Level 1 · simple request
Confirm a client visit: an annotated email example
Confirm the meeting and sort out parking.
The situation
Isabel MooreClient — Head of Operations
You're meeting Isabel at her office on Thursday at 3pm to sign the contract. You'll bring two copies. You don't know where to park.
Precise and punctual. She likes people who think ahead about practical details.
Goal
Confirm the meeting and sort out parking.
The winning structure
A good email for this situation includes these elements, in this order:
- A greeting with the recipient's first name.
- The meeting (Thursday 3pm)
- The contract signing
- The parking question
- A clear ask at the end: a question or an action with a deadline.
- A short sign-off, then your name.
Common mistakes
- Leaving out the meeting (Thursday 3pm) : « Is it Thursday? What time? »
- Leaving out the contract signing : « And what are we doing at this meeting? »
- Leaving out the parking question : « Do they need anything to get here? »
- Opening with padding ("I hope this email finds you well") instead of getting to the point.
- A vague subject line like "Question" or "Request".
Write your own version: the recipient reacts and you get a score out of 100.
The annotated example
Try it yourself first: you'll remember more. Click to show the example.
Subject : Thursday 3pm – contract signing
Hi Isabel,
- Greeting by first name: the reader knows it's for them.
Confirming our meeting at your office on Thursday at 3pm. I'll bring two copies of the contract to sign.
- Includes: the meeting (Thursday 3pm).
- Includes: the contract signing.
Could you let me know where I can park?
- Includes: the parking question.
- Clear ask: the reader knows what to do.
Best regards,
Alex
- Short sign-off, then the name.
Why it works : 33 words against a target of 75, 6 words per sentence on average, no filler phrases.