Use Outlook Copilot to Prepare for Client Calls

What This Does

Outlook Copilot summarizes your email history with a specific client, surfaces prior commitments, and helps you walk into every client call knowing exactly where things stand — without spending 15 minutes digging through old threads.

Before You Start

• You use Outlook through Microsoft 365 (work or business account)
• Your Microsoft 365 plan includes Copilot (check with your IT or manager — it's available on Microsoft 365 Business Standard and above with a Copilot add-on)
• Cost: Included in Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription (~$30/user/mo)

Steps

1. Find Copilot in Outlook

Open Outlook (desktop app or Outlook on the web). Look for the Copilot button — it appears as a sparkle icon in the upper right of the Outlook toolbar or in the sidebar. Click it to open the Copilot panel on the right side of the screen.

What you should see: A Copilot chat panel opens on the right side of Outlook.

Troubleshooting: If you don't see the Copilot icon, your plan may not include it. Check with your IT admin or manager. You can also access similar functionality through Microsoft Teams if your firm uses it.

2. Summarize email threads with a specific client

In the Copilot panel, type a request like: "Summarize my recent email exchanges with [Client Name or email] for the past 30 days. Focus on: what candidates we submitted, any feedback they gave, any action items they requested, and any commitments I made."

What you should see: A structured summary of your email history with that contact, organized by topic.

3. Ask for talking points before the call

Follow up with: "Based on this history, what are the top 3 things I should address on my call with them today?" or "What did I promise to follow up on that hasn't been resolved yet?"

What you get: A pre-call checklist — unresolved commitments, pending feedback requests, and suggested conversation topics. Review before dialing.

4. Draft a pre-call agenda if needed

For longer or more formal client calls, prompt Copilot: "Draft a short agenda for a 20-minute check-in with this client based on the email history. Focus on pipeline status, any open feedback items, and any new opportunities to discuss."

What you should see: A structured agenda you can reference during the call or share with the client in advance.

Real Example

Scenario: You have a 10am call with a healthcare client you've been working with for 8 weeks. You submitted 4 candidates, 2 interviewed, 1 was declined, and there was some back-and-forth about compensation expectations. You want to be prepared without digging through email.

What you type in Copilot: "Summarize my last 60 days of email with [Client Name]. What candidates did we submit, what was their feedback, what are any outstanding action items?"

What you get: A 5-bullet summary: two candidates still under review, one declined with the stated reason, a comp discussion that ended without resolution, and a client request from two weeks ago for "more junior options" that you haven't addressed. You now walk into the call aware of everything — and you can address the unresolved comp question proactively.

Tips

• Run this review 10 minutes before each client call — even clients you know well. It catches dropped threads you've forgotten about.
• If Copilot misses something important, prompt it to "search my emails for anything about [specific topic] with [client name]."
• Use the "What did I commit to?" prompt especially for high-value accounts where dropped promises damage the relationship.

Tool interfaces change — if a button has moved, look for similar AI/magic/smart options in the same menu area.