How to Craft a Perfect Pre-Meeting Email Template

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

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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.

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.

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:

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:

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.

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:

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:

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.