How to write better meeting invitation emails (Templates + tips)

Before you can host a great meeting, you need people to show up. Effective meeting invitation emails get your meeting on attendees’ radar and convince them you deserve a spot on their busy schedule.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to craft meeting invitation emails that grab attention and boost attendance rates. Whether it’s a formal meeting or a casual coffee chat, we've got you covered with tips to make your invites engaging and effective. Plus, we’ll show you how to avoid the back-and-forth of finding a meeting time by including a scheduling link in your invitation.

Quick note: These email tips work best when you already have some kind of relationship with your invitee — whether they’re an inbound sales lead who expressed interest in your product, a contact you met at a networking event, an existing client or partner, or a candidate who applied for a role at your company. If you’re looking for tips for cold emailing, check out The Art of Cold Outreach, a guide chock-full of sales pros’ tactics for turning cold outreach into booked meetings.

Now let’s dive in!

5 tips for writing better meeting invitation emails

When you send out a meeting invitation, you’re in one of two scheduling scenarios:

1. The meeting already has a set date, time, and location, and you’re reaching out to collect RSVPs from invitees. These emails are often calendar invites sent via Google Calendar or Outlook, where you can customize the invitation and meeting description.

2. You’re inviting someone to meet with you, and once they say yes, you’ll need to find a time that works for both of you.

These best practices work for both situations, with some slight variations depending on how many meeting details you have on hand ahead of time. We’ll share tips for nailing down a meeting time (without endless emails!) later on.

1. Write a clear, concise subject line

With an estimated 361.6 billion emails sent and received every day, our inboxes are a crowded place. Your subject line helps your meeting invitation stand out (and avoid the spam filter).

Here are some subject line best practices:

• Make it descriptive and personal. “Time to schedule [Partner Name] Q3 review?” says a lot more than “Meeting request.”

• Aim for under nine words or 60 characters to make sure the full subject line shows up on all devices.

• Avoid common spam filter trigger words and phrases like “act now,” “urgent,” “free,” “offer,” and, of course, “this isn’t spam.”

• If using emojis fits your voice and audience, go for it — but keep to one or two emojis per subject line.

2. Include important meeting details

Don’t forget the basics: Who, what, where, when, and why?

Who: Who’s hosting, and who’s invited? The level of detail here depends on your relationship with the invitee and the type of meeting. If you’re following up after meeting someone at a networking event, you might want to jog their memory of who you are. If it’s a multi-person meeting with an external partner or client, consider including the names and titles of your attending team members.

What: What kind of meeting is this? A catch-up chat over coffee? A brainstorming session? A product demo? Give your meeting a descriptive name. “Planning Session for Spring Campaign,” “Interview with [Hiring Manager Name] at [Company Name],” and “Proposal Review with [Client Name]” are a whole lot more informative than “Phone Call.”

Where: Will they need to show up to a conference room, or can they dial in remotely? If you already know it, share the in-person meeting location or video conferencing meeting link.

When: Do you have a meeting date and time already set, or will you need to nail down a time after they agree to meet? Include the meeting duration, too, so folks can plan accordingly.

Why: What’s the purpose of the meeting? Your invitees’ time is valuable, so it’s important to let them know what they’ll get out of attending. The meeting objective answers the question, “is this meeting really necessary?” (If you can’t figure out the objective, the answer is probably no.)

“How can you host a great meeting if you don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish? How can attendees expect to contribute to a productive meeting if they don’t know the goal?”

Lindsay Cope

Senior Marketing Ops Project Manager at Calendly

3. Share a meeting agenda

A good meeting invitation gives invitees all the info they need to 1. decide if the meeting is worth their time and 2. show up prepared for a successful meeting. Including an agenda lets invitees know what to expect and come prepared with ideas and questions. 

Depending on the type of meeting, it may make sense to send a brief agenda up front, then follow up with a more detailed list of discussion items once they’ve accepted the invitation, closer to the meeting.

“I have an agenda for every meeting, even one-on-ones. Early in my career I’d just grab somebody for 15 minutes. Now I actually tell them what the agenda is, no matter how short the meeting or how many people are there. I tell my team, ‘if there’s no agenda, cancel the meeting.”

