Sales call review: 5 notes to write first

A

Key takeaways

• Jump to moments: Use the "jump to moment" feature to get up to speed on any call without watching it from the start, as described by Gong.
• Summarize pain points: For each pain point, provide a 1-2 sentence description, following the guidance in Outreach.
• Capture priorities: Provide a 3-5 sentence summary of the prospect's stated priorities, as recommended by Outreach.
• Quantify impact: Note why it matters to them, such as "Team spending 10 hours/week on this," as described by Outreach.
• Assess context: Recognize when call context is insufficient to assess who controlled the flow, or if the call type doesn't require rep control, as defined by Outreach.

B

How to review a sales call recording for coaching in under 10 minutes

A repeatable review process starts by identifying the rep’s role, since reps can be Account executives (AEs) or Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) according to Gong. Knowing the role helps you set the right coaching focus for the 1:1. The goal is to use platform features to surface evidence quickly, so you can discuss specific moments rather than general impressions.

To keep the review under ten minutes, focus on the sections of the call that directly impact the deal stage. You do not need to listen to every minute of audio. Instead, use the platform’s navigation tools to locate key interactions. This approach allows you to prepare targeted feedback for your team’s Sales One-on-One Agenda for Coaching Software Sellers.

When you open a recording, look for the segments where the rep handles objections or discusses next steps. These moments often reveal skill gaps or strengths that need reinforcement. By isolating these parts, you can discuss them with the rep using concrete examples from the call. This method supports consistent coaching across your team, regardless of how many calls you review each week.

If you are building a library of examples for your team, consider how you file these recordings. You might categorize them by skill type or deal stage. For more on organizing these assets, see Example sales calls: File them in 2 library areas.

C

A filled reference table: call review capabilities by platform

Check which platform features are available in your current setup before starting your review.

D

How to jump to key moments in a call without watching the full recording

Managers often face long recordings that require significant time to process. Instead of listening to every minute, you can use platform features to locate specific segments. According to Gong, the "jump to moment" feature allows you to get up to speed on any call without watching it from the start.

To use this effectively, identify the specific coaching point you need to address. For example, if a rep struggled with handling a pricing objection, you do not need to review the entire discovery phase. You can navigate directly to the section where the objection occurred. The platform’s structure supports this by allowing you to skip to the relevant moment, saving the time you would have spent listening to the full recording. This approach ensures your review is focused and efficient.

When preparing for a 1:1, use this feature to pull up the exact clip where the skill gap is visible. This provides concrete evidence for your feedback. You can pause at the specific moment to discuss what the rep said and how they responded. This method aligns with the goal of delivering evidence-based coaching, as you are referencing the actual audio rather than relying on memory or secondhand reports.

By using the jump-to-moment function, you reduce the time spent on review. This allows you to dedicate more of your 1:1 time to discussion and action planning. You can quickly cycle through multiple calls if you are reviewing several reps, using the same efficient method for each. The key is to use the tool to isolate the relevant segment, so your feedback is precise and grounded in the specific interaction.

Open your call recording platform, select a recent rep call, and use the jump to moment feature described by Gong.

E

How to use call summaries and briefs to prep for coaching

Before your 1:1 coaching session, leverage automated tools to gather context efficiently. According to Gong, you can open the Briefs tab to read the summary for this call. This feature provides a condensed view of the conversation, allowing you to grasp the key points without listening to the entire recording. Use this summary to identify the main topics discussed and the rep's overall approach before you sit down with the team member.

For managers seeking to accelerate their review process, Aircall offers specific capabilities. According to Aircall, AI Assist helps sales and customer support managers review calls twice as fast, gain business intelligence from conversations, and drive team performance.

According to Aircall, these insights allow them to pinpoint relevant calls and review them twice as fast. By using the summary to locate the most important segments, you can prepare targeted questions for the rep. This method ensures that your coaching time is spent on high-impact areas. When you combine the Gong brief with the Aircall AI Assist insights, you create a robust pre-coaching routine.

To implement this in your workflow, start by generating the summary for the specific call you plan to review. Read the brief to note any obvious strengths or gaps in the rep's delivery. Then, use the AI insights to identify which parts of the call warrant deeper discussion. This preparation allows you to enter the 1:1 with a clear agenda and specific examples. You can then guide the rep through a structured review, using the summary as a reference point. This approach makes your coaching more consistent and evidence-based.

