I would like to discuss (.....)" or- "We need to meet because (.......)"
Allow the recipient to choose the time and place or keep it as flexible as possible. You can also offer a choice regarding the location and time for the recipient to pick.
Alternatively, you can drop in the link to your Appointo calendar to allow them to select the most convenient time from your calendar while also maintaining your working hours.
This would enhance the prominence of their presence and participation and will also make them feel that they are the ones with all the deciding power. You can also add, "If these times do not work for you, then please let me know about your availability."
Always ensure your emails are open-ended when inviting someone to a meeting. Mails that end asking for an answer often encourage readers to revert back sooner.
Also, Getting confirmation on who is going to attend the meeting, at what time, what place helps you or the host in charge to arrange the content and strategize the agenda that needs to be discussed. This will also help to make the right reservations, arrange food, and book the meeting place.
You can state - "Please revert at (contact number) to finalize the meeting" or "Please RSVP by (at tentative date) to help us schedule the next process”. Booking a slot in your appointo calendar could also be deemed as a consent to be a part of the meeting.
After you get the confirmation from the recipient, do not forget to set a reminder. Try to place at least two reminders and pace them at an interval so that it doesn't appear to be disturbing. You must also set a reminder for yourself if you are in charge. Using apps like Appointo, you can reduce no shows as the application auto reminds the participants through emails and notifications.
However, if you are scheduling the meeting for someone else, you must send a reminder for both parties. If you don't get any reply, make sure to check with the recipient whether they have received the mail or not or would like to reschedule.
You need to check the basic structure and style of the email. If it is a formal meeting directed to shareholders, service bearers, or customers, it has a distinct format. However, informal email is generally meant for a one-on-one meeting, and it is friendlier. It could be wise to look for a reference template that suits your purpose.
