Using E-mail to Plan Meetings

Meetings take place in a variety of ways, from informal chats to formal presentations. Effective planning is the key to having successful meetings and e-mail is an important tool you can use to plan your meetings.

Think about the purpose of informal and formal business meetings. They are good ways for members of an organization to discuss important matters, resolve issues, and accomplish other business goals. The five steps in planning a meeting using e-mail involve sending messages to accomplish the following.

Gather information.
The first step in planning a meeting using e-mail is to gather information regarding the purpose of the meeting. This could include surveying the invited participants to assess their needs or simply getting clarification from your supervisor about the goal of the meeting.



Your e-mail message should outline the main issue and ask for clarification or input from invited participants. This helps you plan an effective and purposeful meeting.

Book the location
Once you have determined the purpose of the meeting, the next step is to book the location. This may include sending an e-mail message to contact the facility director, book conference number or the person responsible for space allocation in your organization/church.

When booking a location, you need to specify the date and time you would like, the length of the meeting, the expected number of participants, and the facilities and supplies you will require. An e-mail message provides a written record of the specific details, which is easier to refer to than a verbal contract from a telephone booking.

If your organization has calendar software, this is an ideal way to use e-mail to reserve a room. Check Marthoma.com email calendar features.

Notify the participants
Once you have reserved a location, you need to notify the participants. An e-mail message allows you to accomplish this step quickly. E-mail also enables the participants to keep an electronic copy of the meeting details and reduces the chance for miscommunication about the meeting particulars. Keep the following points in mind when notifying participants.

• You need to clearly outline the date, time, and location of the meeting. This eliminates any confusion about the day of the meeting.
  
• When notifying participants, you should define the purpose of the meeting. This gives the participants an idea of the direction of the meeting and its
  goal.
  
• You should ask all participants to respond to your meeting request. Knowing exactly who plans to attend helps you organize a more efficient and effective meeting.

Distribute information
After notifying the participants via e-mail, you need to distribute relevant information, such as the agenda. You should distribute any information participants will need in advance as an attachment in your e-mail message. The participants are less likely to misplace documents if they are stored electronically.

Confirm plans
The final step in planning a meeting is to confirm all of the details. E-mail is especially useful in this step. You can send reminder notices to all participants to ensure that everyone remembers the specifics and arrives on time.

You also should use e-mail to confirm the location and any special arrangements you made. This creates an electronic paper trail you can refer to if there is any confusion when you arrive at the meeting.

E-mail is a useful communication tool you can use in each of the steps involved in planning meetings. Remember, by using e-mail to plan your meetings, you can ensure that all your meetings run smoothly and efficiently..