As salespeople and professionals, I'm sure you can relate to the sheer number of cold emails I get every hour of every day of the week. With so much noise in our inboxes (not to mention the issue of limited time), there’s a good chance we're not opening all of those emails.
But when I receive a pre-meeting email from a salesperson I’m about to meet, the odds are much better that I’ll open the email and review the content.
In this article we'll discuss:
- The importance of sending a pre-meeting email
- How to write a pre-meeting email
- Pre-meeting email examples and templates
What is a pre-meeting email?
A pre-meeting email is an email sent prior to the meeting to help the recipient or prospect prepare ahead of time. Essentially this correspondence sets the tone for what the prospect can expect during the meeting and ensures everyone is on the same page.
While I am more likely to view this person’s email due to our upcoming commitment and prior relationship, I expect more from the email in terms of content.
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5 Free Pre-Sales Meeting Email Templates
Equip your sales team with these voicemail scripts for any occasion.
- Communicate with prospects.
- Iron out your messaging.
- Save time writing.
- Customize to your brand.
Download Free
All fields are required.
The Importance of a Pre-Meeting Email
One simple advantage of sending a pre-meeting email is standing out from the competition. You will stay in front of prospects and differentiate yourself if you do some research and get personal.
You also need to keep track of your promises and recommendations throughout the sales process, so that follow-through is carried out with precision, and a pre-meeting email can help you achieve this end. Making business personal and meeting (or better yet, exceeding) expectations are two ways to close more deals.
How to Write an Email for a Meeting
Creating a Pre-Meeting Email Template
You might know that you need to write a pre-meeting email, and you might even know some of the basics of pre-meeting email content, but actually crafting such an important piece of communication doesn’t always come easily.
At the very least, your pre-meeting email should include a reminder confirming the location, time, and date of the meeting. You also should ensure attendees know the purpose of the meeting, along with any reports, pre-reading, or requests for materials a day or two in advance.
To create a solid pre-meeting email template, we suggest you follow these steps:
1. Include a specific subject line.
For simplicity, the subject line should include the meeting day and topic. The more attention-grabbing or relevant the subject line is, the more likely your prospect is to open it.
According to Invesp, 47% of email recipients open them based on the subject line. Emails with a personalized subject line were 22% more likely to be opened over those without one.
2. Write a personal greeting.
A simple greeting such as "Hi [name]!" or Hello [name] will suffice.
3. Write a brief reminder paragraph.
This paragraph should cover the purpose of the meeting and what you expect.
For example:
"I’m looking forward to meeting you at [location and time]. As I mentioned during our phone call on [date], I’ll be sharing [product], which relates to your [goal]. We aim to [witty line about your company brand]."
4. Write a brief closing paragraph.
Your closing paragraph can help guide the prospect to a piece of company content. This could be a link to a video, white paper, or some other quality content relating to your meeting.
Offer to provide any other materials that the prospect wants, and make yourself available for questions or feedback.
For example:
"You can see a short video about [product] on our website if you’re curious. Feel free to email or call if you have any questions or further needs before we meet on [date and time]."
5. Wrap it up.
You’re done. “Looking forward to meeting with you," followed by your name is one of the best ways to end a pre-meeting email.Personalizing a Pre-Meeting Email
Keep in mind that the pre-meeting email template can only get you so far. If you haven’t truly adopted your company’s CRM yet, you need to do so to craft a killer personalized pre-meeting email.
All of the personal information you need about your prospects is in that CRM, and your job as a sales representative becomes much easier when you rely on your company’s existing tools and data when communicating with prospects.
Additionally, remember to include the sales content that matters most to your prospect in your pre-meeting email. If you’re not sure where to find the right content, utilize your company’s sales and marketing productivity tools. Personalizing your pre-meeting email with just the right content could make or break your deal.
Pre-Meeting Email Template
We've covered quite a bit here. Let's get the ball rolling using the HubSpot email template below as a starting point.
