Boutdamtime

Client Executive

Call recording software is creepy corporate over reach

call recording software is spying, makes me feel like I'm a prisoner, and I don't like it. why should our corporate overlords have the same power as the NSA?

try and change my mind.

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38 comments

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Notmyrealname

Politicker

It depends what it's used for. We have it for "coaching", but nobody uses it for coaching. Instead I find it useful when I took shit notes or forgot to add them to SF and I can go back and listen again. Obviously can be really abused too which is shit

Pachacuti

Politicker

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

Gong is evil. So glad I don’t have to use it anymore.

Filth

Politicker

Live Filthy or Die Clean

I like it b/c then I can be in the moment on a call and not worry about typing everything out as far as notes. I can review the call after and see if I missed any insights.

In my org, the recordings are used for the sales process not micro managing

TennisandSales

Politicker

Head Of Sales

call recording is just a tool.

its not bad or good its just a tool.

its totally up to how its used!

I would LOVE to have the tool to be able to listen back to demos or calls to make sure I took good notes.

Also it would be great to cut a clip from the call and send it to different people on the team to get their feed back.

@Boutdamtime have you had it used against you? whats your story?

ADudeBeingAGuy

Politicker

Account Executive

Gong doesn't kill people, managers kill people.

Boutdamtime

Politicker

Client Executive

I have only limited experience with it at my last gig and it was used to spy on conversations and wasn’t widely distributed knowledge that we even had it.

For me it’s a moral argument not really a “hey I got fired for calling the owner a douche” story or anything.

SaaSguy

Tycoon

Account Executive

TBH I turn my recorder off most calls and no one seems to have noticed. On the other hand, sometimes a call recording has saved my ass when a prospect said something on a call then later claimed they didnt say that or I lied etc.

Avon

Politicker

Senior Account Executive

Its a nice way for new hires to learn from veteran reps without having to "shadow" calls the traditional way which can make the prospect feel a little awkward. I think it can be overused. I've also seen stuff on linkedin about using it on interviews and that is a huge problem in my eyes.

Dovah

Opinionated

BDR (Business Development Rep)

About using it in interviews, I was literally told that snippets of things I said would be sent to other decision makers in the hiring process. Kinda made me feel uncomfortable

Avon

Politicker

Senior Account Executive

Yeah it would make me feel violated honestly. And if you have a later interview with someone you haven't met yet thats watched your last one it just creates an awkward and almost unfair dynamic.

FattySnacks

Politicker

Senior Account Executive

Gong is the greatest thing that ever happened to my sales career.

That being said I’ve never had someone use it to micro manage me.

aSaaSinator

Good Citizen

Sales Director

Very good point, FattySnacks. I feel the same way about Gong. Yes, it can be hard to hear that you have to change something you are doing, but if changing helps you be better at your job then it’s totally worth it.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Not gonna try. I agree.

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

I've never worried about it because I feel like it's a shitty way to try to spy on me if that was the intention.

I was at a company that had some weird chat app they wanted us to download on our personal phones. The process was fuckin weird to get that thing on my phone because it wasn't in the app store so I did some research.

Turned out that that app was illegal in like 5 countries because it essentially doubled as a spyware giving admins complete and unfettered access to the entirety of the device it was on.

I brought that up to upper management really looking for clarification since I don't like to assume the worst of anyone. I was met with threats of termination if I said anything about it to the other employees.

I told everyone who would listen and put in my 2 weeks.

Anyways, my point is, if your company wants to "spy on you" they aren't going to use a call recording tool.

Boutdamtime

Politicker

Client Executive

This is insane. Thank you for sharing. It’s just wild to me that companies think that because you work for them they get to sleep in your bed at night too. This is what I’m talking about.

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

Yeah they're out there. But that's why I don't worry about call recordings. At the end of the day I'm making legitimate calls so I don't worry about someone finding something they shouldn't in my calls plus it's nice to be able to go back and listen to my calls for notes and evaluations and such.

I'm actually listening to one of my recordings while I write this.

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

What recording tools are you talking about? Something like a line recorder that Yelp uses or Gong as a coaching tool?

