I have to admit something. These transcription tools have existed for a while. I knew about them. I just didn’t use them properly. I thought I could rely on my memory or a few quick notes. For years, that was a mistake.
It wasn’t until recently that I started actually using transcripts consistently. And the difference has been huge. It’s not the recording itself that matters. It’s what you do with it.
For example, I’ve caught things I would have completely forgotten:
- A client casually says, “We usually send invoices through our parent company in Chicago.” This matters because without it, I would have sent the invoice to the wrong person and caused unnecessary delays.
- “We absolutely hate how slow our homepage loads on mobile.” This matters because addressing it directly can prevent a lot of user frustration and improve engagement.
- “We need to show the board results within 60 days.” This matters because it sets the timeline for priorities and deliverables.
- “Our homepage takes 12 seconds to load on mobile and it’s costing us customers.” This matters because sharing the exact line with the developer ensures nothing is misunderstood.
- “We’ve had issues with our email open rates after 3 pm, so avoid sending campaigns then.” This matters because it prevents wasted effort on ineffective campaign timing.
- “Our users get confused when there are more than 3 steps in checkout.” This matters because it directly informs the design choices for usability.
- “We don’t have a dedicated line for testing, but we can reallocate $5,000 if needed.” This matters because it clarifies the budget flexibility and avoids surprises later.
- “The marketing team prefers slides with minimal text, more visuals.” This matters because it shapes how presentations are received and avoids unnecessary revisions.
- “Our last vendor promised weekly updates but never delivered on Fridays.” This matters because it helps set clear expectations and avoid repeating past mistakes.
- “Customers keep calling support because the shipping tracker is unclear.” This matters because it points directly to a pain point that affects customer satisfaction.
These are small, throwaway comments, but they make a huge difference when you’re preparing a proposal or delivering work.
Using transcripts also means I’m not have to ask the client to repeat themselves. I don’t lose track of details. And I can share the exact words with my team, so nothing gets lost in translation. You can even upload these transcripts to a Google Notebook or an LLM notebook and ask it questions to understand the client’s personality, needs, preferences, and communication style, which makes it easy to share a full wrap-up of the client intricacies with your team.
I wish I had made this a habit years ago. If you haven’t been using transcripts properly either, start now. It changes how you work in ways you don’t notice until you see it in action.