Do you end every conversation with an action?

A friendly call that ends with "Great chat, talk soon" often goes nowhere. Nobody owns the next step, and a week later the client is still waiting.

End every conversation by agreeing on an action: who does what, and by when. Then confirm it in writing.

Agree on the next step before you hang up

Summarize the action and check the other person agrees. For example: "So I'll send you the updated quote by Friday, and you'll check it with your manager."

Then send an "As per our conversation" email so you both have a record. If the plan changes after you send it, send a v2.

❌ Figure: Bad example - Nobody knows what happens next, or when

✅ Figure: Good example - A clear action, an owner and a time, agreed before the call ends

Use YakShaver to record software decisions

If you're at your computer and the conversation is about software, share your screen and record it with YakShaver. It turns the walkthrough into a clear PBI or email, so the decisions and next steps are captured without writing them up by hand.

What to action after a call

Here are some more examples of typical things you action after a call:

• Send an Outlook appointment for any meeting you agreed
• Add or update the contact in your CRM
• Hand the enquiry to the right person, with your notes
• Create a task or PBI and start work
• Book a follow-up call or reminder in your calendar

On Teams calls, AI meeting notes can capture the agreed actions for you.