Why You Need a Call Notes App (The Science of Forgetting)
“I don’t need to write that down, I’ll remember it.”
This is the biggest lie we tell ourselves.
As professionals, we handle dozens of conversations a day. Yet, we rely on biological hardware (our brains) that evolved to remember where berries are, not to remember phone numbers or project deadlines.
The “Forgetting Curve”
Hermann Ebbinghaus, a German psychologist, discovered the “Forgetting Curve”.
- Immediately after a call: You remember 100% of the conversation.
- 20 minutes later: You remember only 58%.
- 1 hour later: You are down to 44%.
- 1 day later: You have lost 67% of the information.
If you don’t document the call during or immediately after the call, two-thirds of the value of that interaction is lost forever.
The Cost of Forgetting
What happens when you lose that 67%?
- You look unprofessional: Asking a client to repeat themselves signals that they aren’t important to you.
- You lose revenue: Forgetting to follow up is the #1 reason leads go cold.
- You increase stress: Your brain works overtime trying to “hold” information in working memory, leading to cognitive fatigue.
The Tool: A Call Notes App
A Call Notes App acts as your external hard drive. It bypasses the Forgetting Curve.
By offloading the information to a secure, digital format linked to the contact:
- You free up mental RAM.
- You ensure 100% recall accuracy weeks or months later.
- You impress clients with your “perfect memory”.
Conclusion
Don’t fight your biology. Use tools that support it. Installing a Call Notes App is a small tech change that yields massive psychological and financial returns.