Imagine that you are invited to the White House for dinner and instead of using the proper fork for your salad, you use a spoon. It is obvious that a spoon would not be an appropriate utensil for a salad, not to mention inappropriate dinner etiquette. So why do most lawyers use inappropriate dictation etiquette? The answer is simple, many lawyers do not master the art of dictation. Legal documents are often long and involve very complex language. However, before you are considered a maladaptive dictation, the legal link has identified some useful strategies to help you.
Clarity is an important component when dictating your thoughts for others to transcribe. So locate a quiet space when recording. After identifying a quiet environment, it is important that you speak directly into the device at a slow, clear, and audible level.
When you start speaking, it is imperative that you indicate the type of document you have dictated. Notify the word processor or secretary in advance if you have issued a letter, complaint or agreement. Informing the word processor or secretary of the document type ahead of time allows them to determine the formatting and style settings for the document.
Punctuation is another dictation etiquette flaw experienced by lawyers. Remember, the transcriber is not a mind reader and depends solely on the dictator’s explicit instructions. Here are some basic punctuation commands to help make the process easier: new paragraph, open quote, closed quote, comma, semicolon, section break symbol, paragraph symbol, initial capital letter, all caps, bold , center, underlined. In other words, you need to tell the transcriptionist exactly how you want the text to appear throughout the dictation process.
Spell confusing names. There are several ways to spell many words, for example, Janis or Janice and Lee or Leigh. Spelling difficult or unfamiliar words will save you countless hours of editing when you read the first draft. However, I warn you not to become a spelling enthusiast because it will slow down your productivity.
Effective communication is the art of dictation. The ability to communicate verbally in a clear, concise and effective way will guarantee a final product of high quality and professionalism. Mastering these basic dictation techniques will help the transcriptionist avoid unnecessary errors, while also building a mutual understanding of how you expect your final product.