Boutdamtime

Politicker

Client Executive

Literally all of them any type of call recording technology that results in my voice landing in a database somewhere

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

Just wear tinfoil before dialing.

Boutdamtime

Politicker

Client Executive

Are you one of those “go ahead and listen to me I’m not doing anything wrong” type people? Do you not care at all about surveillance of any kind?

To me it really is a moral argument. Sure technology has the ability to enhance and improve the human experience but these types of tools are so powerful that it really matters who is in control of them and what they do with them.

And I prefer to wrap my phone in tinfoil before I make calls for the record.

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

No. I’m one of those “control what I can control” people. I’ve never worked for a company that uses the technology when I was a rep, but I’ve leverage it as a coaching tool and enablement tool for sales teams a few times.

If you don’t want to be subjected to it, then find a company that doesn’t use it. However, your voice is on plenty of servers from every customer service call you’ve ever made. What’s so different about your job having that data on you?

unclespacejam

Politicker

ur dad’s brother

Couldn’t agree more with what’s been said here. Totally depends on the intention, or rather I suppose it’s totally dependant on the quality of manager in this case too. It’s a fuckin sick way to be in the moment like @Filth said and not be stressing about getting all of the notes down. I know personally implementing a tool like this has totally enabled me to be hyper focused on what my clients/ prospects are saying, reading body language and feeling way more natural.

E_Money

Big Shot

💰

Yuppppppp I don't want to change your mind.

Boutdamtime

Politicker

Client Executive

You just get me E 🥹

DungeonsNDemos

Big Shot

Rolling 20's all day

Would you rather have to sit in live for each call as you ramp/train to learn how it's done? Or would you rather be able to watch a call as much as you want, as often as you want?

Boutdamtime

Politicker

Client Executive

I’d rather shadow a rep and do a side by side 100%.

Sweetlue

Fire Starter

Enterprise Account Executive

It’s actually pretty sick. I had Gong and Chorus… it can instantly identify the difference between your best and worse people.

If you a killer, you won’t mind it. Just takes notes and makes you look good.

That said, I have no idea how Gong is in business. Salesloft and Outreach can add the on for a marginal cost increase… only a matter of time till people realize it’s all basiclly the same.

Justatitle

Big Shot

Account Executive

All depends on how it is utilized. If it’s strictly used for coaching then great but it can easily become a micromanagement tool.

Blackwargreymon

Politicker

MDR

Gong is evil. So glad I don’t have to use it anymore.

Corpslovechild

Politicker

Inbound Sales Manager

What are you saying to prospects that is so bad?

Boutdamtime

Politicker

Client Executive

Just the typical stuff like “if you sign today I’ll put my clothes back on” etc

TaxMyCommish

Enterprise AM

If you view it as evil and try to hide from it then it will be evil. If you view it as a tool to help you hit your number by making it easier to take notes, to learn the best of best from good calls, correct the worst of worst from bad calls then it will help you. As reps we have so much to focus on. My advice would be to embrace it and focus your effort and energy on the things you can control to get better and hit your goals.

Boutdamtime

Politicker

Client Executive

Respectfully, no I disagree. I think you’re giving these corporations too much credit. I guess we just think about and value privacy differently.

TaxMyCommish

Enterprise AM

Definitely two sides to it. Depends on how management uses it. I’m in a position where I can turn it off if I want to and we’re not micromanaged. If the situation changes and it’s being used to babysit then I’ll start looking for a new gig.

aSaaSinator

Good Citizen

Sales Director

I understand the feeling, but if the question is why should they have the right then I would say it is because it is their equipment, their phone, their long distance bill, their computer, their company, etc. They want you to be your best so they and you can make a lot of money. That being said, it does make you second guess your every move when it feels like someone is staring at you (not blinking, of course 😬👁)

deviler

Executive

Enterprise Account Executive

SaaS Selling is the last high-paying profession that big brother is touching. Learn to live with it.

MR.StretchISR

Politicker

ISR

Can you not export the info into a file?

Clashingsoulsspell

Politicker

ISR

I hate anything that duplicates process efforts. Logging things in two different places etc. Too many examples to list, but I guarantee every sales person ever has experienced something like this.

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