How to transcribe an earnings call

Earnings calls contain critical financial information that shapes investment decisions. Getting the details right matters enormously - a misheard number or misunderstood strategic point can lead to poor investment choices. While traditional transcription methods struggle with financial jargon, multiple speakers, and technical terminology, modern AI tools now offer a solution that's both accurate and efficient.

Why accurate earnings call transcriptions matter

Earnings calls contain vital financial data, strategic insights, and forward-looking statements that influence investment decisions. A precise transcription ensures:

Access to exact figures and financial metrics

Documentation of management's explanations and projections

Reference material for comparing quarterly performance trends

Compliance with regulatory requirements for information disclosure

Missing key details during these calls can lead to misunderstandings about a company's financial health and future prospects, potentially resulting in poor investment decisions.

The traditional challenges of transcribing earnings calls

Transcribing earnings calls has always involved several difficulties:

Time consumption: Manual transcription of hour-long calls can take 4-5 hours
Technical terminology: Financial jargon and industry-specific terms are easily misinterpreted
Multiple speakers: Distinguishing between executives, analysts, and moderators
Accent challenges: Global companies often feature executives with varied accents
Quality issues: Background noise and poor connections affect comprehension

Introducing AI-powered transcription with Circleback

Modern AI transcription tools like Circleback offer significant improvements for earnings call transcription. Circleback provides:

State-of-the-art transcription accuracy

Circleback delivers high accuracy, even with financial terminology and different accents. The platform supports over 100 languages, making it suitable for international earnings calls from global corporations.

For example, when a CFO states, "We're projecting a 12.7% increase in EBITDA with a corresponding margin expansion of 85 basis points," Circleback captures these precise figures rather than approximating them as "about 13%" or "around 80 points."

Speaker identification

One of the most useful features for earnings call transcription is speaker identification. Circleback automatically distinguishes between different participants, clearly labeling when the CEO, CFO, analysts, or moderators are speaking. This clarity is essential when reviewing who made specific statements or commitments.

Automatic organization of key information

Beyond simple transcription, Circleback organizes the content into:

Notes: Summarized key points from the call
Action items: Commitments made by executives during the call
Insights: Critical financial data and strategic plans highlighted separately

For instance, when a CEO mentions, "We'll be releasing our updated five-year strategic plan in Q4," Circleback can automatically flag this as an action item for follow-up.

Step-by-step guide to transcribing an earnings call

1. Setting up for the call

Before the earnings call begins:

Ensure you have Circleback set up on your device
For virtual meetings, connect Circleback to your video conferencing platform
For in-person listening, use Circleback's recording feature

2. During the earnings call

Focus on listening and understanding the discussion rather than taking notes:

Let Circleback handle the transcription automatically
Pay attention to the discussion's nuances and context
Mark moments of interest for quick reference later

3. Post-call analysis

After the call concludes:

Review the complete transcript provided by Circleback
Examine the auto-generated notes for a concise summary
Check the captured action items for follow-up points
Use the AI assistant to ask specific questions about the call content

For example, you might ask, "What capital expenditure is planned for next quarter?" or "Did they mention any changes to their dividend policy?"

4. Sharing and integration

Circleback allows you to:

Send transcripts and notes to meeting participants
Integrate with CRM systems like Salesforce and HubSpot
Update databases in tools like Notion with key information
Create tasks in project management tools based on action items

This integration ensures that insights from earnings calls flow directly into your existing workflows and decision-making processes.

Advanced features for financial analysis

When transcribing earnings calls specifically for financial analysis:

Custom insights tracking

Configure Circleback to automatically track and highlight specific financial metrics across multiple earnings calls, such as:

Revenue growth percentages
Profit margin trends
Customer acquisition costs
Geographic market performance

For example, an investment analyst might set up Circleback to highlight anytime a company mentions "China market share" or "supply chain disruptions" across multiple quarterly calls to track these issues over time.