Short answer: To capture a client, interview, or sales call, record it in CraftNote (or upload an existing audio or video file), and it produces a transcript with speaker labels plus a structured summary of decisions, action items, and owners — and you can ask it questions, translate it, and export it. Always get consent and follow your local call-recording laws before you hit record.
Interviews, client calls, phone calls, and sales conversations share the same problem: the useful details are spoken once and easy to lose. The goal isn't a wall of text — it's a clear recap you can act on. Here's how to record, transcribe, and summarize each type of call, and how to do it responsibly.
Recording and Summarizing Calls
How do I record and summarize a client call?
Record the client call directly in CraftNote, or upload an existing audio or video file, and it produces a transcript plus a structured summary that pulls out decisions, action items, and owners. You can ask the note a plain-language question later, then translate or export it. Always tell participants you're recording and follow your local call-recording rules before you start.
Recommended next step: record or upload the call, then review the summary's action items before you send your recap. Teams that run a lot of these can set it up from the CraftNote for professionals page.
How do I transcribe a recorded phone call?
Upload the phone call recording to CraftNote as an audio or video file and it transcribes the conversation with speaker labels, so you can see who said what. From there you get a summary, a clean transcript, and exports to PDF or DOCX. Recording laws vary by location, so confirm you have consent before recording any phone call.
Recommended next step: upload the recording, check the speaker labels against your notes, then export the cleaned-up transcript. Interviewers can start from the CraftNote for researchers page.
How do I record and transcribe a sales call?
Record the sales call in CraftNote or upload the file afterward, and it transcribes the conversation and builds a summary with the next steps, owners, and any decisions made. You can translate the notes into other languages and export them for your follow-up. Let the prospect know you're recording and follow local call-recording requirements first.
Recommended next step: capture the call, turn the summary's next steps into owned tasks, and send the recap within 24 hours while it's fresh.
Recording Responsibly and Improving Transcript Quality
- Tell everyone they're being recorded and get their agreement; check the call-recording laws that apply where you and the other people are.
- Use a quiet room and a decent microphone or headset — background noise is the biggest cause of transcript errors.
- Ask people not to talk over each other, so speaker labels stay accurate.
- State names early ("Thanks for joining, Maria") to make the transcript easier to follow.
- For phone or video calls, record close to the source rather than through a speakerphone.
- Review the summary's action items and owners before you share the recap.
What Makes a Useful Call Recap
A good recap isn't the full transcript — it's the part people will actually use. After the call, lead with the decisions made, the action items with a clear owner and due date, and any open questions. Keep the transcript attached for reference, but put the next steps at the top so nobody has to scroll to find what they agreed to.
Common Questions
Do I need consent to record a call?
As a practical rule, tell everyone on the call that you're recording and get their agreement before you start. Call-recording laws differ by country and state — some require everyone's consent, others only one person's — so check the rules that apply to you and the other participants. This is a general practice reminder, not legal advice.
Can CraftNote transcribe calls in other languages?
Yes. CraftNote transcribes your recordings and can translate the resulting notes into more than 80 languages, which helps when you work with international clients or interview subjects. Audio quality, accents, and crosstalk still affect how clean the transcript is, so a quick review before sharing is always worth the minute it takes.
What file types can I upload for a call?
CraftNote works with audio and video recordings, and you can also bring in PDFs, YouTube links, and phone call recordings. Once a file is in, you get the same transcript and structured summary as an in-app recording, so it doesn't matter whether you captured the call live or saved it somewhere first.
Whether it's a client check-in, a research interview, or a sales call, the workflow is the same: record with consent, let CraftNote handle the transcript and summary, then act on the next steps. See more on the professionals and researchers pages, or browse the FAQ for details on supported files.
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