Using and upgrading your dictation system

By Martel Electronics · Published October 28, 2026 · 14 minute read

Effective correspondence dictation gives the secretary two things: the words intended for the document and clear instructions for preparing it. Problems arise when those two kinds of speech blend together. A secretary should not have to guess whether “please check that address” belongs in the letter or is an instruction to the person typing.

This guide presents an original, practical dictation routine for a lawyer working with a secretary. It covers preparation, spoken structure, corrections and the return of a draft. The examples are fictional office exercises, not legal advice or ready-to-send correspondence. The author remains responsible for the document’s substance, review and release.

Begin by defining the assignment

Before speaking the body of the letter, identify the assignment through the office’s agreed system. State the document type, intended recipient, relevant reference and the template or format to use. Give the requested return time for the draft and explain whether supporting material is already available in the approved location.

Do not make the secretary infer these details from the first paragraph. “Please prepare a letter from the following dictation” is a start, but it may still leave the recipient, reference and review route unclear. A brief structured opening can prevent several later questions without adding much recording time.

Keep the identifying information consistent with the filename or job identifier. In a fictional exercise, the audio might begin “Training assignment TEST-041, a draft appointment letter.” That same identifier should follow the recording, the secretary’s questions and the returned draft.

Choose the workflow before choosing the words

Human transcription means the secretary listens to the recording and prepares the document. Speech recognition means software produces draft text that someone must check. These workflows may use different speaking conventions and correction tools. Tell the recipient which process is expected instead of assuming that a recorder or foot pedal automatically generates text.

Martel’s Dictaphone Machine, SKU 1843-2, supports a described physical handoff: the lawyer records and the secretary uses the matching cradle, foot pedal and headset for playback. The SKU 405 lawyer and secretary package provides a recorder and computer-transcription equipment. Both require a clear assignment and a review process.

For a broader equipment decision, use the dictation machine buying guide. The speaking routine below is designed around a human secretary, so its instruction phrases should not be assumed to be commands understood by every speech-recognition application.

Prepare a short outline before recording

Gather the source information needed for the correspondence: the correct recipient details, the purpose of the communication, the points to include and any approved template. Make a brief outline in the order the reader should encounter those points. This is preparation for clear dictation, not a requirement to write the whole letter first.

Check names, dates and figures against the appropriate office records before recording them. A beautifully captured incorrect number still produces an incorrect instruction. If something remains unresolved, identify it as a question rather than speaking a guess with the same confidence as a verified detail.

Separate the intended message from background thinking. You can record working notes if that is the assignment, but tell the secretary when the recording is an outline to develop rather than exact wording to transcribe. A draft letter and a thinking-aloud memo call for different kinds of work.

Use a clear boundary between instructions and document text

Agree on a small set of spoken signals. For example, “Instruction for the secretary” can introduce a preparation note, and “Begin letter text” can mark the document’s wording. At the end, “End letter text” returns the recording to instructions. These are suggested human conventions, not standardized software commands.

Use the boundary consistently. If you interrupt a sentence to discuss formatting, tell the secretary where the document text resumes. Otherwise, a natural conversational phrase can be mistaken for part of the letter or an intended sentence can be discarded as commentary.

Do not overload the recording with elaborate codes that only one person understands. The convention should be simple enough for a covering secretary to follow. Keep a short reference with the office’s dictation process and demonstrate it using a fictional assignment.

Dictate in complete, manageable units

Speak one complete thought at a time. Pause naturally at sentence or paragraph boundaries, then continue. A steady pace helps the recipient follow structure and gives you a moment to notice whether a sentence says what you intended. Speaking unusually slowly or separating every word can make the message harder to understand as a whole.

Use the recorder’s pause or stop controls when you need time to think, following the device instructions. Avoid filling the recording with a long search through papers or a discussion unrelated to the assignment. If you resume after an interruption, briefly establish which paragraph or section is continuing.

For a long document, divide the work into clearly identified sections. Tell the secretary whether a new file continues the same assignment or begins a separate document. A sequence of short recordings is useful only when their relationship and order are explicit.

Make punctuation and paragraph structure unambiguous

Agree how much punctuation the secretary should supply from ordinary speech and which marks you will dictate explicitly. A conventional letter may need fewer spoken formatting instructions than a passage containing a quotation, a numbered list or wording whose punctuation changes its meaning. The author should identify those special cases.

Use clear paragraph transitions. “New paragraph” is a straightforward human instruction when both people agree on it. If a heading is needed, identify the heading and then signal the return to body text. Avoid describing the visual layout while continuing to speak document wording in the same breath.

For lists, say whether the items are separate bullets, numbered points or part of a sentence. State the end of the list. This prevents the secretary from having to infer whether the next phrase is another item or the beginning of a new paragraph.

Dictate names and unusual terms deliberately

Say an unfamiliar name clearly and provide the approved spelling or source reference when needed. If spelling aloud, use a convention the secretary understands and repeat the complete name afterward. Do not rely on a familiar-sounding pronunciation when several spellings are possible.

