Meetings can politely be set up by email.
Email is fast becoming the mode of communication of choice for business. It is fast and reliable and serves as a written record of transactions. However, email inboxes often overflow with spam mail, so it's important to make your email stand out, particularly if you're requesting to meet with someone for the first time.
Be Direct
Be as direct as possible in your email, and if you can, send it to the person whom you intend to meet, as opposed to a shared departmental inbox. If this is unavoidable, write the person for whom the email is intended in the subject line.
In the body of the email, get to the point as quickly as possible; explain why you want the meeting, and ask if they are available. If you will be accompanied by someone else at the meeting, tell them this.
Explain what you want to get out of the meeting. For example, tell the recipient that you would like to leave knowing a sales target or who will replace John Smith in accounts.
Have the Right Subject
A subject line is the first thing that the recipient reads and often determines if an email is even opened. Therefore, it is essential that your subject line isn't too long. Subjects in the email should be short and to the point; you can always discuss the finer points in subsequent emails if your meeting request is accepted.
Check Your Spelling
This cannot be stressed enough: Nothing sends a worse first impression than an email rife with misspellings and incorrect punctuation and grammar. These mistakes make your email look like a piece of spam and increase its chances of being sent to the trash bin. A thorough check of the email prior to sending it can save a lot of heartache. Ideally, get someone to proofread the email if the recipient is an important client.
Be Polite
Requesting a meeting with someone is all about first impressions. If this is the first time you have contacted the recipient, use the most polite forms of language you can. Stick to last names, and always use titles such as Mr. or Ms. In a first email, never use "hi" as your greeting; it makes you look unprofessional.
At the end of the email, always sign off with "thank you", "Sincerely" or "Best Regards." Common courtesy goes a long way in email correspondence.
Discuss Details of the Meeting
Set a time and agenda for a meeting via email as you would via a letter. State clearly when you will be in the recipient's area; for example, tell them the dates you will be in their city. Be clear about what you want to discuss. For instance, saying you want to talk about "sales of lawnmowers in the second quarter of this year" gives the recipients a much better idea of what will be discussed than just the topic "sales."
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