The template
CLIENT MEETING NOTES
Client: [name / company] Contact: [name, role]
Project: [name] Date: [date]
Attendees: [names]
WHY THEY CAME TO US
[Their problem in their own words, one or two lines]
GOALS
- [What success looks like to them]
REQUIREMENTS
- [Must have]
- [Nice to have]
CONSTRAINTS
- Timeline: [dates, hard deadlines]
- Budget: [figure or range], status: [confirmed / hinted / unknown]
- Technical or legal limits: [...]
DECISIONS (agreed in the meeting)
- [Decision]
IDEAS MENTIONED (not agreed)
- [Idea, who raised it]
RISKS AND DEPENDENCIES
- [What could block us, who we depend on]
WHAT I PROMISED
- [Action] by [date]
WHAT THEY PROMISED
- [Action] by [date]
OPEN QUESTIONS
- [Question to resolve before the proposal]
NEXT STEP
[Next meeting or deliverable, with date]Questions for discovery calls
Use these prompts if the conversation stalls:
- What prompted you to look for help now?
- What does success look like in six months?
- Who else needs to approve this?
- What have you already tried?
- What is fixed, and what is flexible: date, scope, budget?
- What would make you say no to a proposal?
Why "what they promised" matters
Most notes track what you will do. Projects stall on what the client owes: copy, access, feedback, approval. Writing their commitments down, with dates, gives you something specific to chase.
Use it with MeetMemo
MeetMemo's AI notes follow a similar structure, including requirements, decisions kept apart from ideas, budget references, risks and unresolved questions. See AI meeting notes and searchable meeting history. Read how to prepare client meeting notes for the before-and-after workflow.
Common mistakes in client notes
- Recording only your own tasks. The client's commitments decide your schedule.
- Writing "budget: 40k" when they said "around forty". Keep their wording and mark the status as hinted.
- Mixing ideas and decisions. If a suggestion was not agreed, it belongs under ideas.
- Leaving notes unshared. A short confirmation email after the call turns notes into an agreed record. Use the follow-up templates.
- Skipping the next step. End every note with a dated next action.
A fast version for short calls
For a 15-minute check-in, keep only four lines: decisions, what you promised, what they promised, next step. You can expand it later if the call turns out to matter.