In the U.S., close to $37 billion is lost yearly due to unproductive meetings. That is a lot of money!
There are many reasons why meetings end up being useless time wasters, but there’s no doubt that sometimes sending a meeting invitation email can turn meetings into constructive encounters.
When worded correctly, a meeting invitation email will let everyone know precisely what they need to know about the upcoming meeting, including when, where, and what the meeting’s purpose is, as well as what they need to prepare beforehand.
In this article, you will learn the benefits of sending a meeting invite email, but more importantly, how to structure it in such a way that you don’t waste anyone’s time.
Benefits of Meeting Invitation Emails
When you’re not in a meeting, you’re busy organising the next one. That’s the nature of the game when you run a business. To streamline the whole process, having a few meeting invite templates is an absolute must. Email is the main form of communication between employees of the same business, but also between companies.
Let’s look at the other benefits associated with sending an invitation email for meetings.
It Helps You Keep Up with Confirmations
There’s more to a meeting than just sitting around a table and having a chat. Boardrooms have to get booked, the necessary equipment needs to be organised, and drinks and snacks should be planned if the meeting will run for a long time.
The final number of attendees comes in very handy to finalise the finer details of organising a meeting. When you send meeting invitation emails, you will get an RSVP, which you can then use toward your planning. Furthermore, keeping track of those who confirmed attendance will make it easier for you to send out meeting reminder emails later on.
Makes it Possible for Everyone to Prepare
Meeting invite emails contain a lot of useful information, including the topic of the meeting and in some instances, specific problems attendees need to find solutions for.
This gives everyone enough time to think of responses that will bring value to the meeting and won’t waste anyone’s time.
They’re Great Reminders
A meeting invitation email is not only an invitation—when and how often you send it makes it a valuable tool in other aspects as well. For example, when sent regularly with updated information, you’re jogging attendees’ memories of not only the upcoming meeting but also what they need to do to come prepared.
In the event of last-minute changes, a meeting invite email gives all the opportunity to come up with alternate plans that work across the board.
Structure of a Meeting Invitation Email
A meeting invitation email should contain specific information for it to be useful and not just end up clogging inboxes.
Let’s break down everything you should and shouldn’t do when you’re compiling a meeting invitation email.
1. Use the Subject Line
Considering the number of emails employees receive in a day, it makes sense that they’ll judge whether an email is worth opening by the subject line. This makes the subject line one of the most important factors of a successful meeting invite email. Concise, clear, and to the point is what you should aim for.
Top tips:
- Create a sense of urgency or importance to increase the open rate.
- Don’t use more than seven words in the subject line.
- Who the mail is from affects how quickly it will be opened and responded to.
2. Include a Brief Introduction
You may think that people you work with already know the reason for the meeting, but that is not always the case. That is why you shouldn’t take adding a brief introduction to your meeting invitation email for granted.
This is even more true if you’re scheduling a meeting with someone outside your company. They will want to know who you are, what position you hold at the company, and why you want to meet with them.
A short introduction looks something like this: “Good day, I am [name and surname] and I work as [position] at [business name]. I would like to meet with you to discuss [reason].”
3. Elaborate on Reason for the Meeting
Although you briefly mentioned why you want to meet with someone in the introduction, sometimes it may be a good idea to describe the purpose of the meeting in more detail.
This section is vital if you want everyone to understand what the meeting is about and how they can prepare for it. You don’t have to get too particular, but give just enough information that people won’t walk into the meeting unsure of what they’re doing there.
4. Remember the When and Where
You already covered the ‘what’ in the previous section, but adding a time and place to your meeting invitation email is vital. It’s very tricky to find a time that suits everyone, so you have to be somewhat flexible and offer a few different options.
As soon as you find a workable date and time, it’s your responsibility to confirm the meeting time and location. Include the exact time of the meeting—if it is a virtual meeting with attendees across the world, remember to specify the time zone. It’s also important to let attendees know how long the meeting may run as many people have back-to-back meetings to juggle.
Have a look at Webba Booking to help manage your meetings. It integrates with Google Calendar, which means your meetings and how long they will run for will automatically be blocked into this nifty scheduling app.
When it comes to the ‘where,’ inform meeting participants if it is a virtual meeting and on what platform it will be. For meetings in physical locations, remember to add the boardroom name or number–be as exact as you can to avoid anyone getting lost on their way to your meeting.
5. Stipulate the Meeting Agenda
Sticking to the topic is a great time saver. A meeting agenda will keep all attendees on track. So, include a meeting agenda in your meeting invitation email. Everyone will know what will be covered in the meeting and they can prepare accordingly.
Furthermore, the likelihood of conversing off-topic is much smaller with a meeting agenda and that means you won’t waste time. As they say, time is money!
