Every knowledge worker can surely relate to the sheer number of meeting invites and emails finding their way to the over-flooding inbox every single day of the workweek.
With the overload of emails, there's a good chance some of them go unnoticed – or even if we notice them, we don't react.
Now, suppose you are a salesperson or business development representative. In that case, this poses a challenge for you.
How to book that meeting with a potential client – and if you manage to do it, how to make the most out of it? The answer is a pre-meeting email and MailMaestro's pre-meeting email template comes in handy.
What is a pre-meeting email?
A pre-meeting email is an email sent before the meeting to confirm it, set its agenda, and prove any necessary pre-reading materials.
Essentially it aims to make sure that the meeting will take place and is efficient and effective by helping the participants to prepare for it.
Why is sending a pre-meeting email important?
To put it simply, pre-meeting emails help you stand out from the competition: The other people trying to book a meeting with the person, countless other emails keeping them from achieving the inbox zero, and up to dozen other meetings that require their attention that day.
By sending a pre-meeting email, you respect the recipients' time and value them as clients, business partners, or co-workers.
How do you write a pre-meeting email?
"What should I write before a meeting?" you may ask.
At the bare minimum, your pre-meeting email should consist of a friendly reminder about the topic of the meeting and confirm the location, date, and time it takes place. Nowadays, when most of the sessions take place online, it's customary to mention the video conferencing platform used for the meeting and provide the link that allows participants to join the call.
You should also set the agenda to ensure that the participants are aligned on the purpose of the meeting. Remember to also provide any pre-reading material necessary for the participants to get to the same page by the meeting time. This ensures you don't waste anyone's valuable time at the meeting.
When to send the pre-meeting email?
To make the meeting productive and allow the participants enough time to prepare for it, it's a good idea to send the pre-meeting email 1-2 days beforehand.
You don't have to worry about reminding the participants just before the meeting – we all live according to our calendars anyway.
7 Pre-meeting Templates - Ready To Use
Pre-meeting email templates are of utmost importance to managers and team leaders who are looking to maximize productivity in their meetings. While you can use AI at work, sometimes the quality of these ChatGPT-generated emails just aren’t good enough.
But through these templates, you can write a more structured approach to preparing for meetings, be it a standard managers meeting, a top-to-top meeting, or a quick pre-brief meeting. They help in setting the agenda, defining expectations, and aligning all team members towards the same objectives.
These templates are a solution to the common pain-points of meetings being unproductive and time-consuming. They turn meetings from a time-wasting activity into a time-investing one. For instance, the ‘Agenda Setter’ template guides on how to make an agenda for a meeting, ensuring clarity on discussion points and participant roles. The ‘Reminder’ template serves as a quick nudge to team members about the upcoming meeting and their responsibilities. The ‘Pre-Brief’ template is ideal for those pre-meeting situations, giving a concise rundown of the meeting topic and preparation points.
These templates are compatible with various email clients, ensuring that your emails render correctly across different platforms. Although you can use an AI email assistant to write these emails for you, nothing beats a more personalized approach when it comes to prepping your team for the meeting.
With these templates, you can easily customize and prepare for your meetings in a systematic way, ensuring a productive meeting agenda every time. They are customizable to fit your team’s needs and can be your roadmap to mastering the art of the pre-meeting.
Remember, preparing for meetings is not just about having a checklist. It’s about understanding the pre-meeting meaning and embracing the concept of a meeting before the meeting. So, gear up and start preparing for your meetings like a pro with our pre-meeting email templates.
Template 1: The Agenda Setter
This template is your go-to for how to make an agenda for a meeting. It clearly outlines what will be discussed, who will be presenting, and what’s expected from each participant.
Email Template
Subject: Agenda for Upcoming Meeting
Dear Team,
Our meeting is scheduled for [Date & Time]. Here's our agenda:
1. [Agenda Point 1]
2. [Agenda Point 2]
3. [Agenda Point 3]
Please come prepared with your inputs. Looking forward to a productive session.
Best,
[Your Name]
Template 2: The Reminder
This template is a brief, friendly nudge to your team members, reminding them of the upcoming meeting and their responsibilities.
Reminder templates can also be seamlessly integrated into email marketing campaigns to enhance communication and ensure brand consistency.
Email Template
Subject: Reminder for Tomorrow's Meeting
Hey Team,
Just a quick reminder about our meeting tomorrow at [Time]. If you haven't already, please review the agenda from the meeting notes and prepare your inputs.
See you all tomorrow,
[Your Name]
Template 3: The Pre-Brief
This template is designed for those pre-meeting situations. It offers a concise rundown of what to expect in the upcoming meeting and how to prepare for it.
Additionally, ensuring that your email message is clear and concise is crucial for effective communication.
Email Template
Subject: Pre-Brief: What to Expect in Our Next Meeting
Hi Team,
I wanted to give you some context before our meeting on [Date]. We'll be discussing [Topic], and your insights on [Specific Points] would be invaluable.
Best,
[Your Name]
Template 4: The Follow-Up
This template helps you follow up after the meeting, summarizing what was discussed and outlining next steps.
Follow-up emails can also be seamlessly integrated into an email marketing platform, allowing for advanced customization and efficient management.
Email Template
Subject: Follow-Up on Our Recent Meeting
Hello Team,
Thank you for your active participation in our meeting held on [Date]. We discussed [Topics], and our next steps are:
[List the next steps in bullet points]
Best,
[Your Name]
Template 5: The Rescheduler
This template is used to communicate any changes in the meeting schedule, ensuring everyone is aware and can adjust their plans accordingly.
It is important to ensure the email is compatible with various email clients.
Email Template
Subject: Change of Meeting Schedule
Hi Team,
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have to reschedule our meeting from [Old Date & Time] to [New Date & Time]. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Best,
[Your Name]
Template 6: The Cancellation
This template allows you to professionally inform your team about a meeting cancellation and reason behind it.
It is crucial to ensure the email does not end up in the spam folder.
Email Template
Subject: Cancellation of Our Meeting
Dear Team,
I regret to inform you that our meeting scheduled for [Date & Time] has been
cancelled due to [Reason]. We will reschedule as soon as we can.
Best,
[Your Name]
Template 7: The Feedback Request
This template helps you solicit feedback from team members on how the meeting went and what can be improved.
Using professional email templates can make your feedback requests look polished and professional, ensuring higher response rates and more constructive feedback.
Email Template
Subject: Your Feedback on Our Recent Meeting
Hello Team,
I'd like to hear your thoughts on our recent meeting on [Topic].
Please share your feedback and suggestions for improvement, if any.
Best,
[Your Name]
Pre-meeting email template by MailMaestro
MailMaestro is an AI writing tool that turns your instructions into ready-to-send emails.
Our AI email templates allow you to focus on the message instead of the delivery by adapting to the situation and creating unique emails considering the recipient and your previous correspondence.
Forget copy and pasting, canned responses, and typing out emails as you know it – with MailMaestro, you will create personalized pre-meeting emails faster than ever before.
Check out the example below to see our pre-meeting email template in action to fully understand how much time you can save with each email you send.
To summarise, pre-meeting emails ensure that your upcoming meeting is successful by gently reminding the participants of all the necessary details and helping them prepare for it.
Pre-meeting emails to clients are an effective way for a salesperson or business development representative to exceed the expectations of potential customers and close more leads.
Still, the same principles apply to business communications across the board. For example, you can use these tips for any external or internal pre-meeting email.