People often ask whether or not it’s appropriate to take notes during sales calls or meetings.
The simple answer is, “Yes” (with one caveat listed below), and here are a few reasons why:
- Taking notes during sales calls, meetings and important conversations enhances our capacity to listen as we are listening not only with our ears, but also with our sense of touch and vision.
- If done appropriately (see caveat below) the simple act of noting some of the information shared by our audience can have a positive impact on them as it signifies that whatever they are saying is important to us.
- Research shows that when others speak at length, as they might do when answering an open-ended question, listeners’ minds can quickly begin to wander – often thinking about how they will respond or about what they will say next. Note-taking can help us avoid this pitfall, as it keeps us more engaged in the conversation.
- The act of listening should not be confused with possessing a good memory. The notes we take will likely be very useful after-the-fact when we are planning consequential next steps based on the information exchanged during the sales call, conversation or meeting.
However, there is a caveat: the act of note-taking in these environments should not be so detailed that it compromise our ability to maintain eye-contact. We are not recording “meeting minutes” but rather making note of key points, audience priorities, and additional questions we might want to ask.