When you have an important business meeting in the diary, making sure everyone is properly prepared is incredibly important. One element of preparation that many people don’t consider is recording the meeting for transcription purposes. Or how important the quality of the recording is to get the very best results.
There are a number of reasons why recording a meeting makes excellent business sense – we’ve covered these in a couple of previous blogs “Tips for an effective business meeting” and “Keeping a record of your AGM”. In this blog we’ll take a look at why getting a record of an important meeting is key. We’ll also look at what you should consider in advance to ensure you get the very best out of the recording. This is especially important when you’re recording a meeting for transcription.
Why you should record your meeting
- Never miss a meeting – recording a meeting and transcribing it delivers maximum benefit from the meeting itself. Even if someone hasn’t been able to attend on the day itself, they won’t miss out on that vital content.
- Avoid the need to take notes – letting everyone know before the meeting begins that it’s being fully recorded and all content will be provided to them after the event means attendees can concentrate fully on what’s happening at the time. No distractions. No missing out on what someone’s said because of writing notes.
- Long lasting learning material – having a record of a meeting provides so much insight into the journey that’s been taken to reach a decision. It’s a stake in the ground. You can see what stage you were at before the meeting, what was discussed and then look at what conclusions have been reached as a result. It’s a great reference point, especially for those very important decisions for your business.
- Valuable resource for the future – the old adage “knowledge is power” becomes even more mighty when that knowledge is shared. Making your record of an important meeting available to staff means they have access to that insight whenever they need it. It means they don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time and can find answers to any issues themselves as they arise. It can act as an added training bonus for staff.
So now we know why a meeting should be recorded! The team at FSTL have had years of experience of attending and recording meetings. We have bespoke portable recording equipment that we can transport to your meeting at a moment’s notice! This leaves you free to organise your meeting, whilst we record and log the proceedings so you have a permanent record of what was discussed.
Often we are asked how to get a good quality recording, so here are our hints and tips for you!
Our top tips to get the best recording
- It’s all in the quality – the quality of the recording is vital. Great quality provides the best chance of being able to hear what’s been said. This saves time when content is transcribed. Recording on mobile phones or tablets is not to be recommended!
- Have a defined meeting host – the host can then control how the meeting runs. They’ll need to be mindful of the recording and ensure that it runs smoothly.
- Crisp and clear – it’s worth reminding any speakers before the meeting commences that they need to speak clearly and try to enunciate. Otherwise what they’re saying may not be discernible in the recording.
- Think about the mic placement – where you put the microphone or your recording device makes a difference. Aim for the centre of the room to get the best chance of hearing speakers. Too far away from someone will mean their voice may be too faint, and too near will make their voice boom!
- Communicate the “rules” at the outset – depending on the style of the meeting, there may be potential for people to start speaking all at once. If the meeting descends into this, it will be very difficult to be able to decipher who is saying what, or even what is being said. At the outset of the meeting ask that people try not to speak at the same time. You can suggest a common action (such as raising a hand) which will suggest to the meeting host that someone wants to interject. The host can then control the interjection at the right time.
- Get all speakers to say their names out loud – it makes it much easier to identify each speaker from a recording if they’ve given their names right at the beginning. Even better, ask them to say a few words after their name. This helps the person transcribing the recording ensure that they attribute the right content to the right speaker. This is especially important when you have a number of people involved.
- Banish distractions – you’d be surprised how even the most innocuous of noises can create issues with a recording. Shuffling paper, typing, even low level speaking the background can be magnified in a recording. Even something as simple as the air conditioning can affect the sound quality. Before you begin the meeting make sure you assess the surroundings to establish any potential issues and try to eradicate them.
Once you have the recording, the best way to gain maximum value from the meeting is to have it transcribed. Outsourcing your transcription to FSTL will ensure a fast turnaround and peace of mind that the recording has been handled accurately and precisely. If you’d like a quote to have your event recorded and transcribed, please contact us so we can discuss your requirements and help you get the best from your meeting.