# Backdrop
> Backdrop is the real-time sales enablement platform. It pushes the right discovery questions and surfaces the right answers during live sales calls — before anyone says "I'll get back to you."
## What Backdrop Does
Backdrop does two things simultaneously during live sales calls:
1. **Pushes the right discovery questions** so reps uncover the real pain
2. **Surfaces the right answers** the instant a prospect asks a hard question
Both happen in real-time, before anyone says "I'll get back to you."
## Core Capabilities
### Real-Time Assistance
During the live call, Backdrop pushes discovery questions AND answers based on what's being said. Competitive counter-positioning when a competitor is named, the right follow-up when a pain surfaces, the technical answer when a prospect pushes back. No searching, no memorizing.
### Instant AI Sales Hub Builder
Continuously ingests website, marketing materials, analyst reports, battlecards, call recordings, playbooks, messaging docs, enablement trainings, internal knowledge — automatically builds the sales hub powering real-time assistance. Always fresh, never stale. Deployable in days, not months.
## Category
Backdrop is the real-time sales enablement platform. Not conversation intelligence. Not a knowledge base. The thing that happens *during* the call that changes its outcome.
## Competitive Positioning
- **vs Gong/Chorus:** Gong tells you why the deal died. Backdrop is why it didn't. Complementary — Gong reviews after; Backdrop guides during.
- **vs Guru/Highspot/Seismic:** They require pull (rep searches). Backdrop is push (surfaces automatically). They also only solve knowledge — none push discovery questions.
- **vs Balto/Abstrakt/Wingman:** They optimize soft skills (tone, filler words). Backdrop focuses on structured discovery, complex objection handling, competitive positioning — live.
- **vs AI Roleplay (Second Nature, Hyperbound):** Simulation habits fall apart against real buyers. Backdrop guides in the real conversation.
## Who It's For
B2B technology companies, 100–1,000 employees, 10+ dedicated sales reps, technical product where reps can't wing answers on calls.
| Persona | Value |
|---------|-------|
| VP Sales / CRO | Deals die from bad discovery. Backdrop enforces your playbook in real-time on every call. |
| Account Executives | Know what to ask and how to answer, automatically, in the moment. |
| Sales Enablement | The playbook fails because reps can't recall it under pressure. Backdrop makes it live. |
| Technical Executives | Every answer an AE gives is one you wrote and approved. Every question is one you designed. |
| RevOps | Turns qualification from post-call checkbox into live enforcement. Better together with Gong. |
## Pages
- [Backdrop | Live In-Call Sales Assistant](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/): The platform that pushes the right questions and surfaces the right answers during live sales calls.
- [Book a Demo](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/demo): Speak with a product expert and get a custom demo of Backdrop using your data.
- [Pricing](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/pricing): Plans and pricing for Backdrop.
- [Download](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/get): Download the Backdrop desktop app. The download starts automatically.
- [Features](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/features): Pre-call, during-call, and post-call capabilities that power real-time sales enablement.
- [Pre-Call Preparation](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/features/pre-call): Walk into every call fully prepared with automated research, briefings, and talk tracks.
- [During-Call Assistance](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/features/during-calls): Live discovery questions and approved answers pushed the moment you need them.
- [Post-Call Follow-Through](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/features/post-calls): Automated recaps, follow-ups, and coaching insights after every conversation.
- [Integrations](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/integrations): Connects to Zoom, Salesforce, Gong, and your knowledge sources. No rip-and-replace.
- [Technical Sales](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/solutions/technical-sales): Give every seller the technical confidence to go further, alone — no SE required.
- [Account Executives](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/solutions/account-executive): Walk into every call with the right questions and answers surfaced while you're still live.
- [Sales Leaders](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/solutions/sales-leaders): Your playbook running live on every call, for every rep, automatically.
- [Enablement Leaders](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/solutions/sales-enablement): Surface your playbooks, battlecards, and messaging live during every call.
- [Improve Discovery Calls](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/use-case/improve-discovery-calls): Automatically surface the right discovery questions so sellers uncover real pain.
- [Reduce Ramp-Up Time](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/use-case/reduce-ramp-up-time): New reps perform like veterans from day one with live in-call guidance.
- [Reduce SE to AE Ratio](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/use-case/reduce-se-to-ae-ratio): Let AEs handle technical objections on their own with approved answers in real-time.
- [Onboard New Products](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/use-case/onboard-new-products): Reps sell new products confidently without weeks of training.
- [Sales Training](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/use-case/sales-training): Turn every live call into a coaching opportunity with real-time guidance.
