How to Choose the Best Appointment Email Template: Tips and Examples

Sending an email to schedule an appointment is a basic means of communication in the business environment. It seems like an easy-peasy bit to do, however, many businesses struggle with making their appointment emails concise, readable, and appealing to their clients. Well, it's not as easy as it first appears as you've got to learn some basic marketing and psychology principles.

In this article, we've got you covered! If you struggle to write an appointment email for the client, are not sure if your email is of high quality, or just want to write better emails, read further for some hands-on marketing advice and, of course, templates that you can just borrow (we won't tell anyone).

Jump to…

• Why Choose an Email over a Call to Set Up Appointments?    
• Is an Appointment Email Important?    
• The Formula for a Professional Meeting Email    
  • Be Flexible about Time and Place    
  • Include the Reason and the Length of the Meeting    
  • Request an Appointment Confirmation    
  • Have a Clear Subject Line    
  • Don't Forget about the Reminder Email    
  • Make Sure Your Emails Are Highly Readable    
• 6 Appointment Email Templates for All Occasions    
  • Template 1: Schedule an Appointment with Someone You Know    
  • Template 2: Schedule an Appointment with Someone You Don't Know    
  • Template 3: Canceling an Appointment    
  • Template 4: Meeting Confirmation Letter    
  • Template 5: Appointment Reminder    
  • Template 6: Reschedule Appointment    
• Ending Thoughts    

Why Choose an Email Over a Call to Set Up Appointments?

Email is not the only way to connect with your clients about an appointment. For some, it's not even a preferable way. But we strongly believe that sending an email (or a WhatsApp, Telegram, or Facebook message) is better than calling. Why? Let's break it down. 

Email Respects the Other Person's Time and Privacy

Imagine the situation: you are a freelance worker and you decide to take a shower in the middle of the day (Why not?). Suddenly the phone rings and you have to interrupt a relaxing bath, get a towel, and search for the phone only to find that it's a call from the clinic confirming your tomorrow's appointment.

Although this is a humorous example, calling people without prior notice can catch people off guard and create an unfavorable impression of your business. No one really likes annoying calls.  

By sending an email about the meeting, you give people time to think about the best time and reply when it's convenient for them. 

Young People Avoid Calls

You might have heard this stereotype about Millennials or Gen Z. In fact, it's not a stereotype, but a scientifically proven fact that you'll have to take into account when dealing with young entrepreneurs and clients.

A study released by European telecommunications company O2 shows "Telephone", the app used to make actual phone calls, is only the fifth-most-used app among the general public. So, an appointment reminder made via email or instant messaging app will be the most acceptable for the young. 

But remember: always consider who you are talking to. If you keep sending emails to an 82-year-old lady, don't wonder why she doesn't show up to appointments.  

A Convenient Way to Reschedule or Cancel the Meeting

Let's say you scheduled your appointment over a call. Then, when there is a need to reschedule or cancel this appointment, you'll have to call 1, 2, 4, or times. Via email, it could be done a bit faster or at least cause less fuss. 

Email is Time-Efficient

With calls, the process of setting up an appointment might look like this: 

Oof! All this tedious process could be simplified with one or two emails or text messages. And in fact, if we take a look at the figures, people do prefer to communicate through email or text message: according to Zipwhip’s 2019 State of Texting report, 67% of consumers would just prefer a text instead of businesses calling them about appointment reminders or scheduling.

Can Help Express Your Brand's Unique Voice and Style

If you are developing the unique and creative voice of your brand, an appointment email is a perfect place to show it off. For example, if you want to create a friendly and funny impression, here is the way:

Can Be Automated 

The beauty of appointment emails versus calls is that the process can be automated to some extend. Such marketing tools as TruVISIBILITY Messaging allow you to create beautiful, well-structured emails and text messages that get sent automatically, for example, after the appointment is made. 

Email Keeps Important Information

It's convenient for both you and the contact to read old emails to refer to details about the meeting or some other relevant information such as calendar invites, links to RSVPs, directions, participant lists, etc. 

Is an Appointment Email Important?

If it wasn't, we wouldn't be writing this blog. But seriously, why send a meeting email, especially when you already set up an appointment? As we know, the devil is in the details. Every small element of your business works to create an impression and build trust. By sending an appointment email, you show to your clients that: 

• you take the appointment seriously
• you are professional and well-organized

And by adding a CTA button, allowing your recipient to quickly add the appointment to their calendar, you make life easier and more convenient for the client, and you show that you care. 

Besides the great impression that your well-written emails will create, you can also make sure people actually show up. Sending a meeting reminder won't magically force people to show up, but an appointment confirmation email with a request to reply will help you make efficient use of your time and avoid frustration caused by no-shows. 

The Formula for a Professional Meeting Email

Just as we promised, here is the answer to the question "How do I write a good appointment email?" Actually, these tips will be useful regardless of the kind of email. 

