Sales coaching only works if you know what’s actually happening on calls—not just what your reps remember or write down in the CRM. If you’re a sales manager, team lead, or even a solo founder trying to get better at sales, you’ve probably wished for a way to see exactly what’s being said (and how). That’s where Quackdials comes in.
With call recording and transcription baked in, Quackdials lets you skip the guesswork and focus on the stuff that actually moves deals forward. This guide will walk you through using these features to make coaching more targeted, useful, and a whole lot less painful—for you and your team.
Why Bother with Call Recording and Transcription?
Before we get into the how-to, let’s be honest: not every tool that promises to "revolutionize sales coaching" is worth your time. But call recordings and transcriptions are a rare exception. Here’s why:
- You get the truth, not just a summary. It’s easy for reps (and managers) to forget or misremember what was actually said.
- You can spot patterns, not just flukes. One bad call doesn’t matter. Five calls with the same objection? That’s a coaching moment.
- Feedback gets specific, not vague. “Ask better questions” is useless advice. “Here’s how you handled pricing—let’s try a different approach” actually helps.
- Reps can self-coach. If they’re open to it, listening back to their own calls is a fast way to improve.
It’s not magic, and it’s not going to turn every rep into a superstar overnight. But it’s a step up from “just wing it and hope.”
Step 1: Set Up Call Recording (Without Freaking Out Your Team)
First things first: turn on call recording in Quackdials. But don’t just flip the switch and hope for the best. Here’s how to do it right:
- Enable recording in your Quackdials admin settings.
- Usually, this is a toggle. Make sure it’s on for the right numbers or users.
- Double-check local call recording laws. (Seriously. Don’t wing this part. At minimum, let people know calls are recorded.)
- Tell your team—before they find out by accident.
- Explain why you’re recording calls. “We’re looking to help everyone get better, not play gotcha.”
- Make it clear these aren’t for micromanagement. If you’re using recordings to look for reasons to fire people, expect pushback and resentment.
- Decide who gets access to what.
- Not every call needs to be public. Set permissions so only the right people can review sensitive calls.
Pro tip: If you want buy-in, ask reps if there are specific calls they want to review together. Lead with curiosity, not criticism.
Step 2: Make the Most of Transcription (But Don’t Trust It Blindly)
Quackdials automatically generates transcripts for recorded calls. That’s huge—no more scrubbing through audio or relying on memory. But let’s get real:
- Transcription accuracy is good, but not perfect. Accents, jargon, and background noise can trip it up.
- Don’t use transcripts as “gotcha” documents. Use them as a coaching tool, not a court transcript.
Here’s how to use transcripts well:
- Review the transcript right after the call.
- Scan for key moments: objections, pricing talk, buying signals, awkward silences.
- Don’t just look for “mistakes.” Also spot what worked—did the rep build rapport? Did they ask a sharp question?
- Use search to speed things up.
- Look for keywords like “budget,” “timeline,” or “next steps.”
- This is a lifesaver when you’re reviewing multiple calls.
- Jump to the matching audio.
- If something in the transcript doesn’t make sense, click to listen to that part of the recording.
- This keeps coaching grounded in reality, not just the AI’s best guess.
What to ignore: Don’t get hung up on every “um” or awkward pause. Focus on the big stuff that actually affects deals.
Step 3: Build a Simple Review Rhythm (and Stick to It)
If all you do is occasionally spot-check calls when something goes wrong, you’re missing most of the value. Instead, set up a basic, repeatable process:
- Choose a sample of calls to review each week.
- Don’t try to listen to everything. Three to five calls per rep per week is plenty.
- Mix it up: pick one “best” call, one “average,” and one “needs work.” Or let reps nominate calls they’re proud of.
- Block time on your calendar for reviews.
- If you don’t, it won’t happen. Simple as that.
- Use a coaching framework.
- Pick a few things to focus on (e.g., “Did the rep ask discovery questions? Did they handle objections without getting defensive?”)
- Don’t try to fix everything at once. One or two points of feedback per review is enough.
- Share feedback quickly and directly.
- No one wants to hear about a call they did three weeks ago. The sooner, the better.
- Use real examples from the call: “At 12:34, you handled the budget objection really well. Can you do more of that?”
- Encourage self-review.
- Ask reps to listen to their own calls and bring questions or ideas to coaching sessions.
- This can be uncomfortable at first, but it’s where real growth happens.
Pro tip: Don’t over-formalize. A 10-minute review with specific feedback beats a 60-minute “coaching session” that never gets to the point.
Step 4: Use Calls for Group Learning (But Don’t Create a Culture of Shame)
One of the best things about having a library of recorded (and transcribed) calls is you can highlight what good sounds like. Just don’t turn it into an excuse to dunk on people.
- Play “highlight reels” in team meetings.
- Share a 30-second clip where a rep nails a tough objection, or recovers from a mistake.
- Ask for group input.
- “How else could we have handled this moment?”
- Keep it positive.
- Publicly praise what worked. Save detailed critiques for 1:1s.
What to avoid: Never play “worst call of the week.” That kills trust fast. Focus on learning, not embarrassment.
Step 5: Track Progress, Not Just Problems
The point of all this isn’t to catch reps messing up—it’s to help everyone get better over time. Here’s how to make that real:
- Document key themes you’re seeing.
- Are certain objections coming up over and over? Are reps consistently skipping next steps?
- Set micro-goals for each rep.
- “Ask at least three open-ended questions per call.”
- “Pause for two seconds after the price.”
- Use recordings and transcripts to show progress.
- “Compare this week’s call to last month’s—hear the difference?”
- Celebrate wins.
- Improvement is the goal, not perfection. Point out when someone’s clearly leveling up.
What works: Tying specific feedback to actual calls. Vague encouragement (“just keep it up!”) doesn’t move the needle.
What to Ignore (and What to Watch For)
- Don’t try to automate all coaching. AI summaries are tempting, but they miss nuance. Human review matters.
- Don’t obsess over call “length” or script adherence. Results matter more than rigid processes.
- Do watch for burnout. If reps feel like they’re under a microscope, you’ll get less honesty and more stress.
If you start small, focus on real conversations, and keep the process simple, you’ll get way more out of Quackdials’ call recording and transcription than any “all-in-one sales coaching platform” promises.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Sales coaching gets easier when you’re not guessing what happened on calls. With call recording and transcription, you don’t have to. Don’t overthink it: start by reviewing a few calls each week, share honest feedback, and let your team’s improvement do the talking. The tech is just a tool—what matters is using it to have better conversations, both with prospects and with your team.