Everyone should know how difficult it is to stand out from the crowd with your sales emails. The sheer number of cold emails I get every hour of every day of every week. With so much noise in my inbox (not to mention the issue of limited time), there’s a good chance I’m not opening all of those emails.
But when I receive an email from a salesperson I’m about to meet, the odds are much better that I’ll open the email and review the content.
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:
- Include a specific subject line, with the meeting day and topic.
- Write a personal greeting, such as “Hi [Contact]!”
- Write a brief reminder paragraph that covers 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].”
- Write a brief closing paragraph, guiding the prospect to a piece of company content. Offer 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].”
- Wrap it up and you’re done. “Looking forward to meeting with you” followed by your name is the best way 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.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published by Hubspot and has been updated for comprehensiveness.