Jessica Gilmartin

Chief Revenue Officer at Calendly

Here are some of our favorite tips for turning a basic agenda into a helpful one:

• Set time limits for each item to keep the meeting on track

• Note who owns each agenda item

• Include time at the end of the meeting to go over next steps and action items

4. Add a personal touch

Remember, even the most serious business meetings are still humans connecting with humans. Professional emails don’t have to be impersonal. 

To make your invite feel more like a conversation and less like a mass form email:

• Use your recipient’s name in your greeting.

• Mention something specific to them or their role, like a recent achievement or a personal connection. E.g., “I hope your recent project launch went well,” or “It was great meeting you at the conference last week!”

• Write in a voice that fits your industry, audience, and personality. E.g., if your company uses a more casual, friendly tone with job candidates, sign off on an interview invitation email with “Can’t wait to connect!” instead of “Best regards.”

5. Keep it short and sweet

As we said, your invitee’s time is valuable. Respect it by sharing important info only — not writing an essay.

The State of Meetings 2024

See the latest data on meeting culture and productivity.

Read the report

Bonus tip: Stay in touch ahead of the meeting with reminders

Your invitee accepting your invitation is just the first step toward having a productive meeting. You also need them to show up. (Preferably, on time and prepared.)

Reminder emails keep your meeting top of mind and boost attendance rates. They’re also a great opportunity to send meeting attendees any agenda details or pre-reads you didn’t include in your initial invitation.

Pro tip

Spend less time on admin tasks by automating your meeting reminder emails. Calendly Workflows are automated emails and text messages triggered to send before and after meetings. Once you set up Workflows, Calendly automatically sends email and SMS notifications to the right people, at the right time. No extra apps or integrations required.

“People enjoy getting the meeting automatically on their calendar, receiving reminders, and knowing what to expect. Our team appreciates it, too, because there's less chance of missed appointments.”

Nancy McMahan

Director of Client Engagement at Churchill Mortgage

The State of Meetings 2024

See the latest data on meeting culture and productivity.

Read the report

Make it easy for them to say ‘yes:’ Add a scheduling link to your email

You’ve crafted a top-notch meeting invitation, and your invitee has agreed to meet with you. Now, you just have to get it on the calendar. You go back and forth trying to find a date and time that works for everyone … but the momentum’s fading. A Calendly study found it takes an average of 7.3 emails to schedule a meeting. That’s way too much of your invitee’s time (and yours!).

Make it easy to find a meeting time by adding your Calendly booking link to your invitation email.

Here’s how Calendly works:

1. You connect your work and/or personal calendar(s) to Calendly and set your available hours.

2. Calendly uses this info to show your available meeting times on your booking page. (No one can see the details of your whole calendar — Calendly only shows your open time slots.)

3. When you share your Calendly booking page, invitees can quickly see your availability. Available times are automatically shown in invitees’ time zones, so nobody has to do mental math.

4. Invitees choose their preferred time and, in less than a minute, your meeting is scheduled!

Plus, when you connect your video conferencing tool to Calendly, Calendly will automatically generate a meeting link when someone schedules a virtual meeting with you. Calendly integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, GoTo Meeting, and Webex.

Here are a few ways to add easy scheduling to your meeting invitation emails:

1. Include your scheduling link

The simplest way to include your booking page in a meeting invitation is by copying and pasting your scheduling link (aka Calendly link or booking link). Your scheduling link is the URL that takes people to your booking page, where they can see your available meeting times and book a meeting with you. 

Pro tip

The way you frame your scheduling link matters! Scheduling links have become super common in some industries, while some invitees may be totally unfamiliar with the concept. Instead of “Here’s my Calendly link!”, consider asking your invitee for their availability first, then share your booking URL as an option for easier scheduling: 

“What dates and times work for you? If it’s easier, you can also choose a time that works for you using my Calendly link: [Calendly Link].”

Get more scheduling etiquette tips for sharing your Calendly link.

2. Add available times directly to your email

Let invitees choose a meeting time right from their inbox by adding clickable available dates and times directly into the body of an email. (If none of the times listed work for your invitee, they can click “See full list of times” to be taken to your booking page.)

3. Use the browser extension to share availability without leaving your inbox

The Calendly browser extension for Chrome, Outlook, Edge, and Firefox makes it super simple to add your scheduling link to meeting invitations without having to jump between tabs or apps. In just a few clicks, you can share your scheduling link or add your available times in Gmail, Outlook, LinkedIn messages, social media, or anywhere else on the web.

