How to write a one-on-one meeting request email? One-on-one meetings are a vital tool for effective communication and collaboration in the workplace. Whether you’re a team leader, manager, or an employee seeking guidance, sending a well-crafted meeting request email is crucial to secure a productive one-on-one session. In this article, we will explore the key elements of writing a compelling one-on-one meeting request email and provide useful tips to maximize your chances of getting a positive response.
It always means that your objective—a meeting with the receiver of the email—must be crystal clear and communicated in a way that motivates them to take action and arrange a meeting.
So, how do you craft a meeting request email so that the receiver agrees to meet with you?
That relies on a number of variables, including the nature of your connection with the receiver and the meeting’s objectives. You will be guided through each of them so that you are ready to send meeting request emails with assurance.
Emails requesting meetings: warm vs. cold
Is it a warm email or a frigid email? This is the crucial question to think about when choosing the appropriate tone for your meeting request email.
Here is the distinction between “warm email” and “cold email,” in case you are unfamiliar with the terms:
A warm email
An email that you send to someone who is already familiar with your business or brand is referred to as a warm email. Anyone who has opted into a campaign signed up for your newsletter or otherwise demonstrated interest in your offer is known as a warm contact, and emails sent to warm contacts are referred to as warm emails. You don’t need to have previously interacted one-on-one with a person in order to send them a warm email.
A cold email
A cold email is one you send to someone with whom you have no prior communication or business relationship. Think of cold emailing as the digital equivalent of cold calling if you’re familiar with the term. Establishing a friendship with someone you will later send warm emails to can start with a chilly email.
Different approaches are needed for emails asking for cold and warm meetings.
You must introduce yourself in the cold meeting request emails and generate enough interest in the receiver to get them to schedule the meeting without sending them an excessive amount of text.
You have the option of capitalizing on the connection they already have with your business with a friendly meeting request email.
But you shouldn’t take their interest in a warm email for granted; it may be the turning point that converts them from leads to clients, so you need to make your offer attractive.
Warm emails requesting meetings
Even more, categories exist for meeting request emails than warm and frigid. There are two subcategories under the warm emails category:
- emails sent to warm prospects, clients, or acquaintances
- emails sent to internal recipients in your company
Let’s initially concentrate on the latter subcategory. When you contact someone in your company to schedule a meeting, you’re probably hoping to:
- Talk about a project you both are working on.
- Describe a recent or prospective work-related incident or occurrence.
- Present a concept or finished product.
- Review your work performance, that of a coworker, or that of a subordinate. But you shouldn’t take their interest in a warm email for granted; it may be the turning point that converts them from leads to clients, so you need to make your offer attractive.
- Warm emails requesting meetings
Even more, categories exist for meeting request emails than warm and frigid. There are two subcategories under the warm emails category:
- emails sent to warm prospects, clients, or acquaintances
- emails sent to internal recipients in your company
Let’s initially concentrate on the latter subcategory. When you contact someone in your company to schedule a meeting, you’re probably hoping to:
- Talk about a project you both are working on.
- Describe a recent or prospective work-related incident or occurrence.
- Present a concept or finished product.
- Review your work performance, that of a coworker, or that of a subordinate.
Since no “selling” is required, these letters requesting meetings are frequently quite simple. Instead, you’re only requesting that a colleague set aside some time to have a private meeting with you.
Make sure you: write an email to someone inside your company requesting a meeting
- Indicate whether you want to arrange a phone conversation, a video chat, or an in-person meeting.
- Indicate why the meeting is being held.
- Indicate the length of the meeting in minutes, hours, etc.
- Mention precise times when you are available to meet (or provide a link to your calendar and let them arrange the time themselves).
Be careful to avoid:
- Uncertainty regarding the time and date
- ordering your coworker to meet you somewhere and at a certain time
A friendly meeting request email to a person outside your company is a little different.
The receiver may be a potential customer you’ve identified from your email list, someone you met at a networking event, someone on your email list who replied favorably to your offer of one-on-one calls, or really anybody who already knows who you are and what you have to offer.
You’ll need to add some information about yourself and your meeting objective in this email, even though they already know a little bit about your firm and your offer.
A few quotes from prior clients might encourage the receiver to make a meeting appointment if your objective is to get them to arrange a discovery call.
A sneak peek at your offer might also pique interest and encourage the receiver to book the appointment if you’re going to be offering a product, service, or opportunity to them at the meeting.
- Indicate if you would like to meet the recipient in person.
- Give a couple of times and dates when you’re available to meet (or link to your calendar and let them book the time themselves).
- Focus on them rather than yourself while writing the email’s body. Make sure your email explains why having a meeting with you is in their best interest because your objective is to persuade them to do so.