Keep terminology consistent throughout the assignment. If you introduce an abbreviation, explain how it should appear and whether it applies to the entire document. A secretary should not have to decide independently that two similar terms refer to the same person, organization or item.

If a term must match a source exactly, identify the source through the office’s approved process. The secretary can then compare the draft with that reference. This is particularly useful when a short audio passage cannot reliably communicate capitalization, spacing or a sequence of letters and numbers.

Treat numbers, dates and references as separate checks

Read important numbers carefully, including the unit or meaning. Distinguish a quantity from a reference identifier, and identify decimal points or separators where necessary. After dictating a complicated sequence, review the saved audio or refer the secretary to the approved written source for confirmation.

Use an unambiguous date convention agreed by the office. Speaking the month by name can avoid confusion between day-first and month-first numeric formats. If a time is important across locations, identify the time zone or the office’s established scheduling convention. The secretary should not have to choose an interpretation.

Mark figures that still require confirmation. An instruction such as “leave a clearly marked question for the amount” is more useful than dictating a tentative number as if it were final. The review process must make unresolved details visible before the correspondence is released.

Explain corrections by identifying what changes

A correction needs a target and a replacement. Instead of saying only “change that,” identify the sentence, phrase or section being revised. Then give the complete replacement wording where practical. The secretary should know whether to remove the original, add a new sentence or replace an entire paragraph.

If the recorder supports an appropriate editing mode, you may correct the audio directly. Confirm the exact model and selected mode before using insert, overwrite or append functions. A control’s shape or a product’s general description does not establish every editing capability. Practice on a disposable sample first.

If you leave a spoken correction in the recording, make its relationship explicit. A fictional instruction might say, “Correction to the appointment sentence: replace the entire sentence beginning ‘We will meet’ with the following.” Then dictate the full revised sentence. This is clearer than leaving several partial revisions for the secretary to reconcile.

Keep formatting requests separate from legal substance

A secretary may be asked to apply an office template, align an address block or format a heading. Those preparation tasks should be distinguishable from decisions about what the correspondence says. If you want the secretary to flag an issue for your consideration, say so directly instead of leaving the scope of judgment uncertain.

Identify attachments or enclosures through the approved source and state what should be checked before release. Do not treat a spoken mention of an enclosure as proof that the correct file is attached. The draft-review process should confirm the actual materials that accompany the final correspondence.

Similarly, distinguish the intended recipient from people who should receive copies. Use the office’s established procedure for verifying addresses and delivery details. A dictation recording supplies instructions; it does not itself verify a current contact record or authorize sending to an unconfirmed destination.

A fictional example of a complete dictation opening

The following example demonstrates structure only. It concerns an invented office appointment and should not be used as substantive legal correspondence.

“Training assignment TEST-041. Please prepare a draft appointment letter using our standard letter template. The recipient details are in the fictional training record. Return the draft to me for review; do not send it. Begin letter text. Dear Morgan: New paragraph. Thank you for arranging a meeting with our office. We have reserved Tuesday, November tenth, at two p.m. for our discussion. New paragraph. Please bring the documents listed in the appointment note. If that time is inconvenient, contact our office so we can arrange another appointment. End letter text. Instruction for the secretary: flag any difference between the appointment note and the date I dictated.”

The useful features are the assignment identifier, document type, source of recipient information, review instruction, clear text boundaries and specific question. The example does not depend on a special recorder command. A human secretary can understand it because the author has separated wording from preparation instructions.

Review the saved recording before handing it over

Listen to the beginning, any corrected passage and the ending. Confirm that the assignment identification is present and that the recording contains the final instruction. If you used an editing function, listen on both sides of the edit to check that surrounding speech remains intact.

For a short letter, reviewing the complete recording may be practical. For a longer assignment, follow the office’s agreed checking process and pay particular attention to names, figures and changes. The purpose is to catch a missing or ambiguous instruction before the secretary invests time in the draft.

Confirm that the file is saved in the expected location and has the intended identifier. A device displaying a recording screen does not by itself prove that the complete saved assignment can be found later. The handoff should begin with a known, identifiable recording.

Match the handoff to the equipment you use

With the Martel Dictaphone Machine, the described routine involves handing the recorder to the secretary for the matching playback setup. Plan when the author needs the shared unit again. If both people must work simultaneously, compare the alternatives in the one-recorder versus two-recorder guide.

With a computer-transcription arrangement, transfer the actual saved file through the approved route and have the secretary confirm successful playback. Include the same assignment identifier in the associated instructions. A file arriving without a clear document request may be technically playable but still incomplete as an assignment.

For a secretary working elsewhere, follow the remote dictation handoff guide. Successful transfer, assignment acknowledgment and draft return deserve their own checks.

