AI notetaker etiquette: A practical guide for client meetings

Picture this: You’re in the middle of a client call, and they’re sharing a challenge or walking you through their goals. You want to give them your full attention, but you’re also trying to jot down notes so nothing gets lost.

That’s where an AI notetaker can help. An AI notetaker is a tool that joins your online meetings and uses artificial intelligence to record, transcribe, and pull out key points and next steps.

AI meeting assistants are becoming more common as AI technology evolves. But not everyone is comfortable with them yet, and meeting etiquette is still catching up. Some clients welcome the convenience, while others may be more cautious.

Because trust and relationships are at the heart of your work, how you introduce new tools matters just as much as the tools themselves.

In this guide, we’ll share practical tips for bringing a notetaker into client meetings while keeping the experience comfortable for everyone.

Your notetaker is for your clients, too

An AI notetaker isn’t there just to take a task off your plate — it can help clients get more out of your meetings, too.

Adding a notetaker to your meetings means you don’t have to multitask, so your clients get 100% of your attention. Everyone is fully present and engaged for better conversations and stronger connections.

After the meeting, you get a recording and recap of what was discussed, what decisions were made, and what comes next. You can share meeting summaries and action items to keep everyone on the same page and stop details from falling through the cracks.

“The notetaker helps me remember the commitments that I made during a discussion or negotiation and provides a record of the commitments that people made to me.”

Kyle Caldwell

Partner at Wizard of Ads

Let’s say you’re a marketing consultant. An AI-powered meeting assistant can capture details like which channels your client decided to focus on, making it easy to follow up with recommendations at your next check-in. And when you share the recaps with your client, they have an easy way to pass your recommendations along to their broader team.

“I have a clear view into what my clients need because I can track conversations and ask Notetaker for details to prep for recurring meetings.”

Ashley L. James

Founder of ALJ Digital LLC

If you’re a coach or trainer, recordings and recaps can even become part of your service offering. Clients get more than the live meeting; they walk away with something they can return to whenever they want to revisit techniques, exercises, or conversations you covered together.

When you’re confident you’re making the most of your notetaker, it’s easier to explain its value to clients and make it feel like a natural part of the meeting. 

How to use your AI notetaker in a comfortable, professional way

You know how your clients can benefit from your notetaker, but how do you actually talk to them about it? Here are some tips for using AI in client meetings while keeping things professional, personable, and comfortable for everyone.

First, a quick note: You know your clients best. These tips and templates are a jumping-off point; tailor them to work for your business. And if you work in a highly regulated field, please make sure to look into the legal requirements for your industry and location.

Set expectations early

Most AI notetakers will show a notification when attendees join, letting them know the meeting is being recorded and asking them to opt in.

If your clients are likely to be familiar with transcription tools or AI assistants, that notice is probably enough. But if there's a chance they haven't encountered AI note-taking tools before, you may want to let them know ahead of time that you’ll be using one so they’re not caught off guard.

“I'm pretty transparent about my use of the AI notetaker. My clients with whom I have regular meetings already know that I use an AI notetaker. When I have a meeting with a new client, I let them know.”

Monique Reece

CPA at Reece Accountancy

You can mention your notetaker in your calendar invite, booking page, and/or reminder emails. At the beginning of the meeting, give a quick overview of how and why you’re recording.

“I like to make sure everyone knows the purpose of taking notes. Everyone should know notes are being taken and be offered access to the recap information.”

Kyle Caldwell

Partner at Wizard of Ads

Here are some ways to give clients a heads up:

On your booking page or in a calendar invite:

“I’ll be using a notetaker during our conversation. You’ll see a notification when it’s active, and you can always let me know if you’d prefer not to use it.”

In a reminder email:

“Looking forward to our call! Before we meet, I wanted to let you know that you’ll see my AI notetaker on the call. I use the notetaker to record and summarize our conversation so I can give you my undivided attention and document our next steps more easily.”

At the beginning of the meeting:

“I’m using a note-taking tool so I can focus fully on our conversation. Let me know if you’d like me to share the recording and summary with you after this.”

When in doubt, ask

Like we mentioned above, most notetakers ask meeting participants to opt into being recorded at the start of the call.

But you might also want to ask for explicit consent ahead of time, especially if your client is:

• Meeting with you for the first time

• Unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the use of AI

• In a highly regulated industry

You can say something like:

“I use an AI notetaker to stay present and keep track of everything we discuss. Are you okay with me using the notetaker in our meeting?”

Pro tip

If you use an online scheduling tool, you can get ahead of this by adding the above as a custom question on your booking page. That way, if they say yes, you’re all squared away ahead of time and can jump right into the meeting.

Choose which meetings your notetaker joins

For use cases like planning sessions, reviews, or check-ins, AI notetakers help capture key themes and next steps to keep everyone aligned.

But there may be times when you’d rather not record and transcribe a meeting. For example, a meeting where a client shares confidential information, or a conversation that touches on sensitive topics. Some notetaker tools let you remove them from specific meeting types and individual events, so you stay in control and keep clients comfortable.

Be transparent about privacy and how meeting recordings are used

Clients may ask about privacy and data security, especially if they haven’t encountered AI assistants before. Let them know how you plan to use the recordings and recaps, and have your notetaker’s documentation handy in case they have questions about how the system stores and uses meeting data.

For example, you could say something like:

“These notes are just for me to make sure I remember and follow up on everything we talk about. They’re stored securely and not shared with anyone else.”

If you work in a more regulated industry, handle sensitive information, or have clients who highly value privacy, you can share more info about how your notetaker handles data protection. (Make sure what you’re telling clients matches your notetaker’s documentation.)

Share recaps in a helpful and personal way

Most clients don’t need (or want) a full AI-generated meeting transcript. Instead, pull out the pieces that help them move forward: key takeaways, decisions, and next steps.

A few things to keep in mind:

Review before you share. Even the best notetaker will sometimes capture extra detail you don’t need. Trim the recap so it highlights only what matters.

“Here’s a quick summary of the key points and next steps from our call. Let me know if you’d like the full meeting notes.”

Keep it action-oriented. Focus on action items rather than sending a wall of text. Who’s doing what, and when?

“You’ll upload onboarding documents by Wednesday, I’ll send the proposal draft by Friday, and we’ll review final pricing next Tuesday.”

If you’re a coach, you could frame those next steps as “homework” so clients have something clear to work on before your next session.

Add a personal touch. Use the recap as a chance to show you heard what mattered to your client.

“Thanks for walking me through your Q2 goals today — I highlighted those in the recap so we can revisit them next time.”

You can also pull out a specific snippet to spark a deeper conversation.

“I can clip a snippet, send it back to the client, and say, ‘Hey, love this feedback, can you elaborate on this?”

Toshi Jones

Founder and Managing Partner at Basilica

Clear communication = client trust 

Used thoughtfully, an AI notetaker doesn’t replace the human side of your work; it supports it. It makes it easier to stay present in the moment, follow up more effectively, and give clients confidence that nothing will slip through the cracks.

When you set clear expectations, ask permission when needed, and share recaps with care, the notetaker becomes a natural part of the client experience. It shows clients you value their time, their trust, and the relationship you’re building together.

The technology will continue to evolve, and so will the etiquette. But the foundation of great client work — clear communication and trust — will always stay the same.