- [Win Competitive Deals](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/use-case/win-competitive-deals): Push landmine questions and counter-moves the moment a competitor is named.
- [Backdrop Alternatives](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/alternative): How Backdrop compares to Gong, Salesloft, Chorus, Highspot, Balto, and more on live, in-call sales assistance.
- [Backdrop vs Gong](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/alternative/gong): Gong analyzes calls after they end. Backdrop guides reps live, pushing real-time discovery questions and technical answers to win the deal on the call.
- [Backdrop vs Granola](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/alternative/granola): Granola writes great notes after the call. Backdrop is built for sellers, guiding the live call: discovery questions and approved answers as you sell.
- [Backdrop vs Avoma](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/alternative/avoma): Avoma records what happened. Backdrop guides the live call, pushing discovery questions and approved answers that move the deal forward, bot-free.
- [Backdrop vs Clari](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/alternative/clari): Clari forecasts your pipeline. Backdrop helps reps win the deals inside it, guiding them through qualification frameworks like MEDDPICC live on the call.
- [Backdrop vs Hyperbound](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/alternative/hyperbound): Hyperbound grades the rehearsal. Backdrop is the live in-call sales assistant: coaching that happens on the real call, while your reps close.
- [Backdrop vs Salesloft](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/alternative/salesloft): Salesloft runs the cadence around the call and scores it afterward. Backdrop works inside it, pushing live discovery questions and approved answers.
- [Backdrop vs Chorus](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/alternative/chorus): Chorus records and analyzes the call after it ends. Backdrop works during it, pushing live discovery questions and approved answers while the buyer talks.
- [Backdrop vs Highspot](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/alternative/highspot): Highspot stores the answer and waits for a rep to search. Backdrop pushes the answer and the next question during the call, with no searching mid-conversation.
- [Backdrop vs Balto](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/alternative/balto): Balto guides contact center agents in real time. Backdrop does the same job for B2B account executives: discovery, objections, and technical depth, live.
- [Blog](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog): Articles on sales enablement, discovery, objection handling, and real-time coaching.
- [Sales Glossary](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/glossary): Sales enablement terms explained, from BANT to zombie pipeline.
- [Free AI Sales Tools, Prompts & Templates](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/tools): Free AI prompts and sales templates: discovery questions, battlecards, discovery call checklists, and MEDDPICC scoring.
- [Sales Discovery Question Generator](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/tools/discovery-questions)
- [Pain Discovery Questions](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/tools/pain-discovery)
- [Sales Follow-Up Email After Discovery](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/tools/validation-email)
- [Prospecting Agent for Sales Navigator](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/tools/prospecting-agent)
- [Account List Builder for Sales Navigator](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/tools/account-list-builder)
- [AI Chief of Staff for Sales Reps](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/tools/chief-of-staff)
- [Sales Battlecard Template](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/tools/sales-battlecard-template)
- [Discovery Call Checklist](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/tools/discovery-call-checklist)
- [MEDDPICC Template](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/tools/meddpicc-template)
- [Account Executive Job Board](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/job-board): Open Account Executive roles at US tech, security, and devtools companies, pulled from each employer's own careers board.
- [About](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/about): The team and mission behind Backdrop.
- [Contact Us](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/contact-us): Get in touch with the Backdrop team.
- [Sitemap](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/sitemap)
- [Privacy Policy](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/privacy-policy)
- [Terms of Service](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/terms-of-service)
## Help Center
### Setup, Live Calls, and Integrations
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help
### Post-Call Briefing and MEDDPICC Scoring
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/after-a-call
When a call ends, Backdrop writes it up. Every call gets its own page: a recap at
the top, then the summary, the MEDDPICC scorecard, and the follow-up email, all on
one scrolling page. Nothing sends automatically.
## The header bar [#the-header-bar]
Across the top of the call page, left to right:
* A **back arrow**
* The **account** the call belongs to
* The **call title**
* The **date**, **start time**, and **duration**
* A score pill with the call's overall qualification score, for example
**62 / 100 · MEDDPICC**
The score pill is the same overall score you'll see on the qualification card
further down the page, so you can read a call's qualification without scrolling.
Two icon buttons sit at the right end of the bar: a copy button and a delete
button.
## The recap card [#the-recap-card]
Under the header sits a card with the shape of the call:
* A status line: the call's state and how long ago it happened, for example
**CONCLUDED · 2D AGO**
* The call title
* A one-line recap of what the call was about
On the right of the card, **The room** shows the voices Backdrop heard, with a
count in the label: **THE ROOM - 5 VOICES**. Each voice gets an avatar with its
share of talk time underneath, a quick read on whether the call was a
conversation or a monologue. When there are more voices than fit, an overflow
avatar shows how many are hidden.
