Why it helps
The meeting went well. Everyone agreed on a few things. A week later, nobody remembers quite what, and the actions have quietly stalled. A short follow-up email the same day fixes that, but it's easy to put off when you've got back-to-back meetings.
AI can turn your rough meeting notes into a tidy email with the decisions, the actions, who owns each one and the dates. It takes a couple of minutes, and it gives everyone a written record to point back to.
The prompt
Copy it, swap the bits in [square brackets], and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot.
I've just had a meeting with a client. Turn my notes into a short follow-up email to send to them today. - NZ English. Friendly and professional. Short. - Start with a one-line thanks. - Then three short sections: What we agreed, Actions (as a table with Action, Who, By when), and Next meeting or next step. - Use only what's in my notes. Don't add decisions, actions, owners or dates that aren't there. If an action has no owner or date, write "TBC" and list it at the end as a question for me. - Write it as if it's from me to [client name]. My notes: [paste your meeting notes]
Then keep chatting
Make it more formal, it's going to their board.
Make it shorter, just the actions table and one line either side.
Write a quick internal version for my team with only our actions.
Turn the actions into a checklist I can paste into my to-do app.
Step by step
- Straight after the meeting, jot down what was decided, the actions, who's doing each and any dates mentioned.
- Copy the prompt, fill in the [square brackets] and paste your notes.
- Read the draft. Check every decision, owner and date matches what was actually agreed, and fill in any TBCs.
- Remove anything that was said in confidence or shouldn't be in writing.
- Send it from your usual email, ideally the same day, and pop the actions in your own calendar or task list.
Worked example
Example details are made up. Your results will vary, so always read and check before you use them.
Watch out for
- Check every decision, name and date against what was actually said. AI can turn "maybe" into "agreed" if your notes are vague.
- Privacy: leave out anything sensitive, like staff issues, health information or personal details shared in the meeting. Don't paste confidential client documents into a free AI tool. See privacy.org.nz for the Privacy Act 2020.
- If the meeting changed price, scope or deadlines, make sure the email says so clearly. It may become your record if there's a disagreement later.
- If your organisation has a policy on using AI with client information, follow it.
Go further
Make it a habit: follow-up email sent before you leave the car park. If you take notes on your phone, you can paste them straight in. If your video calls produce a transcript, you can paste that in instead of notes, but check it carefully, transcripts get names and numbers wrong.
