When you need to arrange a meeting it becomes necessary to know whether the key people needed in that meeting are available for attending it or not. Sending a memo to every department is a waste of time and company resources. With advancement in science and technology, people prefer using it to its own advantage.
The fundamental idea of using an email to know about the availability of someone for a meeting is to save both money and time. Just a simple click and you can have the desired results within a few seconds. Online conversation via emails is the preferred medium nowadays as it is precise, distinct and prompt.
Table of Contents
1) Ask for availability
Remember to ask for availability for a meeting via email in the first line itself. Every one receives lots of email on daily basis and more than half of them are useless. Sometimes people give it a glance and send it to the discard option. Nobody has the time to go through each and every one of them diligently. People generally open the emails which they think are important or who attracts them somehow.
When you ask for availability in the first line itself, it will grab the interest of the reader and he will respond to it in a timely manner. In this competitive world where our attention span is growing shorter day by day, it seems important to get right to the point so that we can hold the attention of the recipient.
2) Reason for the meeting
You are going to ask for availability for a meeting via email but is your recipient aware of the reason for that meeting and why you are interested in calling it. Emphasize the importance of his attendance at the meeting and how it will be mutually beneficial for both of you. It is important that you mention the estimated duration of the meeting so that he can plan accordingly.
Do not make it a lengthy one as no one likes to stay after a certain time. Keep the content short and the email subject simple like “request availability” so that the recipient understands it at a glance. Be flexible in your approach so that it becomes easy to change things to suit the needs of a prospective client.
3) Address the email personally
Email has become one of the most common forms of communications in recent history. People working in professional environment want quick results that will save their precious time. When you ask for availability for a meeting via email you want the receiver to open the email hence address it personally and let know the recipient about its purpose at the onset with a few keywords.
This is a professional email and it is necessary that you keep it short and to the point so do not start treating it as a personal mail. Write a succinct sentence that will let the reader know that you are writing to know the availability of a meeting and nothing else.
4) Follow the purpose
Why should I open an email from a person I do not know is the mentality of more than 80% of the people? Do you want your email to become discarded in the unopened lot? It is vital that you establish your credibility at the start when you ask for availability for a meeting via email.
Mention who you are and why you are asking to know about his availability. Use a small sentence in a precise and clear line that will grab his attention and prompt him to reply accordingly. Remember it is an email and you need to hold his attention.
5) Suggest viable options
You need to ask for availability for a meeting via email and then arrange one as soon as possible. You can suggest some definite dates and time in the email and ask the recipient which one is most suitable for him. In case he is unable to decide on the dates request him for alternative options of potential dates. This will give him breathing space and it will be easy for him to respond cordially.
He can now arrange the meeting according to his suitability and hence will not hesitate to respond to your email.
6) Location of the meeting
You want to ask for availability for a meeting via email then you must be prepared for every probability. You must have selected some probable dates and suggested them in your email and similarly, you must have a definite game plan about the location of your meeting place.
State precisely the place you have selected for the forthcoming meeting and why you have done so. It must show your willingness to accommodate his wishes so that he does not face any difficulties. Inform him that you are ready to travel the extra mile for the meeting so that he is not inconvenienced in any way.
7) Pay attention to grammar and language
Pay attention to trivia and details in a professional environment. When you are about to ask for availability for a meeting via email you must use civilized language that is extremely polite. Do not commit any grammatical errors as your recipient might be put off by the poor grasp of your knowledge. You can download some free apps that can help you with it and determine any errors if occurred at the right time.
Make sure your prospective business associate is impressed by your email and hence take care to send one that will find favor with him.
8) Attach company information
You are going to ask for availability for a meeting via email and you need to let the prospective client know about your company. The best way for it is by taking the help of attachments and sending valuable and relevant information about the products, company, and services via this email. You can provide the necessary link to your website and relevant information so that he can open them if he desires.
Make sure that the attachments do not carry any virus hence scan them beforehand. Keep the attachment size to a minimum so that it does not occupy unnecessary space. Remember at the end of the day you are sending a professional email not a personal letter.
9) Follow up email
Keep your email straight and to the point as we all know that clients are tricky and slippery by nature. You have incorporated all the important information in precise terms so that he can understand it at a glance and react accordingly. If you have received his reply then it is your responsibility to follow through and confirm all the details once again. In case, you have not received any email pertaining to your request when you asked for availability for a meeting via email the follow-up email becomes a necessity.
Wait for at least 5-7 days and then send one requesting his confirmation about the first email. You can again request his availability and your desire to move things according to his schedule. Mention that in case you do not get a reply within a stipulated time you will be contacting him via phone on a specific date.
10) Thanking him
Professionalism is always appreciated in a working atmosphere. You have asked for availability for a meeting via email and have received his confirmation to your request. It is important that you send a thank you email in response to show your appreciation.
Your thank you email should be positive and respectful so that he will be encouraged to attend the meeting. In case, a prospective client has not answered positively to your request, remember to thank him for his time even though it did not prove fruitful this time.
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