Be Flexible about Time and Place

Flexibility is always appreciated by the client. In the appointment letter, indicate all the free slots in your schedule and you will avoid the pain of emailing back and forth thousand times. Simple, but genius.

This is what this could look like in the letter:

"I am available to meet at 9:30 AM Monday or Wednesday this week or at 5 PM on Thursday. Please let me know if either of these times works for you, I am open for other suggestions". 

Include the Reason and the Length of the Meeting

A future meeting can be held offline or online, or maybe you will be able to discuss the issue over the phone. All that depends on the reason you want to meet. Indicating as many details about the appointment and the meeting equals a polite and considerate attitude towards the client: they can manage their time and resources accordingly.  

Don't be afraid of being specific. Instead of saying "I would like to discuss some work-related issues...", say "We want to discuss your possible promotion". 

Request an Appointment Confirmation

You send a letter to confirm the appointment. You think the person received it. They never show up. Sadness, frustration, disappointment is what you feel.

This can be prevented by a simple move: request a reply to your meeting confirmation email. Just make sure you clearly indicate how your clients can notify you: a call, a Google form, an email...maybe a homing pigeon.  

Have a Clear Subject Line

People receive a ton of emails every day, and hot having a subject line or having a vague subject line is simply impolite. This is a must-have. Taking it further, if you want to get people to open the email (especially when they don't expect an email from your company), you've got to make it exciting, intriguing, or important: 

• include their name or a common acquaintance
• include some personal detail 
• offer an insensitive, like a bonus, price reduction, etc. 

Don't Forget about the Reminder Email

What you discuss a meeting via email, don't expect people to remember everything. They might forget to put it on the calendar or just get stuck in other appointments.

Send an email 1 or 2 days before the appointment saying something like "Dear Mr. Smith, I just wanted to send a reminder about your 10:30 AM meeting tomorrow with our consultant Jennifer Peach at Gaslight Coffee Roasters, 2385 N Milwaukee Ave. Please let me know if you are still going to have the meeting". In case such an email doesn't get answered, a polite phone call is okay. 

Make Sure Your Emails Are Highly Readable

Today the average span of the human equals that of a goldfish (about 8 seconds). So, you either make your emails very readable, or they never get opened or read.

How do I make an appointment email more readable?

Clear Subject Line

We've talked about it already. The Subject line is the first thing people see when they open their inbox, you need to let them know that they've got to open the email and why they need to. 

Brief, Easy, Concise

When people get appointment emails, they don't want to read a text as long and complicated as War and Peace. Word your thoughts in a simple way, use short sentences, and simple words. Your email will get even better if there is no need to scroll and everything fits on the screen.

Check for Mistakes and Typos

A small, yet very important detail when writing professional emails. Bad grammar creates a bad impression. To avoid it, reread your appointment email before sending it, or use Grammarly.

Experiment with Email Design Wisely

Look at this email, it's rather hard to read...literally.

It's way better when your appointment email: 

• is written in black and white
• uses simple fonts
• uses a large text size (16px is thought to be the best for online copy)
• has a black space after each paragraph

Trust us, follow these rules as people will actually read your emails!

6 Appointment Email Templates for All Occasions 

Now as we know the basics of writing a meeting or appointment email, time to get to practice. We've designed these 6 appointment emails using all these tips and our marketing experience.

Don't hesitate to borrow them, adopt these templates to your unique company voice, experiment with the templates, and adjust each template to your needs.

Template 1: Schedule an Appointment with Someone You Know

Or, pick this more playful / funny email template. (Just make sure it suits your company's voice or you are on really good terms with the client).

Template 2: Schedule an Appointment with Someone You Don't Know

In this template, we adopted a much more formal tone, and we don't recommend using funny wording and emojis with a stranger if you want your appointment to happen. 

Template 3: Canceling an Appointment

Here you absolutely should indicate the reason why your appointment needs to get canceled or postponed. Be very polite and considerate, but don't write an ode about how your children or your dog are sick. Don't share too many details. 

Template 4: Meeting Confirmation Letter

Template 5: Appointment Reminder

Since the client is already familiar with your and your company, you can take advantage of more friendly and relaxed templates. 

Template 6: Reschedule Appointment

Formal template:

Informal template:

Ending Thoughts 

It's incredible how much you can do with emails: easily arrange and reschedule things, express your brand's unique personality, and build relationships and trust with clients. So, don't underestimate the power of emails. Write them wisely. Properly use images and emojis. Be authentic and simple.  

Creating beautiful emails is easier with dedicated software. TruVISIBILITY Messaging is a tool that will help you design and perform your SMS and email marketing campaign. With a drag-and-drop interface, you can make creative emails unique to your brand's style. And it's got lots of templates!