Give the secretary a consistent way to ask questions

Ask the secretary to identify the assignment and the specific uncertain passage. A playback time can help when the application displays one. Separate uncertainty about the sound from uncertainty about the instruction: “I cannot hear the name” and “I heard both dates but do not know which replaces which” require different answers.

Agree how unresolved questions appear in the draft. They should be visible to the reviewer and removed only after resolution. The exact method may be a comment, a highlighted marker or the office’s established review tool. Do not let a tidy-looking document hide a guessed name or an unanswered instruction.

Respond with a complete clarification. Repeating only the last word of a confusing sentence may leave the original uncertainty intact. Identify the target and give the corrected wording or direction through the same assignment process.

Review the document as a document

When the draft returns, check more than whether it resembles the recording. Read the correspondence for its intended meaning, recipient and purpose. Confirm names, dates, figures, references, attachments and instructions. The author’s responsibility includes noticing when the original dictation itself contained an error.

Resolve every marked question before treating the draft as ready. Confirm which revision is current, especially if corrections arrived through several recordings. A second draft should clearly replace or follow the earlier version according to the office’s convention.

Keep approval and release distinct. The secretary completing transcription does not mean the correspondence has received substantive approval. Follow the office’s established review and delivery process, including any required final checks of recipient details and accompanying material.

Practice with one repeatable exercise

Use a fictional letter of a few paragraphs. Include one unfamiliar name, a reference number, a date, a short list and a deliberate correction. Record it using the actual device and settings, then have the secretary prepare a draft through the normal playback setup. Compare the draft with the intended wording and discuss every unclear instruction.

Change one convention at a time. If paragraph boundaries were unclear, agree on a consistent signal and repeat that part. If a correction was misunderstood, practice identifying the target and replacement. This focused exercise is more useful than concluding vaguely that someone needs to “dictate better.”

Record the agreed conventions in a short office reference. Include how to start an assignment, separate instructions, identify corrections and request clarification. These are original recommended practice steps, not claims of measured productivity or error reduction.

Finish with a short, useful closing instruction

At the end of the recording, tell the secretary what should happen next. A useful closing identifies the draft-return route, outstanding source checks and whether another recording belongs to the same assignment. It should not introduce an entirely new task without making that change clear.

For a fictional exercise, the closing might be: “End of training assignment TEST-041. Return the draft for review. Please flag the recipient’s spelling for confirmation against the training record. The separate recording labeled TEST-042 is a different assignment.” This gives the recipient a definite endpoint and prevents the next file from being mistaken for a continuation.

If an attachment is expected, identify it through the office’s approved location and state who will verify it. If you have not yet supplied a necessary detail, say that the draft is awaiting that information. A complete recording can still describe an incomplete assignment; making the missing part visible prevents the secretary from filling it in by assumption.

Use feedback to improve the next recording

After the first few practice assignments, ask the secretary which instructions required replay or clarification. Sort the answers by cause: unclear audio, missing context, ambiguous correction, unknown spelling or uncertain formatting. Each category suggests a different adjustment. Moving the microphone may address a sound problem, while a clearer opening instruction may address a missing-context problem.

Keep conventions consistent after agreeing on them. Changing the meaning of a phrase from one recording to the next makes an otherwise clear voice harder to interpret. A covering secretary should be able to follow the same short reference without having learned one author’s private habits.

Use these observations to refine the routine, without treating a small office exercise as a scientific accuracy study. The practical goal is straightforward: the secretary can prepare the requested draft, the author can review it efficiently, and unresolved details remain visible until they are answered.

Questions about dictating correspondence

Should I dictate every punctuation mark?

Agree on the convention with the secretary. Explicit punctuation is especially useful for wording where the mark affects meaning or for unusual structure. Ordinary sentence punctuation may be handled under the office’s established style, but the author still reviews the finished document.

Should I start again after a mistake?

Not necessarily. Use a supported editing function or give a clear spoken correction that identifies the original passage and its replacement. If several revisions have made the recording difficult to follow, a clean replacement recording may be easier for the recipient than a chain of partial corrections.

Can a foot pedal create the letter for the secretary?

No. In a human-transcription setup, the pedal controls supported audio playback while the secretary types. Automatic draft text requires a separate speech-recognition capability. Compare that requirement explicitly rather than assuming it is included with a recorder and playback kit.

What if I need to change an instruction after sending the audio?

Identify the existing assignment, say exactly what changes and state whether the new instruction supplements or replaces earlier material. Confirm that the secretary received the revision before expecting it in the next draft. Avoid sending an unexplained second recording.

Which Martel equipment fits this routine?

Compare the Dictaphone Machine for a shared-recorder playback routine and SKU 405 for computer transcription. The lawyer package guide explains the equipment decision. Whichever arrangement you choose, clear instructions and final review remain part of producing useful correspondence.

Original guidance by Martel Electronics. Product details checked October 28, 2026. Examples and suggested checks help you evaluate a workflow; they are not claims of completed laboratory testing. Confirm the current package, software version and required connections before ordering.