It can sometimes be more effective to gauge the recipient’s interest by calling them to get back to you with their thoughts or to let you know if they’re interested in meeting, especially if you’re just getting to know them or if you’re offering something new.
Following their response, you may phone them directly to schedule the appointment.
When sending a friendly meeting request email to a person outside your company, be careful to:
- Describe the goal of the meeting.
- Mention your relationship with the receiver. For instance, you may note briefly that they expressed interest in learning more about your services or that you two recently met at a networking event.
Emails asking for a cold meeting
Cold emails, as we discussed earlier, need a longer introduction than warm ones. In fact, it’s unlikely that you’ll specifically request a meeting in your opening letter.
As an alternative, your cold email might help to build rapport with the receiver and start a dialogue so that when you do ask them to schedule a meeting, it will feel more natural.
When sending an email asking for a chilly meeting, be careful to:
- Before requesting a meeting, establish a relationship with the prospective client.
- Give the email recipient enough details about who you are and how you might alleviate a particular problem they are having. A hyperlink to your website or LinkedIn page may be useful.
- What the receiver stands to gain from your connection should be made very clear.
Don’t:
Make demands or be aggressive. Tease them with the value you provide and let them know they can get all the specifics during your call (be sure to investigate their pain spots). This will encourage them to talk with you further.
Make them look up any important details, such as your website or phone number. The email ought to contain all the information they want.
How to Write a One-on-One Meeting Request Email
1. Start with a professional greeting
When writing a one-on-one meeting request email, it is important, to begin with a professional and respectful greeting. Address the recipient by their preferred title (Mr., Ms., Dr., etc.) followed by their last name. If you have a closer relationship or a casual work environment, using their first name may be appropriate. This establishes a formal tone and demonstrates your professionalism.
2. Clearly state the purpose
In the opening paragraph, clearly state the purpose of the meeting request. Be concise and specific, explaining why you would like to meet. Whether you’re seeking feedback, discussing a project, or addressing a concern, make it clear why the meeting is necessary. This will help the recipient understand the importance of your request and allocate time for the meeting.
3. Highlight the benefits
While stating the purpose, emphasize the benefits of the meeting for both parties involved. Explain how the meeting will help you achieve your goals or enhance your work performance. Additionally, highlight how it can benefit the recipient, such as by providing an opportunity to share their expertise or address any concerns they may have. Clearly outlining the mutual advantages encourages the recipient to consider the meeting request favorably.
4. Propose a specific time and date
To increase the likelihood of securing a meeting, propose a specific time and date that works for you. This demonstrates your preparedness and makes it easier for the recipient to schedule the meeting. Consider the recipient’s availability and any time constraints they may have. Offering a range of options or alternative dates can also help accommodate their schedule and increase the chances of finding a mutually convenient time.
5. Be flexible and offer alternatives
While suggesting a specific time and date, it is important to be flexible and offer alternatives. Acknowledge that the recipient’s schedule may be busy and that you are open to adjusting the proposed meeting time. This flexibility shows your consideration for their commitments and increases the likelihood of finding a time that works for both parties. It also demonstrates your willingness to prioritize their availability, fostering a positive impression.
6. Keep the email concise and well-structured
When writing a meeting request email, it is crucial to keep the message concise and well-structured. Avoid lengthy explanations and unnecessary details that can make the email overwhelming to read. Use short paragraphs and bullet points to convey your message effectively. Ensure the email is easy to skim, allowing the recipient to grasp the main points quickly. Clear and concise communication enhances the chances of a positive response.
7. End with a polite closing
As you conclude the email, express your gratitude for the recipient’s consideration and mention that you are looking forward to their response. Use a polite and professional closing, such as “Thank you for your time” or “Best regards.” Including your contact information or offering to provide further details if needed is also a good practice. Ending the email on a positive note leaves a favorable impression and encourages the recipient to respond promptly.
The Structure of a Successful Meeting Demand by Email
Check out this example of an email that requests a meeting:
First, the subject line is compelling and powerful. Writing a compelling subject line requires both art and science, and it must be done without exception.
The subject line of your email is the first thing the receiver sees, and it has a big influence on whether or not they open your email. Even the best offer will be ignored by receivers if the subject line is not intriguing and clear.
Ensure that your subject lines are succinct and compelling. Additionally, to get high open rates, highly customize the email subject lines.
The email welcome is the next thing. The opening of your email sets the tone for the whole message. Selecting the best option will depend on your offer and your connection with the receiver.
Hey [first_name] is how the sender signed off on the email template down there. Although it’s informal, the welcome gels with the email’s overall conversational style.
The introductory sentence of the email comes after the greeting. Here, you should explain why you are sending the email. In this case, the sender informs the receiver that they would want to talk about making improvements to their product.
Take note of how they describe their product’s USP and how it may benefit the recipient rather than opening the email with a direct request for a meeting.
