Skype is an amazing tool! Many of my blog readers and customers already know about Skype. They often use it to video chat with long-distance family.
However, there’s so much more you can do with Skype.
One of the most overlooked features is recording calls with Skype. For some strange reason, Skype doesn’t come with call recording capabilities out of the box. That means you need external software to do the recording while you’re on a skype call or video chat.
Since I’ve yet to figure out how to clone myself, Skype has become my go-to for communicating with my team.
While I’m running the EZ Trading Computers business, I’ve got to be in a lot of places at once. My team is spread out all over the country. Our headquarters is in Florida. I have a warehouse in the Midwest, with a team there. And then my tech support team, computer builders, sales staff, marketing administrators, and programmers are spread all over the contiguous U.S.
The other day, I was in a meeting with my marketing team. They were brainstorming ideas while on a Skype conference call. I didn’t want to miss a beat, so I booted up my Skype call recorder. After the meeting, I sent out the replay of our call. We got even more ideas as we re-listened to the call.
Recording Skype calls has become so valuable to me that I thought I’d share a few tips and tools I’ve discovered for doing the recording.
(One quick sidebar… Always disclose to people you are recording a call in advance.)
When to Use Skype Call Recording
Calls with long distance family and relatives – Replay the memory later, or capture great stories to include as part of your family history.
Important business phone meetings – Record calls with your lawyer, accountant, etc., especially when there are critical tasks to remember.
Trader Interviews – Seek out the advice of other successful traders, investors, and business people. Record the calls. Build up a library of training and advice for yourself. (It’s much easier than you would think to find people to interview.)
Coaching Calls – If you have a trading coach, business coach, or life coach, use Skype to place the call and record it.
Trading Clubs – Trading is a lonely business at times. If you’re in a trading group, and you meet via phone on a regular basis, record the calls. Send out the replay to all the members. (By the way, if you don’t have a group of traders to be accountable to, I recommend finding one.)
Recommended Tools for Skype Call Recording
Here are two good options for recording Skype calls – one free and one paid.
Option #1 (free): MP3 Skype Recorder
This free tool is very straightforward. Install it. Open Skype. Open MP3 Skype Recorder. Then, run the software side-by-side with Skype.
I use this tool every week. Having tested it on Windows 7, 8, and 10, I can vouch for it. It’s stable, reliable, and free of viruses. (Of course, you must run the proper security on your computer at all times.)
Option #2 (paid): Callnote PRO
For most of my readers and customers, option #1 is perfect. But if you need more features than just Skype recording, check out this second, paid option: Callnote PRO.
Callnote PRO allows you to make a recording, or note, out of anything. With the free MP3 Skype Recorder, you can easily record Skype calls at no cost. With Callnote PRO you can record so much more: webinars, Facebook live videos, Google Hangout video feeds, and so on.
For traders, the most valuable feature is being able to record training webinars. There are other ways to record webinars, but CallNote PRO recognizes the video and audio from Gotowebinar and Webex. Gotowebinar is the most common platform for webinars in the trading and financial education niches.
A Mac-only Option: Ecamm Call Recorder
Although I only recommend PC’s for trading, I realize some of you use Mac or iOS-enabled devices while you’re traveling. In that case, you may want to look at this Mac-only app: Ecamm Call Recorder. Some of my staff has used it with great success.
Another Use for Skype
One last tip about Skype. Everyone knows Skype is a free-to-low-cost solution for global calling. What you may not realize is you can purchase a monthly subscription to transform Skype into your VOIP (voice-over-IP) phone. They’ll even assign you a number that looks like a landline, with a local area code like ‘954’.)
Skype is often more convenient to use than a phone while you’re traveling. You keep everything in one place. You can even make and accept calls from your mobile phone through Skype. (A smartphone is required.)
The benefit is this: your people have one number where they can reach you on all your devices, at all your destinations. And, you have one central location for all your contacts.
Conclusion
I always say that if you’re going to use a tool, it pays to learn and use its full capability. Take advantage of the tips and tools I’ve listed here, and start getting more out of Skype.
There are more trading computer tips like this in our buyers guide. Check out our “How To Buy a Trading Computer” e-book.
We hope today’s Quick Tip helped you. If you found this helpful, you’ll want to check out the other computer How-To’s I’ve created on this page. You can always call us if you have questions: 800-387-5250