## Moving around the page [#moving-around-the-page]
An **On this page** rail on the right tracks the three sections of the briefing,
Summary, MEDDPICC, and Follow-up, and highlights the one you're reading.
Below the rail is a separate **Transcript** card, which opens the call's timeline.
The **Ask Backdrop** input stays at the bottom of the window while you read, with
the call attached as a chip above it, so you can ask questions about the call you
just had.
## Summary [#summary]
The summary opens with a prose recap of the call: what the group covered, what
they debated, and what they decided.
Then **Participants & Roles**: the people Backdrop identified, with their role and
company. Where Backdrop worked a role out from the conversation rather than being
told it, the entry is marked *(inferred)*. Voices it couldn't match to a person
aren't listed here.
Below that, the call is broken up by topic: a heading, then bullets with the
specifics. The section header carries a copy button.
## Qualification (MEDDPICC) [#qualification-meddpicc]
The qualification card scores how well the deal is qualified. A dropdown at the
top of the card shows the framework the scorecard is using, here **MEDDPICC**,
alongside a copy button and a refresh button. The overall score sits on the right,
for example **Overall 62 / 100 MEDDPICC**.
The card is split in two.
### Elements [#elements]
The left pane lists the eight elements, each with its code, its name, a mini bar,
and a score out of 100:
**M** Metrics · **E** Economic Buyer · **D1** Decision Criteria ·
**D2** Decision Process · **P** Paper Process · **I** Identify Pain ·
**C1** Champion · **C2** Competition
Select one to open it in the right pane, which is where the definitions live.
### The selected element [#the-selected-element]
The right pane shows the element's score out of 100, its name, and three things:
* **Key question**: the question that element is really asking. For Paper
Process: *What is the legal, procurement, and contract approval process?*
* **Current status**: what the call established. If the topic never came up, it
reads *Not discussed yet.*
* **To reach 100%**: the evidence that's still missing.
Read **To reach 100%** on every element scoring low and you have your agenda for
the next call. An element still in the teens, with its key question unanswered,
is the one to open with.
## Follow-up [#follow-up]
Backdrop doesn't write the follow-up email until you ask for it. Until then, the
Follow-up section shows an empty state, **No follow-up drafted yet**, and offers
to draft a personalized follow-up from the transcript, key takeaways, and next
steps.
Click **Generate follow-up email** to write the draft.
Backdrop writes the draft and stops there. Sending it is up to you.
{/* SCREENSHOT: a drafted follow-up email. No reference capture exists yet, so the drafted state is deliberately undocumented. */}
## Transcript and timeline [#transcript-and-timeline]
The **Transcript** card in the rail opens the **Timeline**: a slide-over panel
across the call page. At the top it shows the total number of events, a search
field that covers both the transcript and the insights, and two filter pills with
their own counts: **Transcript** and **Insights**.
Below that, the call runs in order. Every entry is timestamped and labeled with
the speaker in caps, their role, and which side of the deal they're on, for
example `DANA (ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, SELLING)` or `SAM (BUYER, BUYING)`. A voice
Backdrop hasn't matched to a person yet shows as a speaker number instead, along
with the audio source it came from, like `S3 (MIC)`. A small icon on every entry
marks that source.
## Where your calls live [#where-your-calls-live]
Calls are grouped by **account**, the company you talked to. The sidebar lists
your accounts with a count of calls against each one, and calls Backdrop hasn't
matched to an account yet sit under **Unclassified**.
***
## Next step [#next-step]
Connect your content sources and CRM so Backdrop can draw on them when it writes.
See [Integrations](/help/integrations) for what you can connect.
### Pre-Call Prep: Company Research, Stakeholders, and a Talk Track
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/before-a-call
Prep is the page you read in the last few minutes before a call. One scrolling
page per meeting: the company, its numbers, who's on the invite and what they
care about, what's happened lately, and an opening question to lead with. You
leave it by clicking **Join & record**.
## Opening Prep [#opening-prep]
There are two ways in.
**From Home.** The **Coming up** card lists your next meetings. Each row shows
the date, the meeting name, and the time range, with two buttons at the right
end: **Join & record** and **Prep**. Click **Prep**.
**From the notification.** Shortly before the call starts, Backdrop posts a
desktop notification: the app icon with a small video badge, the meeting name,
the words **Starts soon**, and a lime **Join & Record** button. Clicking it
takes you into the call.
