If you’re tired of the never-ending game of "who said what, when?" across Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success, you’re not alone. This guide is for anyone who’s tried to align GTM teams with endless meetings and disjointed docs, and come away feeling like you’re herding cats. We’re going to get practical—no fluff—about how to use Charma shared notes so your teams actually stay on the same page (literally).
Why Shared Notes (and Why Charma)?
Let’s be real: half the battle in GTM alignment is just keeping everyone updated and not duplicating work. Shared notes are the digital version of a whiteboard you all can see and edit—except you don’t have to decipher anyone’s handwriting. Charma’s shared notes aren’t magic, but they are built to cut down on confusion, make updates visible, and keep conversations moving.
If you’re already on another tool (Google Docs, Notion, etc.), you might be wondering why bother. The short version: Charma’s notes are designed for teams working together on meetings, action items, and follow-ups—not just for dumping info. If your goal is less about writing essays and more about getting stuff done, it’s a good fit.
Step 1: Set Up Shared Notes for Your GTM Team
Before you start, decide who actually needs to be in the loop. Too many people = noise. Too few = stuff falls through the cracks.
How to get started: - Create a workspace or group in Charma for your GTM folks (Sales, Marketing, CS, Product, whoever needs in). - Set up access: Only invite people who are directly involved. Don’t default to “invite all”—it just leads to clutter. - Decide on the main use cases: Is this for weekly pipeline reviews, campaign planning, customer handoffs, or all of the above? Make it clear.
Pro tip:
Don’t try to boil the ocean on day one. Start with one or two key meetings or workflows where shared notes will actually help.
Step 2: Agree on Simple Note-Taking Rules
Nothing kills collaboration faster than a wall of text or a notes section that’s just random thoughts. Set a few ground rules:
- Use bullet points, not essays.
- Tag owners for action items (e.g., “@Alex to follow up with ACME Corp by Friday”).
- Date everything that matters (e.g., “Next review: 2024-07-01”).
- Keep running lists for recurring topics (like “Open questions” or “Blocked deals”).
What to skip:
Don’t turn shared notes into a dumping ground for every single idea or stray thought. If it’s not actionable or useful for the group, leave it out.
Step 3: Make Notes the Source of Truth in Meetings
Here’s where most teams mess up: everyone has their own notes, and nobody knows which doc is the “real” one. If you’re using Charma, make the shared note THE doc you all use in the meeting.
How to do it: - Open the shared note at the start of each meeting. Don’t wait until after. - Take notes live, together. If folks are shy, assign a notetaker and rotate. - Capture decisions, owners, and deadlines as you go. Don’t leave it for the end when everyone’s rushing to log off.
Pro tip:
If it’s not in the shared note, it didn’t happen. Hold the line on this, or you’ll end up back in chaos.
Step 4: Use Charma’s Features That Actually Help
A lot of tools throw in bells and whistles nobody uses. Here’s what’s actually handy in Charma for GTM collaboration:
- Action Items: Assign tasks directly from notes and track them in the same place.
- Comments: Ask questions or clarify something right in the note, instead of a 20-email thread.
- Templates: Set up a meeting notes template so you’re not reinventing the wheel every week.
- Integrations: Sync with your calendar so the right note pops up with the meeting (no more digging).
What to ignore:
Don’t get caught up in formatting or making things look pretty. The goal is clarity, not winning a design award.
Step 5: Keep Notes Updated Between Meetings
Shared notes aren’t just for meetings—they should be living docs. Here’s what works:
- Update status and action items as things move.
- Ping teammates for updates in the note, not by email or Slack. Keeps context in one place.
- Archive or close out old notes: Don’t let outdated docs pile up.
Watch out for:
Over-documenting. If it’s a quick update, do it. But don’t force people to write essays or weekly “status reports.” Nobody reads them anyway.
Step 6: Review and Improve—Don’t Overthink It
You’re not going to get this perfect on the first try. The point is to actually make collaboration easier, not add more process for the sake of it.
Check in as a team every month or so: - What’s working in the notes? - What’s just noise? - Is anything falling through the cracks?
Trim what’s not useful and keep what is. Don’t be afraid to ditch sections or templates that nobody uses.
Honest Takes: What Works, What Doesn’t
What works: - Keeping everything in one place, visible to all. - Assigning owners and due dates in real-time. - Using notes as the agenda and follow-up tracker.
What doesn’t: - Letting everyone do their own thing. You need basic rules. - Creating too many separate notes for every little topic. - Expecting shared notes to replace all real conversation. They’re a supplement, not a silver bullet.
Ignore: - Fancy formatting, emoji overload, or “note police” who want to document every breath.
Keep It Simple—And Iterate
Shared notes in Charma won’t solve all your alignment headaches overnight, but they can cut down on miscommunication and lost action items if you use them well. Start small, keep it simple, and tweak as you go. The less friction you add, the more likely your team is to stick with it. And if something’s not working? Kill it and try something else. No tool is going to do the work for you—but with a clear, shared approach, you’ll at least know who’s doing what, and when. That’s half the battle.