“[The browser extension] makes it so easy to send Calendly links and schedule with my partners and prospects.”

Sarah Pinner

Co-founder at Beni

4. Share a Meeting Poll for one-off meetings with big groups

Trying to get a big group together for a one-off meeting like a project kickoff or sales proposal? Skip the calendar cross-referencing by including a Calendly Meeting Poll in your invite.

Your invitees vote on their preferred times, so you can easily accommodate busy schedules and different time zones. Once everyone votes, you choose the best time. Calendly schedules the meeting for you, then automatically sends calendar invites and meeting details to everyone who voted.

Meeting invitation email templates

Remember to customize these email subject line and copy templates to match your voice, meeting type, invitees, and industry.

General one-on-one meeting invitation email

Subject line: Let’s Schedule a Time to Discuss [Topic]

Hi [Invitee Name],

I hope you’re doing well!

Can we set up some time to discuss [Specific Topic or Project]? I’d love to go over:

[Agenda Item 1]
[Agenda Item 2]
[Agenda Item 3]

Please let me know when you’re available, or, if it’s easier, you can choose a time that works for you using my Calendly link: [Calendly Link].

Looking forward to our conversation!

Best,

[Your Name]
[Your Title and Company Name]
[Your Contact Information]

Interview invitation email

Subject line: Invitation to interview for [Role] at [Company Name]

Hello [Candidate Name],

Thanks for your interest in [Role] at [Company Name]! I’d like to schedule a phone call to learn more about your background and experience. I’d also like to tell you more about the role and our organization. You can select the best time for our interview via my Calendly link: [Calendly Link]

Please let me know if you have any questions!

[Your Name]
[Your Title and Company Name]
[Your Contact Information]

Get more tips and templates for interview invitation, reminder, and follow-up emails.

Sales call invitation email (Inbound leads)

Subject line:  Time for a quick chat about [Pain Point]?

Hey [First Name],

Thanks for [Lead Source, ex: “downloading our e-book about boosting team productivity”]. I hope you found it useful!

Typically, folks who [Lead Source, ex: “download our e-book about boosting team productivity”] do so because they [pain point, ex: “want their team to hit their goals more quickly, without getting bogged down in busywork.”]

Open for a quick chat to see if we can help? 

If it’s easier, feel free to grab time via my booking link here: [Calendly Link]. 

Cheers,

[Your Name]
[Your Title and Company Name]
[Your Contact Information]

This template was shared by Armand Farrokh, founder of 30 Minutes to President’s Club. Check out this guide for even more of Armand’s sales templates and scripts.

Customer success check-in invitation email

Subject line: Time for your next sync with [Company Name]

Hi [Client Name],

We’re approaching [Next Month], which means it’s time for a progress sync.

During this 30-minute call, we’ll cover:

• Anything top-of-mind for you
• Brief adoption overview, including key stats and user highlights
• Best practices that we see similar customers implementing at the [Milestone Cadence, ex: “6 month mark”]

I’m including a link to my booking page to make scheduling easy — please feel free to pick the date and time that works best for you: [Calendly Link]

Excited to touch base with you and share some key highlights!

Talk soon,

[Your Name]
[Your Title and Company Name]
[Your Contact Information]

Check out this guide for more CS email templates for every stage of the customer journey in this guide.

Team meeting invitation email

Subject line: Upcoming team meeting: [Specific Topic, Project, or Issue]

Hi team,

I hope you’re all doing well.

I’d like to schedule a team meeting to discuss [Specific Topic, Project, or Issue]. To make sure we find a time that works for everyone, please vote for your preferred times here: [Calendly Meeting Polls Link]

Agenda:

• [Agenda Item 1]
• [Agenda Item 2]
• [Agenda Item 3]
• Discussion and Q&A

Your input and presence are important for this meeting, so please make sure to indicate your availability at your earliest convenience.

Looking forward to our discussion!

[Your Name]
[Your Title]

Learn how to run better, smarter team meetings, from invitation through follow-up.

Better meetings, one invitation at a time

Crafting the perfect meeting invitation isn't just about getting people to show up; it's about connecting with invitees, respecting their time, and setting the stage for productive, engaging meetings. Plus, invitation emails are an opportunity to create an easy scheduling experience for your teammates, clients, prospects, and candidates.  

Great meetings start with great invites — and now you’re ready to send them.