---
id: KB-MA-017
url: https://app.codecontract.io/help/marta/asking-live-during-a-meeting
idioma: en
categoria: marta
audiencia: usuario
nivel: intermedio
actualizado: 2026-08-13
tambienEn: [es]
relacionados: [KB-MA-011, KB-MA-016, KB-MA-009]
citadoPor: [KB-MA-019]
---

# Asking live during a meeting

_Looking things up while someone waits changes what to ask and what to say out loud._

**Responde a:** look up data during a client call · finding information in a meeting · answering an auditor live · using the ai while talking to someone

One of the things that most impresses in a call is answering on the spot something that normally requires "let me check and get back to you". You can, and there are two or three precautions that separate looking good from looking bad in front of whoever is on the other end.

## What to ask live and what not

| Yes, live | Better afterwards |
| --- | --- |
| What is this supplier missing? | Does this meet what the client requires? |
| When was it sent and what did they reply? | How much has this account cost us? |
| What expires for this company this quarter? | Should we accept this condition? |
| What happened last time with this order? | Any figure going into a contract |

> [!IMPORTANT]
> The right column is not about it being unable to answer: it is that **an answer said out loud in front of a third party becomes a commitment**. If you quote an amount or assert compliance in a meeting and the nuance turns out to be different, you have already said it — and correcting afterwards costs far more than having said "let me confirm and write to you".

## How to ask when you are in a hurry

1. **With the identifier in front of you** — The tax ID, order number or exact name: live, there is no time to rephrase three times.
2. **One thing at a time** — Two short questions are answered sooner than one with four conditions.
3. **And separating what is recorded from what you infer** — "It shows delivered on the 4th" is a fact; "so they already have it" is your conclusion.

> [!WARNING]
> The nuance that avoids the bad moment: **before saying a figure out loud, check where it comes from**. If it was looked up — a date, a status, a send — say it with confidence. If it is a summary or a comparison, say it as such: "I'm getting…, I'll confirm in writing". The other side cannot tell the difference when they hear it, but they will remember if it later does not match.

## Where it pays off most

**En corto**

- In a call with a supplier claiming they already sent something.
- During an audit visit, to locate a specific file without keeping anyone waiting.
- In an internal meeting, so you do not leave with five things "to check".
- And in a negotiation, to arrive with the history rather than with memory.

The last changes outcomes most: going into a renegotiation knowing how many incidents there were last year is a different conversation from going in with a feeling that there were a few.

> [!NOTE]
> Every query is an action and consumes, including those made mid-call. It is little and usually worth it; what does not pay is rephrasing the same question five times live because the identifier was not ready.

**Can I show the answer on screen to the client?**

Careful: it may contain other parties' data. Better to read out what is needed.

**What if it answers something that clashes with what I know?**

Trust your knowledge and check afterwards: live, do not argue with the tool.

**Is it useful during an inspection?**

For locating things fast, yes. To assert compliance, answer with the document in front of you.

## Ejemplos

**A supplier calls saying they sent a certificate the company does not have.**

- They check the send status and what was received, live
- They state what is recorded, without over-concluding

→ The call ends with the fact on the table instead of an "I'll check and get back to you".

**A figure is needed in a meeting and nobody has it.**

- Asks there and then

→ The meeting is not postponed over a figure.

**It is answered from memory and turns out to be another.**

- Checks before asserting

→ What is said is true.

**The live question is too broad.**

- Narrows it to the file or the period

→ The answer arrives in time.

**The screen with the answer is shared.**

- Checks what else is visible before sharing

→ Nothing extra is shown.

**After the meeting there is no record of what was consulted.**

- Records the decisions in the file

→ The meeting leaves a trail.