How Do You Politely Respond to A Meeting Request?

Emails / By

Meeting requests help to keep business and personal meetings organized and on-schedule, so learning how to reply to them effectively is an important part of daily life.

To reply politely to a meeting request, state whether or not you will be attending in the opening of your message. If you are attending, confirm the details and ask appropriate questions. If you are not attending, explain why with a brief reason and offer to communicate another way.

Here’s what you need to know about responding to a meeting request.

How to Politely Respond to a Meeting Request

You can respond to a meeting request in one of three ways: accepting, denying, and requesting further information.

If you are accepting the meeting request, it is best to state this as early in the message as possible to avoid any confusion. Once you’ve said that you will be attending, confirm the details given to you – the date, time, meeting method or place, and who you will be speaking with.

You should also ask any relevant questions, such as what the dress code is, clarifying the time zone of the invitation, or whether you need to bring any supporting materials such as notetaking equipment or documentation.

If you are denying the meeting request, you should also state this as early as possible, and follow this statement with a valid reason for not attending the meeting, whether that’s a scheduling conflict or realizing that it isn’t necessary for you to be there.

You may also choose to offer a different method of communication such as continued email correspondence or a phone call and state your availability. This keeps the line of communication open without requiring you to be at the meeting.

If you receive an unexpected meeting request, are unsure what the meeting will be about, or if the details presented in the request aren’t clear, it’s best to respond with a request for further information before confirming or denying whether you will attend.

Meeting Request Response Examples

Here’s how you might respond to a meeting request with acceptance.

SUBJECT: Re: Meeting on [Date]

Hello [Name],

Thank you for the meeting request. Yes, I will be able to meet with you/[Name(s)] on [Date] at [Time] at [Location]/via [Method] regarding [Topic].

Before we meet, could you please tell me [Question]?

See you then.

Regards,

[Name]

Here’s how you might respond to a meeting request with denial.

SUBJECT: Re: Meeting on [Date]

Hello [Name],

Thank you for the meeting request, but I must decline. I will not be able to attend due to [Reason].

I would be happy to continue communicating with you via [Method]. My current availability is [Avialability].

Regards,

[Name]

Here’s how you might respond to a meeting request asking for more information.

SUBJECT: Re: Meeting on [Date]

Hello [Name],

Thank you for the meeting request. Before we continue, could you please clarify a few points?

  • [Questions]

I will be happy to offer you a response when these questions have been addressed.

Regards,

[Name]

 

Conor
Latest posts by Conor (see all)