F

How to review objections, follow-ups, and rep behavior using platform tools

Assessing pain points, prospect priorities, and action items requires specific documentation standards to ensure coaching feedback is grounded in call evidence. The following items define how to structure these observations using documented platform outputs.

1. Pain point descriptions. For each pain point identified during the call, provide a 1-2 sentence description according to Outreach. This concise format allows you to quickly reference the specific issue the prospect raised without re-listening to the entire segment.

2. Prospect priorities summary. Provide a 3-5 sentence summary of the prospect's stated priorities according to Outreach. This summary captures what the buyer explicitly valued during the conversation, giving you a clear baseline for evaluating whether the rep addressed those specific concerns.

3. Quantified impact. When documenting why a pain point matters, include the specific impact on the prospect, such as "Team spending 10 hours/week on this" according to Outreach. Quantifying the issue helps you assess whether the rep effectively communicated the value proposition relative to the prospect's stated problem.

4. Flow control assessment. Evaluate who controlled the flow of the conversation by checking if the call context was sufficient to assess this dynamic according to Outreach. Note that if the call context is insufficient to assess who controlled the flow, or if the call type does not require the rep to control the flow, such as a customer success check-in, this metric may not apply according to Outreach. This distinction prevents you from penalizing reps for call types where controlling the flow is not a required skill.

5. Action items for follow-up. Review the action items highlighted in the call recording, which highlight next steps mentioned during the call to support follow-up according to Aircall. These items provide a concrete list of commitments made during the call, allowing you to verify whether the rep captured all necessary next steps for the subsequent follow-up sequence.

Pair those next steps with Coaching follow-up tasks with 5 evidence checks.

Use these five documented outputs to structure your coaching notes before the 1:1 session.

G

How to share scoring results

Configure scorecard visibility to control who sees performance data. Fathom states that you can grant or restrict visibility of scorecards at the meeting-type level, ensuring sensitive coaching data is visible only to intended hosts and admins Fathom. This setting allows you to limit access to specific roles within your team.

Understand the intended scope of your scoring tools. Fathom notes that AI Scorecards are designed to score internal employees, such as sales reps or interviewers, against a defined process, and are not intended to score external attendees like prospects Fathom. Keep this distinction in mind when setting up your review criteria.

Access individual performance details for deeper coaching. Fathom explains that Team Admins can click on each user’s name to open the scorecard view for that user, allowing a more detailed look at individual performance and trends Fathom. Use this view to identify specific skill gaps for your 1:1 sessions.

Define your scoring scale clearly for consistency. Avoma specifies that there will be a minimum of 1 question to be evaluated with 5 (Green) being the best and 1 (Red) being the worst Avoma. This scale provides a standardized way to measure rep performance against key metrics.

Recognize the purpose of scorecards in your workflow. Avoma describes scorecards as tools used by sales teams to track and measure their performance against key metrics and targets Avoma. Align your coaching objectives with these tracked metrics to ensure relevance.

Consider the potential impact of structured coaching. Avoma reports that companies with dynamic coaching programs achieve 28% higher win rates Avoma. While this statistic highlights the value of consistent coaching, focus on your specific team's metrics and goals.

To begin, open your platform's scorecard settings and adjust visibility permissions for your next coaching cycle.

H

Illustrative example of five notes before a 1:1

A manager has 10 minutes before a 1:1. They do not play the call from the start. They write 2 sentences on one pain point. They write 3 sentences on the priorities the prospect stated. They note an impact of 10 hours in a week. They mark flow control as not ready to judge because the call is a check-in. They list 2 next steps named on the call. Those 5 notes are what they bring to the 1:1.

Open one recent rep recording and write the five notes before you meet.

I

FAQ: How to review a sales call recording for coaching

What do action items highlight on a reviewed call?

Action items highlights next steps mentioned during the call to support follow-up, according to Aircall.

How do I review objections or concerns discussed in a sales call?

Review pain points with 1-2 sentence descriptions and quantify impact to understand why it matters to the prospect. This approach helps you assess the specific concerns raised during the conversation.

What tools show a call summary before a 1:1 coaching session?

Open the Briefs tab to read the summary for this call, according to Gong. This provides a concise overview of the call content before your coaching session.

Where do Avoma's default AI scorecards appear?

Avoma shows its default AI scorecards in the AI Scorecards section, according to Avoma.