From recapping the highlights to assigning tasks, learn how to write effective follow-ups that keep post-meeting chaos at bay.
So you just had a super successful meeting—congrats! But how do you keep the momentum going after the dust (real or virtual) settles?
That’s where meeting follow-ups come in. These bad good boys are a powerful tool for recapping discussions, assigning tasks, and keeping everyone on track.
In this article, we'll delve into the must-have components of a successful meeting follow-up email, as well as some nice-to-have additions that can take your communication game to the next level.
Why are meeting follow-ups so important?
Follow-ups may seem like simple supplements to effective meetings, but they actually pack a punch of productivity. Keep reading to discover 6 ways that meeting follow-ups can elevate your team's effectiveness and drive results like never before.
- Recap and refresh: Ever left a meeting feeling like you forgot half of what was discussed? Meeting follow-ups are like a refresher course, reminding everyone of the critical points so nothing slips through the cracks.
This will be especially helpful while project planning, as it’ll allow you to go back and review the context behind what decisions were made at the beginning and why.
- Ensure accountability: A.k.a. no more, “But I thought you were doing that!” Your meeting follow-ups will hold everyone accountable by sharing the next steps and deadlines, ensuring everyone knows who’s doing what. They're like the GPS that keeps your team heading towards the same destination, ensuring goals and timelines stay on track.
- Downsize meetings: Comprehensive follow-ups let you limit meetings to only those who need to be there. Suppose you assign responsibility based on RACI (a.k.a. assign project roles to those responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed). In that case, you can simply send your follow-up to those who need to be informed to save them valuable time.
- Boost productivity: Efficient meeting follow-ups mean no time wasted! When everyone knows what they're doing, work moves forward smoothly, and nobody's left confused or twiddling their thumbs.
- Keep everyone aligned: Follow-ups ensure that even those who couldn't attend the meeting are kept in the loop. It's like ensuring everyone gets a copy of the memo so nobody misses out.
- Put your meeting notes to good use: Ignoring your meeting notes is like leaving your smartwatch at home; you miss out on tracking progress and reaching your goals. You took those notes for a reason, so put them to work in your meeting follow-up.
- Great opportunity to book your next meeting: If you’re in a client-facing role, keeping in constant contact with customers is an important part of the job. Be sure to use these follow-ups as an opportunity to send your booking link and keep in touch with customers or clients.
What should you include in your meeting follow-ups?
Now that you know what meeting follow-ups can do, let’s go over best practices for writing them. Below, you’ll find a few must-haves of impactful follow-ups, as well as some nice add-ons to include at your discretion.
Must-haves 💯
- Summary of key decisions—Recap the important decisions made during the meeting to ensure everyone stays up to date.
Example 👉 “After a thorough discussion, the team decided to proceed with Option A for the new ad campaign and agreed to launch it next month.”
- Next steps—This is akin to a roadmap for the weeks ahead, detailing the steps to be taken moving forward and any upcoming milestones.
Example 👉 “The next steps involve finalizing the project timeline and reviewing resource allocation.”
- Action items—Clearly outline the tasks assigned to each attendee, including responsibilities and deadlines.
Example 👉 “Sarah will create the presentation slides, Tom will draft the project proposal, and Emily will reach out to potential partners by Friday.
- Meeting notes—These will serve as a comprehensive record of your meeting, informing everyone of essential points raised, questions asked, and any notable insights.
Example 👉 “Meeting notes for today's session have been compiled and are attached for your reference. Please review them and let me know if anything needs to be clarified or expanded upon.”
💡 Pro-tip: Save yourself some time and hassle by using an AI-powered tool like Bluedot to automatically generate meeting notes to send in your follow-ups. One and done.
Nice add-ons 👏
- Personal note—Say thank you and include a quick note to add a personal touch to your follow-up.
Example 👉 “Thank you, everyone, for today’s meeting. It was so cool to learn about Rita’s Ironman training plan!”
- Agenda for the next meeting—If applicable, add the plan for your next meeting so people can contribute ahead of time.
Example 👉 “Our next marketing strategy meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at 10:00 AM. I’ve attached the agenda in case anyone has any feedback.”
- Additional references—Include any relevant documents, links, or resources discussed during the meeting.
Example 👉 “Attached are the slides from today's presentation and a link to the market research report for further reference.”
💡 Pro-tip: Worried sending follow-ups will take up a lot of time? Try an online scheduling tool (like YouCanBookMe) to automatically send personalized follow-ups to all attendees.
Maximize your meeting’s impact with follow-ups
❌ Without meeting follow-ups, your team will be confused, unorganized, and at risk of losing sight of important goals and deadlines.
✅ With meeting follow-ups, your team will be informed, aligned, and empowered to tackle tasks with clarity and confidence.
From recapping the highlights to assigning tasks, meeting follow-ups will not only keep the momentum rolling after every meeting, but also foster a culture of collaboration and accountability that'll have your team firing on all cylinders.
Psst…if you need any further guidance, check out these 15 meeting follow-up email templates to inspire your own.
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