The notification offers **Join & Record** and nothing else. If you want to
read Prep first, open it from the **Coming up** card on Home rather than
waiting for the notification to fire.
## The header [#the-header]
Across the top of the Prep page, left to right: the meeting name, **Today**, the
time range, and a pale-lime status pill counting down to the start, for example
**● in 12 min**.
At the right end sit two buttons: an outlined **Calendar** button and a lime
**Join & record** button with a video icon. That's the same **Join & record**
you saw on the meeting row and in the notification, so you never have to leave
Prep to get into the call.
The countdown pill is your timer while you read.
## In the room [#in-the-room]
Under the header, **IN THE ROOM** lists everyone on the invite as a chip: an
initials avatar, the person's name, and **· organizer** after the organizer's
name: **DR Dana Reyes · organizer**, then **PS Priya Shah**. Right-aligned on
the same line is a count in the form **2 · 1 yes**, meaning how many people were
invited and how many have accepted.
Read it as a check on the meeting you prepared for. A name you don't recognize
usually means someone was added late. One accept out of four is worth knowing
before you join.
## Company overview [#company-overview]
Below the header sits a plain card holding the company's name or wordmark, and
under that the overview.
The section opens with a small-caps **COMPANY OVERVIEW** eyebrow and a building
icon, with the industry right-aligned on the same line. Then a few paragraphs on
what the company does, how it's put together, and where it's heading.
Under the description, grey chips restate the facts in a *label value* form:
* **industry**: the same industry named at the top right
* **size**: headcount and annual revenue, with the fiscal year, for example
*640 employees, $180M annual revenue (FY2025)*
Then a row of lime-outlined pills naming the company's products. For a
freight operator like Northwind Logistics, something like **Northwind Freight**,
**Northwind Fleet**, and **Northwind Warehouse**.
Read the paragraphs once. The chips and the product pills are what you carry
into the call: the product names are the vocabulary the prospect will use, and
saying them back correctly is most of what "did your homework" means.
## Financial highlights [#financial-highlights]
A bar-chart icon and a **FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS** eyebrow, with the source labeled
at the right end of the line, for example **10-K FY2025**.
Three figures run across the top, each a small-caps label above a large value:
* **REVENUE**
* **GROWTH YOY**, set in green
* **NET INCOME**
Below them, two columns of rows with dotted leaders, label on the left and value
right-aligned. On the left: gross margin, free cash flow, debt, operating
expenses. On the right: operating margin, cash position, R\&D spend.
At the bottom, a grey box holds an italic excerpt in quotation marks with a
small attribution line under it, **FY 10-K · MD\&A excerpt**. That excerpt is
usually the most useful thing in the section, because it's the company
describing its own problem in its own words.
The label at the top right names the document the figures came from. When you
use one of these numbers on the call, quote the period along with it.
## The prospects [#the-prospects]
A people icon and a **THE PROSPECTS** eyebrow. The section opens with a
paragraph framing the meeting: who you're sitting with, what they're dealing
with, and what they're likely to push on.
Under a hairline, two panes:
* On the left, **IN THE ROOM** with a count and a chip per attendee. The
selected chip has a lime border and a pale-lime fill. Click a name to switch.
* On the right, the person you selected: their name as a heading, then a
small-caps **WHAT THEY'LL CARE ABOUT** and a short list of bullets marked with
lime dashes.
At the bottom of the right pane, **View full profile ↗** opens the full profile,
and a pager sits in the corner, reading **1 / 1** when there's a single prospect.
Click through every name before you join. The bullets are per person, and the
answer to "what do I lead with" changes depending on who actually shows up.
## Recent developments [#recent-developments]
A document icon, a **RECENT DEVELOPMENTS** eyebrow, and the entry count
right-aligned, for example **5 entries**.
Each entry carries a source badge on the left: filings get a lime-outlined badge
naming the form, like **SEC 8-K**, and everything else gets a grey **WEB**.
Then the headline in bold, the date in small caps, a paragraph, and a
**View source ↗** link. Hairlines separate the entries.
This is where you find something current to open with. It's also where another
vendor's name tends to appear: a new partnership, a system they're replacing, a
deal they lost. When it does, open that vendor's card in
[Competitors](/help/competitors) before you join, so you're not meeting the name for
the first time mid-call.
## Talk track [#talk-track]
A speech-bubble icon, a **TALK TRACK** eyebrow, and **first 3 minutes** at the
right.
