Meeting request email template for clients and prospects

Most meeting requests fail for the same reason: they ask for someone's time without saying what they'll get for it. This cold email template for meeting requests puts the reason first, shows what you'd cover in a short agenda, and offers two specific times so the reader can answer in one word. Use it when you have something concrete to show or discuss, not as a vague "let's connect". The meeting request email example below is for a catering company, but the structure works for any business.

When to use it

• You have a specific reason to meet: an idea for their business, a finding, a sample you've prepared, or a change in their market you can explain.
• The reader is the person who could act on it, or someone likely to pass it to the right colleague.
• Twenty minutes is enough. If you need an hour, say why in the email; most first meetings shouldn't take that long.

The template

Hi [First name],

I'd like to ask for 20 minutes to show you [what you have, e.g. three changes that would shorten your delivery times].

[One line on why them and why now, e.g. Your new warehouse opens in May, which is when these changes are easiest to make.]

What I'd cover:
- [Point one]
- [Point two]
- [What you'd need from them, if anything]

Would [day] at [time] or [day] at [time] work? If neither does, send me a time that suits you.

[Your name]
[Role, company]

Example

Subject: 20 minutes on lunches for Kestrel's new office?Hi Tom,

I'd like to ask for 20 minutes to show you how offices your size run team lunches without anyone ordering on their own card.

Your move to the Harbour Building is in June, and catering is much easier to set up before people settle into new habits.

What I'd cover:
- How weekly team lunches work for an office of about 80 people
- Three menus we'd suggest, including vegetarian and halal options
- What we'd need from you: a headcount and a delivery spot

Would Tuesday at 10:00 or Thursday at 14:00 work? If neither does, send me a time that suits you.

Grace Mensah
Account manager, Brightplate Catering

Why it works

1. The ask and its payoff in the first lineSaying what the meeting is for straight away answers the reader's real question, "why should I give this person my time?", before they have to wonder.
2. A reason it's worth doing nowA date, a change or an event at their company makes the meeting timely. Without one, "maybe later" is the easiest answer.
3. A short agendaThree points show the time will be used well and that you've prepared. Including what you'd need from them means there are no surprises on the call.
4. Two concrete timesOffering two slots turns an open decision into a simple choice, and leaving room for their own time keeps it polite. Write the times in their time zone.

What to check before you send it

• Check their time zone and working days before you suggest times.
• Find the trigger: a move, a hire, a launch, a new rule in their industry, or a post where they mentioned the problem.
• Prepare whatever you promise to show. If the email offers three ideas, have three good ones ready before you send it.

Follow-up email

Send it 3 days later if there's no reply, in the same thread.

Subject: Re: [first subject line]Hi [First name],

Following up on my note below. If this week is busy, I could do [new day] at [time] instead, or send the three points by email so you can read them when it suits you.

[Your name]

Mistakes to avoid

• Asking to "connect" or "hop on a call" without saying what about.
• Suggesting times without checking their time zone, so your afternoon turns out to be their early morning.
• Sending a calendar invite before they've agreed. It feels presumptuous and clutters their calendar.
• Asking for an hour for a first conversation. Ask for less, and finish early if you can.

Questions people ask

More cold email templates