Use Otter.ai to Capture Appointment Notes Automatically

1. Go to otter.ai on your computer
2. Click Sign Up Free and create an account with your work email
3. Download the Otter.ai app on your smartphone from the App Store or Google Play

What you should see: Your Otter dashboard with a Record button and an empty transcript history.

Before using it with clients:

1. Open Otter on your phone
2. Tap the red microphone button to start recording
3. Have a 5-minute practice conversation about anything
4. Tap stop — Otter will transcribe within 1-2 minutes
5. Review the transcript to see how accurately it captured your speech

What you should see: A text transcript that's 85-95% accurate. Learn the transcript interface: you can click any word to hear the audio at that point, which helps correct errors.

Configure a few settings to improve note quality:

1. In Otter settings, add yourself and common clients to the Speaker Recognition list — this helps Otter correctly label who is speaking
2. Create a custom vocabulary in settings with insurance terms: "whole life," "term," "beneficiary," "rider," "underwriting," "face amount," "CSV" — this dramatically improves accuracy on insurance-specific language

For in-person appointments:

• Place your phone face-up between you and the client with Otter recording
• Disclose: "I'll be taking notes — I use a transcription tool to make sure I don't miss anything"
• Most clients appreciate the thoroughness

For Zoom/phone appointments:

• On Zoom: Otter has an integration that automatically joins your Zoom meetings and transcribes — connect it in Otter's settings under Integrations → Zoom
• On phone: Hold your phone near your computer speaker or use a speakerphone with Otter recording on a second device

After each appointment:

1. Open the Otter transcript on your computer
2. Click Ask Otter (AI summary feature) or look for the Summary tab
3. Otter generates: key topics discussed, action items, and a brief meeting summary
4. Copy the summary into your CRM (AgencyBloc, HubSpot, or whatever you use) as the meeting note
5. Add any personal observations that didn't come through in the transcript