Asking for a meeting availability can be one of the most difficult and stressful things to encounter. The goal is to have every participant agree right away so you are able to focus on your other tasks as a (management) secretary. Today we are providing 7 tips that will help you when you need to ask for meeting availability.
Availability
When asking for availability make sure to use the first line of the e-mail to state the priority of the meeting. By asking for availability in the first line you will create attention. As every one receives a lot of e-mails on a daily base, people often give the e-mail a glance before discarding. Nobody wants their inbox piling up nor go through every e-mail diligently. However by adding importance to the first line, people generally open them more frequently as the importance attracts them. Also the recipient will respond in a timely matter due to the importance.
When asking for availability it is important to get straight to the point in order to hold the attention of the recipient. Attention spans are growing shorter by the day and it also has to be time saving due to efficiency within the organization.
What does the meeting entails?
When asking for a meeting availability you first of all have to conclude what the meeting entails. Who is needed for the meeting and which subjects or issues will be discussed. So therefore when you ask for availability for a meeting through email you have to emphasize the importance of the attendees attendance and how beneficial it is for both parties.
Do not forget to mention the estimated duration of the (board) meeting so the recipient is able to plan the meeting accordingly to their own agenda. And be flexible in the planning.
Send a personal e-mail
When you have concluded what the meeting entails and who is needed in the meeting, it is time to send out the e-mail to the attendants. When asking for availability and setting out the importance it is best to send the email personally instead of a ‘cc e-mail’. This is highly important when it comes to board meetings. You want the recipient to open the email and know about it’s purpose with only a few keywords.
Also write the email in a sense that the receiver knows what the meeting is about and the availability of the meeting.
Suggest viable options
Busy schedules ask for viable options. You can not expect everyone to fit in your timeslot perfectly. Therefore you are able to suggest multiple dates and time in the e-mail and ask which timeslot fits best in the recipients agenda. This will create breathing space which makes it easier to fit the meeting in their agenda and to respond cordially to your e-mail.
Check grammar and spelling
Every meeting is different, therefore civilized language is important. When asking for a availability for a meeting via e-mail it is important to be extremely polite. Grammatical errors are out of question as the recipient can be put off by the poorly written e-mail.
Attach information
When asking for a meeting availability via e-mail, it is important to send the relevant information about the meeting. When it comes to prospective clients it means sending attachments with valuable and relevant information about your company and it’s products. Also provide a link to your website and contact details.
When it comes to safety, make sure to check and scan the files for viruses beforehand. And keep the attachment size minimal to save space.
A thank you
When all recipients have read and responded to your email request it is important to send a follow up thank you e-mail. Professionalism is highly appreciated in the business environment, therefore a response to show appreciation is important.
The thank you e-mail should be professional and positive so the recipient will be anticipated to participate in the meeting. Even when a prospective client has responded negatively, remember to thank them for their time as the future might be more fruitful.
