Yes, note taking is the foundation for any sales opportunity but frankly, you can apply this to anything you do. Taking good notes will also help you learn the product and industry better. It will help you retain the information and understand and remember the needs of your customers better. Taking good notes and using the 5 R’s below will also help you make your CRM entries cleaner and more concise. These notes should be used as a tool. Something you refer back to, and find value in. It will help you have better conversations with your customers and prospects. 

1. RECORD: Simply stated, take down the information most important.  For me, I try to jot down all I can. You have to build your skill on what to write down so at first…. Take it all down.
2. REDUCE: Directly after your interaction, do a fast summary of the call to identify the most important information. Reduce your notes to eliminate a lot of the fluff and info that is not really pertinent.
3. RECITE: This can apply to the sales opportunity but can also be impactful when you are learning about the product or the industry. We learn when we recite things over and over. This would even help in your 30-second elevator pitches — The more you recite your elevator pitch, the more you remember it and the more you become comfortable with it. After a few times, it will feel like second nature to you. 
4. REFLECT: In a sales environment, this is where I would start to mesh my notes into how I can personally help the prospect. Reflect on the pain points and goals to understand how your product and services can help them. This is important to maintain alignment. 
5. REVIEW: Review your notes before the next call or the proceeding e-mails you will send to your clients. This will refresh your memory about where you are, and where you’re going in your next conversation. Again, this will keep you in alignment. When you’re in alignment, you don’t have to sell your product or service so much as you begin to sell solutions to problems. When you get to that point, the product sells itself. 

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