1. Standard Pre-Meeting Email Template
This is a standard template you can use for setting up an initial meeting while offering the prospect something of value beforehand. Let's see a similar email in action:
Hi Lisa,
Hope you had a nice few days out of the office!
I'm looking forward to our meeting tomorrow. I'd like to walk away having a better understanding of your pain points with global logistics, your team's 2022 goals, and how our international logistics software can help you achieve them.
In the meantime, we just released a new case study with a company I think yours has quite a lot in common with. Here's the link: [Insert link].
Let me know if you have any questions. Otherwise, looking forward to connecting tomorrow at 11:00 AM ET. Hope you're surviving the post-vacation sluggishness!
Regards, Meg
What we like:
This example kept things short, concise, and direct. They've reminded the prospect of the meeting they both agreed to, provided them with a brief outline of what will be discussed, and provided value to them in the form of a relevant content offer.
2. Friendly Reminder Pre-Meeting Email Template
Sometimes you may just want to send a quick follow-up to confirm your meeting. In this instance, you can use the template below.
Let's see what this looks like as a real-world example:
Hi Candice,
I’m confirming our meeting tomorrow at 2:30 PM. I’ve added an agenda to the calendar invite for you to review prior to the meeting.
If you believe there are any changes that should be made to the agenda please let me know and I’ll update it accordingly.
I’m looking forward to connecting with you and learning more about TriStar.
Thank you,
Meg
What we like:
This email is short and sweet, confirming the date and time of the meeting, while also giving the recipient room to change the meeting date if the one listed is no longer feasible.
The addition of the agenda ensures that everyone comes to the meeting prepared and ready to discuss ideas.
5 Free Pre-Sales Meeting Email Templates
Equip your sales team with these voicemail scripts for any occasion.
- Communicate with prospects.
- Iron out your messaging.
- Save time writing.
- Customize to your brand.
Download Free
All fields are required.
3. Preparing a Prospect
Sometimes you may want to give your prospect materials to review prior to meeting to give them the opportunity to brainstorm and come up with questions. In this case, the email template below will be of good use.
Let's check out a similar email in action:
Hi Jeremy,
I’m looking forward to meeting with you this Thursday (4/8) at 10 AM. To ensure that we’re making the most of this meeting I’m sharing the following information for you to review ahead of time.
- Product and Service Overview
- Product Demo
After reviewing, I recommend brainstorming a few questions that are most relevant to your business, especially if you think your business could require a specialized solution. Talk to you soon!
Best,
Meg
What we like:
This email gives the prospect everything they need to know prior to the meeting to ensure they're making the best use of their time. By giving the prospect materials like a demo or service overview ahead of time, they can digest the information on their own time and start to visualize how your product can provide value to their business. It also gives them time to prepare any questions they have ahead of time.
4. Confirming Attendees
While you may have only one contact at the prospect's company, others may want to attend the meeting. Use the template below to make sure all attendees get the invite.
Similar to the examples above, this email confirms the date but also gives the recipient the opportunity to invite others. Let's check out a similar real-world example:
Hello Robert,
I’d like to confirm that our meeting includes all necessary attendees from ClearPoint. I’m aware that there may be other stakeholders that need to be included, and I’d love to have them involved in every step of this process.
Evaluating a new product or service is usually a team effort. The more people that can advocate for a solution, the more likely a company is to adopt that product or service.
If there are more guests you'd like to attend, please let me know and I’ll add them to the meeting invite.
Thank you,
Meg
What we like:
This example displays the sales rep's understanding of the importance of having all stakeholders involved in the decision-making process.
Giving prospects the opportunity to add more guests will get more stakeholders involved and give you access to other contacts within the company.
Pre-Meeting Emails are Worth the Extra Step
Sending a pre-meeting email might seem formal, but it's a great way to ensure your plans go smoothly. Additionally sending an email ahead of time adds a human touch to your meeting instead of it being a faceless hold on your prospect's calendar.
Communication and relationship-building are what selling is all about, but you can't do either if you never meet.
Editor's note: This post was originally published on August 1, 2015 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