We rapidly explain the linked video after the first sentence. This adds even more value.
The call to action appears in the paragraph after that. You should now request the meeting. Make sure to explain the next action you want the recipient to do in this section.
In the illustration, the sender requests a brief call from the recipient. As an alternative, you can invite the recipient to reply directly to the email or add a Calendly link to your message.
The email signoff and signature appear after the call to action. Your email should end here.
The email’s brevity is another item to note. Three phrases make up its body, which is all that was required for the sender to explain their motivation, introduce themselves, and request a meeting.
There may be a few additional phrases required for your email, but not many. Always keep in mind that meeting requests should be brief.
Finding the Perfect Tone for Your Email
Your tone while requesting a meeting is one of the most crucial components. Take a look at how these two emails differ:
See how one sounds all business while the other has a friendlier tone? The chance of getting the appointment you seek might increase or decrease depending on the tone of your email (particularly when sending out cold emails).
So what exactly is tone? A few things make it up:
- Word choice
- Sentence structure
- Punctuation choices
You may use Grammarly Editor to check if your email is conveying the right tone. It recognizes the tone of your writing and provides feedback you can use to change your email so that it sounds friendlier, more assured, and more professional, to mention a few of the tones it recognizes.
Before sending your email for a business meeting
Make sure you have the recipient’s name and email address right before you send a meeting request email!
When you want to send cold emails, there are several approaches to locating legitimate email addresses. Some of these tactics are as follows:
- To locate the email addresses of the company’s workers, search the website.
- Try other email address forms. For instance, lastnamefirstinitial@company or firstnamelastname@company. You can use Email Permutator to your advantage.
- Another excellent resource for locating email addresses is LinkedIn. To locate the email address you need, visit a company’s page and sort the employees there using various criteria.
A Follow-Up
In an ideal world, every email you submit requesting a meeting will be promptly booked. But the world is not perfect where we live.
Instead, you’ll need to send email follow-ups because many of your emails will go unanswered in today’s society.
How Many Follow-Up Emails Following A Meeting Request Are Appropriate?
It’s advisable to only follow up once or twice. You can occasionally send three.
Several variables affect how many follow-up emails are necessary for your email. The recipient’s affiliation with your organization is one of those considerations.
For instance, your request is probably time-sensitive if you email to suggest a meeting with a coworker, your boss, or someone from a different department.
Send a follow-up email if you don’t hear back in a day or so. Make contact with the receiver if you don’t hear back from your follow-up. You can even skip the follow-up and call straight away if the need is urgent.
Wait three to five days before sending a follow-up for warm or cold emails to a person outside of your company.
By doing this, you ensure that you send your follow-up email while your initial email is still fresh in the recipient’s memory while also avoiding spamming them with emails.
How Should I Modify The Content Of My Email For A Follow-Up Rather Than The Initial Request?
Even more succinctly than in your initial email, your follow-up should be. You must make sure you go right to the point. In your follow-up, make it clear that you want to schedule a meeting with the receiver.
You also need to make a clear, targeted call to action. Look at these instances as examples:
Make booking the encounter as easy as possible for the receiver.
Avoid using the words “just following up” or “checking in.” They don’t improve your email in any way. Instead, be direct, restate the value you are providing, and request a meeting time from the receiver.
What Should I Do If I Don’t Hear Back From My Follow-Up Email?
Call your colleague to set up a meeting if it is for a crucial meeting that must go to a place, such as one with a coworker.
Simply leave meetings for other types of gatherings. Not everyone will be interested in or have time for your invitation to meet with them. Recognize that this is a necessary component of product or service promotion, and concentrate your efforts on finding new customers.
Making Follow-Up Automatic
Following up individually with each receiver after sending out meeting request emails in bulk may be a torturously tedious and time-consuming procedure.
Fortunately, you don’t have to manually follow up with each recipient—Hunter Campaigns makes automating your meeting request email follow-ups quite simple.
Final thought
Each email has a purpose. It can be to set up a meeting, pose a query, make an offer, or simply say hello. Almost every aspect of an email is influenced by its purpose, including the language you choose, the tone of your writing, and even the time of day you send it. For example, it’s generally not a good idea to begin an email asking for a meeting with “Hey.”
Your objective while sending a meeting request email is to get the receiver to schedule a meeting with you. The majority of the time, this calls for a professional, businesslike tone—but not always!
Writing a compelling one-on-one meeting request email requires careful thought and attention to detail. By following these tips, you can increase your chances of securing a productive meeting. Remember to be clear about the purpose, highlight the benefits, propose specific times, and be flexible.
Keep the email concise, well-structured, and maintain a professional tone throughout. With an effective meeting request email, you can foster open communication, build strong working relationships, and achieve your desired outcomes in your one-on-one meetings.