How to Prepare for a Meeting in Two Minutes with Catch-Up Briefs

Key Takeaways

• Good meeting prep answers three questions: what did we last discuss, what was promised and what needs a follow-up?
• Voicerec's People list is built from the speaker names you set in your transcripts.
• A catch-up brief summarizes your recent recordings with someone before you meet, with links to the moments it's based on.
• Combine briefs with Ask to dig into anything you want to know before the meeting.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• A Two-Minute Prep Routine
• People: Everyone You've Recorded With
• Catch-Up Briefs
• Go Deeper with Ask
• Putting It Together
• Recording with Respect
• Conclusion

Introduction

You're about to join a call with a client you last spoke to three weeks ago. What did they ask for? Did you promise to send something? Was there a decision you were supposed to check? Most of us either skip the prep or spend fifteen minutes digging through notes and emails.

This guide gives you a two-minute prep routine and shows how Voicerec's People and catch-up briefs do most of the work for you.

A Two-Minute Prep Routine

Before any recurring meeting, a 1:1 or a client call, answer three questions:

1. What did we last discuss? The main topics, so you can pick up where you left off.
2. What was promised, on either side? What you owe them and what they owe you.
3. What needs a follow-up? Open questions, decisions to confirm and anything that changed since.

Write the answers in two or three bullets. That's enough to start the meeting with confidence: "Last time you mentioned the rollout to the second team. How is that going?"

People: Everyone You've Recorded With

In Voicerec, the People list is built from the speaker names you set in your transcripts. Name a speaker once and that person appears in People, with a page that lists the recordings you've made together.

• Naming is quick. On iPhone, Voicerec suggests speaker names when people introduce themselves on the recording.
• This is me. Mark yourself, so you're not listed as one of your contacts.
• Hide. Hide anyone you don't want in the list.

Catch-Up Briefs

On a person's page, tap Catch me up. Voicerec writes a short brief from your most recent recordings with that person: what you last discussed, what was promised and what to follow up. Each point links to the moment it's based on, so you can hear the exact words before the meeting.

Catch-up briefs are part of Premium. After new recordings with the person, tap Catch me up again for a fresh brief.

Go Deeper with Ask

A brief covers the essentials. When you want more, ask about your meetings with that person directly: "What did she say about the budget?" or "Which features did they ask for?" Ask answers from your recordings with that person and links to the exact moments. Read more in Ask Your Recordings.

Putting It Together

1. Record your recurring meetings on your iPhone, or on your Mac for video calls. See how to record calls on a Mac.
2. Name the speakers after the first meeting with someone.
3. Use a template that fits: One-on-one for 1:1s, Sales / client for client calls. See our guide to summary templates.
4. Before the next meeting, open the person, tap Catch me up and read the brief.
5. Ask anything the brief doesn't cover.

Recording with Respect

People and briefs only work if you record your conversations, so make sure the people you record know about it and agree. Consent rules differ between countries and states. Our article Is It Legal to Record Conversations? covers the basics.

Conclusion

Good prep is the difference between "remind me where we were?" and picking up exactly where you left off. With Voicerec, the recordings you already make become a short brief before every meeting: what you discussed, what was promised and what to follow up.

Frequently Asked Questions