Meeting prep template
Prep on one page.
A meeting prep template helps you arrive with a clear goal, the right context, useful questions and a next step in mind. Download the Word template, the Excel pre-call planning sheet, or the CSV for Google Sheets. Fill in what matters and leave the rest blank.
Download the template
- Download the meeting prep template for Word
- Download the pre-call planning template for Excel
- Download the pre-call planning sheet for Google Sheets
Use the Word version when you want a readable brief to share or print. Use Excel to keep several calls in one workbook, sort by date or owner, and update open items. Import the CSV into Google Sheets or another spreadsheet app. The fields are the same in each version, so you can move between them without rebuilding your process.
If you searched for how to prepare for a meeting, start with the outcome: what should be clearer, decided or agreed when the conversation ends? Then add only the people, context and questions that help you get there. For more detail, see the 10-minute guide to preparing for a meeting or browse related meeting templates and follow-through.
Fields in the template
| Field | What to write | Example prompt |
|---|---|---|
| Meeting details | Date, time, format, title and organizer. | When and where is it? |
| Desired outcome | One concrete result for the conversation. | What should be decided, agreed or understood? |
| Attendees | Names, roles and why each person is involved. | Who decides? Who contributes? |
| Context | A few verified facts, recent developments and relevant links. | What does everyone need to know first? |
| Open items | Unfinished work, owner, due date and status. | What did someone agree to do last time? |
| Questions | The questions that will move the discussion forward. | What do you need to learn or confirm? |
| Risks or constraints | Deadlines, dependencies or topics that need care. | What could change the plan? |
| Your ask | The request, decision or help you need from someone. | What do you need them to do? |
| Follow-up | Likely action, owner and timing to confirm after the meeting. | What should happen next, and who owns it? |
Filled-in example
Meeting: Renewal planning with Northstar · Tuesday, 10:00 a.m. · Video call
Desired outcome: Agree what support coverage to include in the renewal proposal and who will confirm staffing.
Attendees: Maya Chen, operations director; Eli Grant, procurement lead; Jordan Lee, account lead. Maya oversees service delivery. Eli coordinates contract timing.
Context: The current term ends November 30. Northstar asked about after-hours coverage at the last review. The proposed schedule is still under internal review; link the current scope draft here.
Open items: Jordan to send coverage options by Friday. Operations has not confirmed staffing. Owner for confirmation: Sam Patel.
Questions: Which after-hours requests need a response? What response window would meet the need? When does procurement need the revised scope?
Risks or constraints: Do not describe the schedule as available until staffing confirms it.
Your ask: Ask Sam to confirm feasible hours by Thursday, then ask Maya and Eli to choose a preferred option.
Follow-up: Jordan sends the approved scope to both attendees within one business day after the review; confirm the date on the call.
This example is specific enough to guide the conversation without treating an open question as a settled fact. A useful pre-call planning sheet makes it easy to see the goal, the people involved and the next decision at a glance.
How to use it
- Write the outcome first. Describe the result in one sentence. “Discuss the project” is broad; “choose an owner and date for the launch review” gives the meeting direction.
- Check what is current. Review the invitation, agenda, recent messages and open commitments. Link to source material instead of copying a long history into the sheet.
- List the people and their roles. Note who decides, who has useful information and who needs to carry out the result. Keep descriptions relevant to this meeting.
- Choose a few questions. Prioritize questions that clarify a decision, uncover a constraint or identify what happens next. Put the most important one first in case time runs short.
- Mark unknowns clearly. Label assumptions and unconfirmed details. That keeps a planning note from turning into accidental certainty.
- Review shortly before the meeting. Update dates, owners and links. If the purpose has changed, revise the desired outcome or ask the organizer to clarify it.
- Close the loop afterward. Confirm decisions, owners and due dates. The meeting action items template can help turn the discussion into a follow-through list.
Variations by role or industry
For sales call prep, add the prospect’s stated priorities, current situation, decision process, relevant product questions and a clear next-step request. Keep a sales call preparation checklist focused on what the prospect has actually shared. The sales call notes template is useful for capturing what you learn during the call. A pharmaceutical selling pre-call planning worksheet may use field-specific sections and approved language; follow your employer’s current guidance and applicable rules.
If you are preparing for a recruiter meeting, note the role, interviewer names if available, examples of your work and questions about responsibilities, team expectations and next steps. For a meeting with your boss, state the decision or support you need, share a concise status and bring options when there is a choice to make. When preparing for a meeting with the CEO, put the requested decision and its business context near the top; the executive briefing template offers a format for a leader-facing brief.
For a financial advisor meeting, list the topics you want to cover, documents the advisor requested, questions about fees or options, and any decisions you are not ready to make. Use the advisor’s instructions for sensitive documents. If you are a secretary or executive assistant preparing a meeting for someone else, confirm the objective with the organizer, verify attendees and logistics, surface unresolved commitments, and flag decisions for the leader. For a general work meeting, keep the prep sheet brief enough to scan and share only details that attendees need.
From conversation to prep
Or skip the typing: Teriara drafts this from the conversation, in early access. You review and edit the draft before using it; it does not send anything for you.
Frequently asked questions
How do I prepare for a meeting?
Start with the result you want from the meeting, then review the agenda and current context. List attendees, a few useful questions, any open commitments and the next step you may need to confirm. The meeting preparation guide walks through a short version of this process.
How do I prepare for a meeting with a recruiter?
Review the role description and note examples that show how your experience fits the work. Prepare questions about the role, team, hiring steps and timing, and bring any materials the recruiter requested. Leave room to ask about anything that is still unclear.
How do I prepare for a meeting with my boss?
Write down the update, decision or help you need, along with the facts your boss needs to respond. Bring options for decisions when you can, and flag risks or deadlines early. End by confirming who owns each next step.
How do I prepare for a meeting with a financial advisor?
List the goals and questions you want to discuss, and gather documents the advisor specifically requested. Ask about options, risks, fees and timing in terms you understand. You can use the sheet to keep questions together, but it is not financial advice.
How do I prepare for a meeting with the CEO?
Lead with the purpose and the decision or response you need. Keep supporting context short, use current sources, and be ready to explain the main options and their trade-offs. If you are preparing on a leader’s behalf, see the executive briefing template.
How do I prepare for a meeting as a secretary?
Confirm the purpose, attendees, time, format and materials with the organizer. Check open items and make the decision or question for the meeting easy to find. Afterward, capture agreed owners and dates using your organization’s process.
How do I prepare for a meeting at work?
Check the invitation and agenda, decide what contribution you need to make, and prepare questions or evidence that supports the discussion. Note any work another person is waiting on and be ready to agree a next step. For a checklist, use the fields in the table above.
What should be on a meeting prep checklist?
Include the meeting goal, date and format, attendees, current context, open items, questions, constraints and likely follow-up. Review the list before the meeting and remove anything that does not help with the outcome. Afterward, confirm decisions, owners and due dates.
Want help with follow-through after conversations? See Teriara in early access.