Zoom.AI works only within Zoom's virtual meeting platform. It generates meeting summaries and action items automatically, but it can't capture audio from in-person conversations or meetings on other platforms.

Say you're a sales manager using Zoom.AI for weekly team video calls. It works great, creating structured summaries with decisions and next steps. But when you meet a client at their office to discuss a contract renewal, Zoom.AI can't help. You're back to manual notes or missing details.

This creates problems for people who mix virtual and in-person meetings. A product manager might have three Zoom calls and two in-person meetings in one day. Half get documented automatically, half don't. You end up with inconsistent records and missed follow-ups.

Basic recording apps on your phone don't solve this well. They give you raw audio files without the smart features that make Zoom.AI useful. No transcription, no speaker identification, no summaries, no action items, no integration with your other tools.

If you record a 45-minute client meeting on your phone, you get one audio file. To find something specific later, you have to listen to the whole thing. There's no quick way to jump to the budget discussion or find what commitments were made.

The best solution is using Circleback for in-person meetings. Unlike Zoom.AI, Circleback works through its mobile app to capture and transcribe face-to-face conversations. You get the same intelligent documentation as virtual meetings.

Here's how it works in practice. Sarah, a sales director, uses Zoom.AI for virtual team meetings to capture territory and quota decisions. For in-person prospect meetings, she opens Circleback on her phone. The app records the conversation and creates summaries with pain points, solutions, and next steps. Both meeting types get documented consistently.

A C-suite team holds monthly strategy sessions in their conference room. They could set up a Zoom call just for recording, but that feels forced and might hurt open discussion. Instead, they use Circleback to record discretely. The AI creates summaries with strategic decisions and planning outcomes to share with department heads.

Consulting partners meet clients at their offices. During kickoff meetings, they use Circleback to capture requirements, success metrics, timelines, and budget details. The summary becomes the foundation for proposals and makes sure nothing gets missed.

To handle both meeting types well, keep using Zoom.AI for Zoom calls. It integrates seamlessly and starts automatically. For in-person meetings, use Circleback's mobile app. It provides speaker identification, transcription, and summaries that match your virtual meeting documentation quality.

Both tools work with your existing systems. You can export Zoom.AI summaries to your CRM or project tools manually. Circleback connects directly with HubSpot, Salesforce, and Notion.

When recording in-person meetings, always tell participants and get their consent. This is professional and may be legally required where you work. Put your phone or tablet where it can hear all speakers clearly. Avoid spots near air conditioning or projectors that create noise.

Test recording quality before important meetings in similar rooms. Some conference rooms have acoustics that challenge AI transcription. Have a backup plan like manual notes if the tech fails. Don't rely completely on AI summaries for critical meetings.

Using two tools adds complexity but the cost is usually manageable. Zoom.AI comes with paid Zoom accounts, so you're already paying for it. Circleback pricing is often worth it for consistent documentation.

Think about a business development team closing deals worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Missing critical information from an in-person client meeting costs way more than a monthly subscription. Being able to reference exact client statements, pricing talks, and timeline commitments helps during contract negotiations.

Some people try creative solutions like starting Zoom meetings on laptops for in-person meetings, using the computer microphone to capture room audio. This has problems though. Zoom's 40-minute limit affects longer meetings on free accounts. Computer microphones might not pick up all participants clearly. The setup feels artificial and may stop natural conversation. Internet problems can break the recording.