Why Your Sales Team Should Stop Taking Notes by Hand

Here is a fact – salespeople aren’t good at taking notes. And even if they are, that’s not the highest and best use of their time. When a salesperson is in a meeting, on a discovery call, or out in the field, the goal should be to sell…not scribble.

But what happens after the meeting? That’s where the breakdown starts. Notes are incomplete, CRM updates are half-hearted, and important details fall through the cracks. Follow-up suffers. Forecasting gets shaky. And the sales manager is left trying to coach off fuzzy info and assumptions.

This is exactly where AI notetakers, whether used during Zoom calls, on phone conversations, or worn as tiny devices in person come into play.

There are two types of tools I’m going about here:

•   Apps that join your video calls and transcribe and summarize everything (think Fireflies, Otter, Read).
•   Mobile or wearable tools like Plaud that work during phone calls or in-person conversations.

Both are built to do one thing really well: capture the truth of the conversation. And that’s a big deal in sales.

Most salespeople aren’t skipping notes out of laziness. They’re just trying to stay present, practice active listening, and ask the right questions. But unless they have a steel-trap memory, those key insights tend to disappear once the next meeting starts.

Here’s what using a tool like this does for them:

•   No more juggling note-taking while trying to build rapport.
•   Instant summaries after the meeting – what was discussed, what the next steps are, and what the prospect cared about most.
•   Accurate CRM updates, without the rep spending 15 minutes typing them up from memory.
•   Better follow-up – faster, more relevant, and more consistent.

Bottom line? It frees salespeople up to do what they’re hired to do: have great conversations and close deals.

Now let’s look at the other side. Sales managers need visibility. Real visibility. Not the watered-down version of “yeah, I think the call went pretty well.”

With call and meeting summaries:

•   You know what actually happened in the conversation.
•   You can coach based on real data, not gut feel.
•   You can identify patterns — where deals stall, how objections are being handled, how well reps are positioning your offer.
•   It improves accountability without micromanaging. The proof is in the playback.

When every meeting is recorded, transcribed, and summarized, it levels the playing field. You’re no longer relying on memory or the salespersons interpretation. You’re working with facts. And that helps you make better decisions faster.

Now, before you go throwing a new app or gadget at your team, a few things to keep in mind:

•   Always get permission before recording calls — especially in-person. This isn’t just about legal compliance. It’s about respect.
•   You still need to listen. These tools are great, but they’re not a substitute for paying attention, practicing active listening and thinking critically.
•   Adoption matters. Don’t force it on your whole team overnight. Start with one or two reps who are open to trying new things. Let the results speak for themselves.

I use this in my business. It really helped accuracy and speed! If your team is still relying on memory and scratch pads to manage deals, you’re leaving too much to chance. These tools aren’t just for big enterprise sales teams or tech-forward companies — they’re for any sales organization that wants to tighten up the way they have conversations, build rapport and follow up on actions items.

When used the right way, AI notetakers help your salespeople stay focused, your managers coach better, and your business make more confident decisions.

Want to talk about what this could look like for your team? I help companies build modern, high-performance sales systems — and this is just one tool in the toolbox. Let’s connect.

Want to see what a strong sales manager could do for your business? Let’s talk.

https://calendly.com/anthony-nicks/can-fractional-sales-management-help-me

For more information or to discuss your particular situation contact us at the following…

765-623-5623

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https://transformativesalessystems.com/fractional-sales-manager