How to Create An Effective Client Meeting Agenda

Have you ever had an awkward first date? The other person showed up late, the conversation felt forced, and when you ducked into the bathroom for a moment of peace you noticed a piece of food in your teeth.

Maybe you’ve been on other dates where you rehearsed what to say on the way to the restaurant. You came up with a mental list of topics in case the conversation lagged. Chances are, you walked into that date feeling more prepared and confident, and the evening flowed smoothly.

Client meetings are a different situation than dates. But there’s one area where these two overlap, and that’s preparation.

A client meeting agenda can make all the difference in the success of your meeting—and ongoing relationship. In this article, you’ll learn how a strong meeting agenda will help your meeting achieve its objective. Plus, get started writing a good agenda with our free client meeting agenda templates. 

Let’s dive in! 

What’s the purpose of a client meeting agenda?

When you walk into a meeting with an agenda in hand, you’ll be prepared to:

• Make the best use of everyone’s time
• Run an organized meeting with a clear structure
• Come across as professional, capable, and prepared

Taking the time to write a client meeting agenda might feel like it’s cramping your style. But the benefits of an effective meeting agenda make this upfront investment 100% worth it. 

What should you include in a client meeting agenda?

Your meeting agenda has one big goal: making sure everybody is on the same page. By sharing an agenda prior to the meeting, you’ll help ensure that all meeting attendees are aligned about the meeting’s purpose, details, and goals. It also ensures that everyone can show up prepared.

This means your agenda should include everything attendees need to know about what’s going to happen at the meeting (without getting too wordy—think of your agenda as a preview of the meeting). 

Take a look at the anatomy of an effective meeting agenda:

• Time and place: These details might seem obvious, but don’t leave them out! People can’t participate in the meeting unless they’re clear on when and where it’s happening. (For virtual meetings, make sure to include any necessary Zoom passcodes or other information.) 

• Goal: The objective of your meeting might be to plan next month’s content calendar, kick off a big project, or simply check in to ensure alignment for the upcoming week. Whatever the case, include a concise description of what the meeting should accomplish on your agenda.

• Attendees: List which team members need to be present at the meeting. If you aren’t sure who needs to attend, refer back to your meeting goals. Think about which people, teams, or departments will have a hand in accomplishing those goals. 

• Agenda items: Create a list of topics you’ll want to address during the meeting. These might be specific questions that need to be answered (“What goals did you accomplish last week?”), or broader topics for conversation (“Review of investment opportunities”).
• Duration: What’s the length of the meeting? It’s important to set expectations around how much time people are agreeing to commit to your meeting. 

In some cases, you may also want to attach relevant resources or documents to the agenda.

How agendas create effective client meetings, from start to finish

A strong agenda is your roadmap to running an effective client meeting that covers every base with none of the fluff. Here’s how an agenda creates more productive meetings—before, during, and after.

Before

Empower your client to be prepared:

A good meeting agenda equips everybody to show up prepared with the information they need. Not everyone likes being put on the spot. Sharing the meeting agenda in advance gives people time to think. When they know what’s going to happen at the meeting, they’ll show up feeling more prepared to discuss.

Empower yourself to be prepared:

This is true for you, too. When a client adds their own items to the agenda, it gives you time to prepare for the meeting too. 

Foster a collaborative environment:

What’s more, an agenda creates a collaborative environment. All attendees can (and should!) add items to the agenda. This is beneficial because it improves overall creativity and gives everyone a voice. 

Best practices pre-meeting: 

• Make it easy for your client to book a meeting with you using a platform like YouCanBookMe. Avoid the tedious back-and-forth emails and give your clients access to your calendar so they can pick the most convenient time for them.
• Send out your meeting agenda 1-2 business days before the meeting.
• Send out a meeting reminder email 1-2 days before the meeting and the morning of.
• Include your cancellation policy in your meeting reminder email.

To reduce the administrative work on your end, use an online scheduling tool to set up automations around confirmation emails, meeting reminders, etc.

During

A meeting agenda is helpful during the meeting because it keeps everybody on track. Think of your agenda items as guardrails, making sure the conversation doesn’t veer into unproductive territory.

Make sure you take notes during each client meeting. If you run out of time, you can refer back to the notes when you’re prepping your next meeting agenda to remember where you left off and where to start. You can also send a copy of the meeting notes to your client, freeing them up to simply be present during the meeting itself.

After

As your meeting wraps up, consider whether you’ve achieved the meeting goals and what needs to happen next. Document a list of next steps to distribute in a follow-up email. Then assign tasks where necessary. Meeting attendees can hold each other accountable to complete each task. 

Here's a follow-up email template for financial coaches:

Client meeting agenda template examples

Once your meeting is on the calendar, make sure you’re prepared with an effective meeting agenda that includes everything listed above—the meeting details (including location and attendees), meeting goal, and a list of topics to discuss.

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel—especially for recurring meetings, like a weekly check-in or monthly planning meeting. Instead, rinse and repeat by using meeting agenda templates. 

In many cases you’ll have standing agenda items (things that repeat each week) and one-off items. Just plug in the details that change, like the list of topics to discuss.

New client meeting agenda template

Meeting with a new client for the first time? Make a good impression by coming prepared with a meeting agenda. Here’s an example template to use.

Zoom meeting, 2:00 PM EST, Friday, January 19th 

Attendees: Jane Doe and Susan Smith

The goal of this meeting is to get to know each other, discuss our process, and understand what your primary goals are moving forward.

Agenda items:

• Introductions: Get to know each other better
• What are you hoping to accomplish during our time together?
• How do you measure success?
• What do you need the most help with right now?
• Plan out how we’ll work together in the next coming months
• Next steps

Client meeting agenda for financial coaches

Use this meeting agenda template in your coaching business to work with clients one-on-one or in a group:

Zoom meeting, 11:00 AM PT, Friday, May 16

Attendees: John and Arifa

The objective of this meeting is for me to learn about your financial goals and your current saving and spending habits so I can provide you with a roadmap to reach those goals.

Agenda items:

• What are your long-term financial goals? 
• What does financial success mean to you?
• What are your usual monthly saving and spending habits? 
• What is your relationship with money? 
• What do you want your retirement to look like?

Client meeting agenda for dietitians

Help your client achieve their health and wellness goals by following an agenda like this one. 

Zoom meeting, 11:00 AM EST, Monday, December 1st

Attendees: Rajiv Shah and Dianne Gooseberryu

The goal of this meeting is to check in on your health goals, provide education on related nutrition topics, and plan how you’ll achieve your goals next week.

Agenda items:

• Did you meet last week’s goals? If not, what obstacles stood in the way?
• How did you feel after following last week’s meal plan?
• What's a win you had this past week?
• What are some goals we can set together for the coming week?

FAQ about client meeting agendas

What are the benefits of using a client meeting agenda?

Using an agenda for each meeting you run helps you stay organized and respect everyone’s time. You’ll come across as professional and prepared—and you’ll be able to ensure that each meeting is as productive as possible.

What should be included in a meeting agenda?

A meeting agenda should include the details of the meeting, such as its time and place (including links and passcodes) and all required attendees. It should also list the meeting objectives and a list of discussion topics or questions.

What are the four P’s of meetings?

The four P’s involved in a strong meeting are Purpose, Product, People, and Process. By considering each one of these, you’ll know who needs to be involved in a meeting, what you should accomplish, and how you’re going to do it.