I want to share a secret with you to help you nail the nuances of a client’s natural speaking voice:

Record the call and work from the transcription.

This isn’t:

• “Cheating”
• Unethical
• Or you short changing the client

No, this is a skill I recommend all ghostwriters learn so they can speed up their writing process AND create quality work for their clients.

Why?

Because ghostwriting from a blank page is hard.

When you’re staring at a blank page, you are tasking yourself with “inventing the client’s voice” out of thin air—like magic.

And as much as we would all love to believe we are capable of such wizardry on command, the truth is, you don’t have to. A much easier approach is to hop on the phone with a client, record the call, and then get the call transcribed (using a software service like Rev.com or any of the emerging AI tools that can do this in seconds).

But what happens if your client doesn’t have the time to hop onto a call with you?

You work with their library of content:

• YouTube videos
• Keynote speeches
• Listen to their podcast (or podcasts they’ve been on)

Take the recording and get it transcribed.

(And if you want to know the 5 non-writing skills I recommend you learn as a ghostwriter, check out this post.)

But why work with a transcription instead of trying to distill their content using your own words?

There’s 3 big reasons:

Reason #1: The transcription is 90% “approved language.”

When you start with a blank page, you run the risk of sending something to a client and having them snap back and say, “I wouldn’t say it like that.”

But when you work from a transcription, you are working from things the client said out of their own mouth. Sure, every once in a while they might backtrack and decide, “I actually don’t want to say that,” but 90% of the time, you’re working with already approved language.

This makes your job much easier.

Reason #2: When a client says something perfectly, you don’t want to have to try to recreate it.

I can’t tell you how many times this has happened to me as a ghostwriter.

I’d be talking to a client on the phone, and then all of a sudden they’ll go on a rant, channeling the universe. And even though I’m typing quickly and taking notes, sometimes that perfect turn of phrase will fly past me—and when I try to “recreate it” on my own, I can’t. The way they said it was perfect. These are the moments you are going to thank yourself for recording the call.

It’s much easier to “go find that thing they said” than it is to recreate their genius.

Reason #3: Working from a transcription puts more emphasis on the client’s insights, and less emphasis on your talents as a “ghostwriter.”

The honest truth is most clients don’t like the idea of hiring a ghostwriter—because the term “ghostwriter” implies they didn’t create the thing all by themselves.

It’s not logical, it’s emotional. Which is why a huge part of my pitch as a ghostwriter was that we recorded the calls and worked off transcriptions: “That way, your voice stays intact.” This was the golden phrase of reassurance.

And if your client trusts you, they’re more likely to reveal more interesting stories, frameworks, and lessons—and what you ghostwrite for them becomes 1,000% more valuable.

When you approach ghostwriting this way, what you end up learning is that your job isn’t really to “write.”

It’s to edit, chop down, and organize.

A transcription is like a giant, messy, wet lump of clay.

It’s full of:

• Ummm’s and ahhhh’s
• Tangents and side stories
• And a collection of little words like “but I think and that’s really why so many do to be honest” (these sound reasonable in conversation but look ugly on paper).

Which means your job isn’t to add more.

It’s to hack away at the clay, get rid of everything that isn’t relevant, and then organize and polish up what’s left. And, eventually, you’ll find yourself doing it intuitively in conversations with clients—your brain deciding, in real time, what’s worth keeping and what’s worth throwing away.

Now, to get this process up and running in your own ghostwriting business, here’s some important tips to remember:

• Tip #1: Tell clients you are recording the call. Some will even ask you to record it for their own benefit. But it’s important to make it clear what you’re doing (”Alright I’m going to hit record now”) so they are at least aware of the red blinking light. Every once in a while a client will tell you a story and then say, “I know we’re recording but don’t use this.” And in some cases, a client might even ask you to pause recording while they explain the context or backstory of something to you that may contain sensitive information. All part of being a ghostwriter!

• Tip #2: Record video calls (Zoom), phone calls, and even in-person meetings. Zoom is the easiest because you can also store all the files in the cloud. If the client wants to chat on the phone you have two options: 1) send them a recorded line number, or 2) get scrappy and put your cell on speakerphone and record the audio on your laptop (yes, I’ve done this hundreds of times). Even for in-person meetings, I recommend pulling out your phone and asking if you can record the conversation. Open a voice note, hit record, and place your phone face down in the middle of the table like a reporter (not face up, otherwise the client will stare at the “recording in progress” the whole time and overly censor themselves—you want them to forget about the phone after 5 or 10 minutes).

• Tip #3: Send the client the recording and transcript after each call as well. As you build relationships with your clients, most will just trust you and not really care about this. But especially for new clients, and as you are building new relationships, you want to start things off on the right foot and send them each call recording & transcription—if for no other reason than just for transparency’s sake.

And this goes without saying, but you cannot and should not share the recording or transcript with anyone, anywhere else, without their written permission.

Privacy is a core principle in the world of ghostwriting, but it’s also just a good rule of thumb for working with clients in general. Default to asking their permission before you do something that involves their language (this also goes for testimonials, using their company logo, referencing your work together, etc.).

So, if you’ve been struggling to nail your client’s voice, then I highly recommend using transcription. It will make your life easier AND increase the quality of the work you deliver to your client.

That’s it!

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