6. Ask Everyone to RSVP
As mentioned earlier, planning a meeting takes a lot of work. Knowing the final number of attendees will indicate everything from the size of the venue needed, right down to how many cups need to be put out for coffee and tea. Make the RSVP date early enough so that you can change any arrangements with the venue or caterer, for example.
That’s all you need to cover in your meeting invitation email. End your email with your signature—your full name, position, company name, contact number, and company logo—to show that you’re a professional.
7 Meeting Invitation Email Templates
There you have it; we covered the basic structure of a meeting invitation email is all set out for you to use. To make your life even easier, included below are some meeting invitation email templates.
1. AGM Meeting Invitation Email
Subject: [Business Name] upcoming AGM
Dear shareholders,
It is time for [Business Name]’s annual general meeting. We hope you will attend this year’s meeting, scheduled for April 2, 2023, at 10 a.m at [address]. We request you set aside between two and three hours of your time in order for us to cover all important matters.
Please let us know if you can attend by no later than March 1, 2023. All you need to do is accept this meeting invitation request. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you on April 2.
Kind regards,
[Signature]
2. General Brainstorming Meeting Invitation Email
Subject: Next week’s Brainstorming Session
Hi everyone,
Thank you for attending our last brainstorming session. It was a great meeting and the feedback we received from you all will go a long way in bettering our company. To help us improve even further, we want to get together again next week. The aim of this session is to discuss how we can work toward meeting our objectives for this coming year.
Attached you will find a list of ideas we will be discussing at the meeting. Please make sure you read this document to ensure we use the time at our exposal efficiently.
As usual, we will meet on Wednesday at my office at 3 p.m. sharp. We will put our brains together for one hour.
Best regards,
[Signature]
3. Job Interview Meeting Invitation Email
Subject: Meeting with Mrs. Born, 3 p.m on Wednesday on April 18 at 3rd Floor 18-19 Madison Place London
Dear Mr. Adams,
I got your details from our recruitment officer, and I would like to arrange an interview for the position of Senior Sales Manager at [Business name].
We are looking for someone who:
- Has 10+ years’ experience as sales manager
- Has a solid track record of improvement and success in previous positions
- Is a problem-solver with excellent communication skills
- Is a good team player with strong leadership skills.
If you are interested, you’re welcome to meeting with me on 3 p.m on Wednesday, April 18th at my office on 3rd Floor 18-19 Madison Place, London.
Best regards,
[Signature]
4. Unplanned Board Meeting Invitation Email
Subject: Unplanned [Business Name] Board Meeting
I am writing to invite you to our board meeting on 20 January at 2 p.m at [address]. I realise that you have an extremely busy schedule, but I would appreciate you setting aside some time for this important meeting. I only require an hour of your time.
Please confirm your attendance by 14 January at the latest. If you’re not at that time, my schedule also allows for between 10 a.m to 12 a.m and 3 p.m to 4 p.m.
Thank you in advance,
[Signature]
5. Sales and Marketing Meeting Invitation Email
Subject: Sales and Marketing Meeting with Mr. Smith, 12 January at 3 p.m.
Dear Mr. Smith,
We will give a brief presentation on the sales and marketing plan for [Business Name] on 12 January at 3 p.m. Following the presentation, we will answer any questions you may have and discuss any changes to the plan. We’re looking forward to welcoming you at [address] on 12 January at 3 p.m.
If you have any questions or require any further information, please feel free to contact me on [contact number].
Kind regards,
[Signature]
6. Regular Check-In Meeting Invitation Email
Subject: Time to check-in again
Hello [employee name],
I hope you’re having a great day.
It’s time for our regular check-in meeting on 7 February at 11 a.m. in the media boardroom. Please bring any concerns or issues you may have so that we can find a solution together to ensure you’re happy at [Business Name].
I look forward to seeing you!
Kind regards,
[Signature]
7. One-On-One Meeting Invitation Email
Subject: Let’s have a chat
Hello [employee name],
I hope you’re doing well.
I would like to have a chat with you to discuss [topic]. Let me know when you have time later this week for a quick meeting. It shouldn’t take longer than [time]. I am available between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. daily.
Please bring with you the necessary documents, so we can review them.
Let me know when you’re available and I will send a meeting invite.
Chat soon,
[Signature]
These templates will inspire you to write your own effective meeting invitations. We realise that it may be daunting at first to write your own email meeting invitation, but with practice, you’ll soon get the hang of it.
Manage Your Appointments Online
Webba Booking is a reliable and easy-to-use online booking system for WordPress websites. It is an appointment scheduling plugin that integrates with many helpful apps such as Google Calendar to keep all your events in one place. Webba Booking is compatible with various businesses, including cleaning companies, beauty salons, and medical practices.
This plugin also includes various email appointment reminders so you can be sure attendees know exactly when to show up for meetings. If you want to streamline your booking process, Webba Booking is the plugin for you.
