Meeting Invitation

An invite for a meeting sets the tone of the discussion. Suppose the meeting invitation seems disorganized with little information about the meeting’s subject. In that case, potential attendees may decline because they don’t want to waste time on a meeting when they aren’t sure what it’s about. When you make a meeting request, include a purpose and agenda and any material the attendees should read before the meeting. When attendees come to discussions prepared, they tend to be more engaged, and the meetings are more likely to stay on schedule.

Business Meeting Invitation

Whether it’s a regularly scheduled team meeting or a project kick-off, the invitation requires the same thought level. The tone may be less formal for a recurring appointment, but it still requires the same intentionality as a corporate-wide sales meeting. Delivering a well-crafted business meeting invitation lets attendees know their time will not be wasted.

How to Send a Calendar Invite

A successful calendar invite begins weeks before the proposed meeting time. Convention suggests that a calendar invite should be sent at least two weeks before the proposed meeting date. However, you need to consider the proposed participants. Some of them may have crowded schedules, so you might want to consider sending the email invite three or four weeks in advance.

When you send the calendar invite, be sure to include the meeting’s purpose and a proposed schedule. If people understand the why and what of a meeting, they are more willing to put it on their calendar.

Calendars

Most people use one of three calendars:

• Google
• Microsoft
• Apple

Each company uses a different format for its calendar entries. If you are scheduling an internal meeting, your company probably uses a standard calendar such as Microsoft’s Outlook or Google Calendar. That means you can send calendar invites to all attendees from within the application. You can also use the sharing capabilities of Google’s calendar or Microsoft’s Outlook, if available.

If attendees do not use the same calendars, you will have to prepare calendar invitations in multiple formats. Using a scheduling tool such as HubSpot or Calendly can make sending invitations in various forms more straightforward and can shorten the email trail that comes with scheduling. Sending calendar invites can be done using a Mac or an iPhone.

How to Write a Professional Email Subject Line

The best meeting invitations begin with a good subject line. Subject lines should be written first because (1) it helps focus your message, and (2) it ensures the subject line will be included. Failing to include a subject line is a sure way to have your email ignored. Haven’t we all rushed to send an email only to find the subject line empty? Instead of taking the time to write a well-developed subject line, we enter the first thing that comes to mind.

Writing a well-crafted meeting invitation subject line takes time but using the following tips may make it a little easier.

• Limit the subject line to six to eight words. Recent studies show that between 40% and 50% of emails are opened on smartphones. If the subject line is too long, it will be cut off.
• Put keywords first. Another study found that 47% of emails are opened based on the subject line.
• Remove filler words. With a maximum of eight words, don’t waste them on words such as please, hello, the or a. Please, and thank you can appear in the message. Words such as “the” or “a” are rarely missed. Did you notice that “the” was missing from “Limit subject line”?
• Be clear and concise. Although you want to limit the subject line’s length, don’t make it so short that it becomes meaningless. For example, Project Meeting — September 4 is pointless for anyone who participates in multiple projects.
• Set a deadline. It’s always a good idea to set a deadline for a response. October 3 Diversity Training. Respond by September 15.
• Be focused. Ask for a single action such as respond, read, or review. If you want people to propose alternative dates, set that as an option on the return request.
• Use keywords. The average employee receives about 120 emails per day. Providing a keyword such as a project name makes it easier to filter the emails when looking for that calendar invite.

Adding a keyword for filtering is a convenience that will make sure your emails are easy to find—for example, QRZ Launch Meeting — November 28. Using the product QRZ not only identifies the subject of the meeting, but it also serves as a keyword for filtering emails.

How to Write a Meeting Invitation

The first paragraph of a meeting invitation email should contain the meeting date, time, and location, followed by the meeting’s purpose. An agenda should be attached along with any material to review. If attendees need to view a video or presentation before a meeting, include a link rather than a large file that may be stopped by spam filters.

Sample Project Status Meeting Email Invitation

A status meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 14, at 9:00, am, in the Roosevelt Room located on the third floor. We will be sharing status updates and discussing assignments for the upcoming quarter.

Team members should be prepared to give a five-minute update on their assigned tasks. Tasks should be identified as follows:

• Completed. Please indicate the deliverable associated with each completed task.
• In-progress tasks. Please indicate the percentage complete of in-progress tasks, highlighting areas that require additional resources.
• Incomplete tasks. Indicate the number of new tasks.

Based on the individual statuses, tasks may be reassigned, removed, or redefined as the project deadline remains the same. Here is a link to the project schedule and agenda.

Given the number of team members, the meeting will last approximately two hours. (Snacks will be provided.) Please indicate your ability to attend before September 4.

Regards.

A project meeting invitation doesn’t need to be lengthy, but it does need to provide the same basic information. Attaching the project schedule lets participants review their assigned tasks. Including an agenda with the order of presentation can help team members adjust their plans to ensure they are available at the time of their presentations.

Sample Formal Meeting Invitation Email

Dear Shareholders,

You are invited to the Annual Shareholders Meeting scheduled for November 17 at 1:00 pm at the Mediterranean Hotel 301 West Virginia Ave, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

This Shareholders Meeting represents a special occasion for our company and our shareholders as we enter our 25th year in business. We look forward to an exciting presentation of our past accomplishments and a fruitful discussion on future opportunities. It is also a chance for you to express your views by voting, regardless of your number of shares.

The agenda and text of proposed resolutions can be viewed or downloaded using this link. I wish to thank you on behalf of the Board for your loyalty and confidence in the company. I look forward to welcoming you to our meeting on November 17.

Regards

Although the business meeting invitation is more formal, it doesn’t have to be stuffy. Use simple language that brings warmth to the reader, encouraging them to attend.

How to Ask for a Client Meeting

Asking for a client meeting takes a personal touch. You want clients to know that they aren’t just a number, but you don’t want to give the impression that you’ve been stalking them. You need to be respectful of their time, so keep the email short and to the point. Include a clear call to action and a date by which you expect a response.

Sample Request for Appointment Email to Client

Hello, Mr. Smith

I wanted to thank you for stopping by our booth at the 12th Annual Banking Conference in Las Vegas. Our discussion on productivity tools for First Federal was very informative. I gained some useful insights into how a financial institution’s back-office works.

Because of your interest in meeting productivity tools, I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce you to Docket. Docket is a collaborative platform for meeting management that helps make meetings more productive. Here are just a few of the ways our product can help make meetings more valuable.

• Our product has an agenda builder that enables employees to create and prioritize topics, so meetings stay on-task.
• Meeting workspaces lets employees take notes and distribute meeting minutes to ensure team alignment and collaboration.
• Docket integrates into other productivity tools such as Zoom or Slack, making it easier for team members to stay connected.

I would like to give you a 30-minute demonstration of Docket at your 356 North Olson branch. How does 9:00 am on December 5 work for you?

Hope to hear from you soon.

Regards.

The opening paragraph should establish the connection between you and the client or prospect. It should answer the question of how did you get my name. Follow that with a comment about the individual as it pertains to your product. Briefly present some essential features that are of value to the client. End with a call to action with a specific date and time. You can always negotiate a different meeting place and time once the invitation is accepted. Make sure the requested data is at least two weeks out.

How to Make Meetings More Productive

Meetings don’t have to be worse than getting a root canal. With the right tools, you can introduce your co-workers to the productive value of meetings. Why not take a look at what makes an awesome meeting?

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• Minutes of Meeting
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