The first card is lime-bordered with a pale-lime fill and labeled **OPEN WITH
THIS**. It holds a single question in quotation marks, built from what's above
it on the page: the figures, the filing excerpt, and what the prospect cares
about.
Under it sit numbered grey cards, **02**, **03** and **04**, each holding one
follow-up question with the number set to the left of the text.
If you read nothing else on this page, read this. Go over the opener until you
can say it in your own words rather than reciting it, then glance down the three
follow-ups so you know where the conversation is meant to go.
## How we can help [#how-we-can-help]
A question-mark icon, a **HOW WE CAN HELP** eyebrow, and a pager in the top
right, **‹ 1 / 2 ›** with dots for the pages.
Each page holds three columns. A column is a heading with a lime highlight
behind the text, a hairline, and a paragraph underneath. Use the arrows to page
through.
Read the three headings. They're the angles this call has. The paragraph under
each one is the detail if the prospect pushes on it.
## The last thirty seconds [#the-last-thirty-seconds]
If you opened Prep with a minute to spare, read in this order:
1. **Talk track**: the opener, then the three follow-ups
2. **How we can help**: the three headings
3. **The prospects**: the bullets under the name of whoever you're actually
talking to
Then click **Join & record** in the header.
***
## Next step [#next-step]
[During a Call](/help/during-a-call) picks up where Prep leaves off: the live panel,
the transcript, the prompter, and the MEDDPICC rail filling in while you talk.
### Competitor Cards: How to Position Backdrop Against Other Vendors
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/competitors
Competitors is where your team's answers to "how are you different from them?" live. Each
vendor on the list gets a card: how to recognize them in a conversation, the arguments
that land, the ones that don't, and what to say when the objection arrives.
## Opening Competitors [#opening-competitors]
**Competitors** sits in the left rail, under **Home** and **Search**. Click it to open the
full list.
## The competitor list [#the-competitor-list]
The list is a grid of cards, one per vendor. Each card shows:
* **The vendor name**
* **A status badge**, normally **READY**
* **A short description**, truncated after the first few lines
* **Updated \**: when the card last changed, in relative time ("12 hours ago",
"Yesterday", "2 days ago")
Click a card to open it.
{/* SCREENSHOT: the Competitors grid — cards with vendor name, READY badge, truncated description, and "Updated ..." timestamp */}
## Inside a competitor card [#inside-a-competitor-card]
The card header keeps the vendor name, the status badge, and the **Updated** time, with a
back arrow on the left. Below it the sections run in a fixed order, so you always know
where to look, and the bottom of the page is stamped **Generated \**, marking when the
content was produced.
### Read-only [#read-only]
A banner at the top of the card reads **Read-only. To change or edit, talk to your
manager.**
You can read a card and use it, but you can't change it. If something is wrong, stale, or
missing, or the **Generated** date looks old and you're walking into a competitive deal,
take it to your manager rather than working around it on the call.
{/* SCREENSHOT: top of a competitor card — the read-only banner and the Overview section with chips and outbound links */}
### Overview [#overview]
Who the vendor is, in a paragraph. Underneath it:
* **Chips** with the vendor's founding year, headcount band, and revenue band
* **Outbound links** to **Website**, **LinkedIn**, **Twitter**, **G2**, and **Glassdoor**
Read this before a call where you expect the vendor to come up. The chips tell you what
kind of company you're up against. A company founded last year with a handful of people
is a different argument than an established one. Use the links when you need more than the
card holds.
### Quick dismiss [#quick-dismiss]
A short positioning paragraph for the moment the vendor's name comes up and you don't want
to spend the call on them. It draws the contrast and hands the conversation back to you.
Read it once before the call so it comes out in your own words instead of sounding
recited.
### How to spot them [#how-to-spot-them]
A list of things a prospect says that mean this vendor is already in the deal. These are
quotes, not keywords: the category language the prospect uses, the problem they describe,
the internal initiative they name. None of them need the prospect to name the vendor.
For a fictional vendor called Meridian, an entry might read:
> "We've got a push this quarter to cut the time our reps spend writing up calls."
When you hear one of these, open the card.
### Why we win [#why-we-win]
The arguments that work against this vendor, each with a short heading and the supporting
detail beneath it. The heading is the point; the paragraph is what you say if the prospect
pushes.
Skim the headings before the call. You want two or three you can reach for without
reading.
### Why we lose [#why-we-lose]
The honest half. Each entry names a situation where this vendor genuinely wins, followed
by a **Pivot:** line, naming where to take the conversation instead of arguing a point
you're going to lose.
This is the section that keeps you from over-claiming. If the prospect is describing one
of these situations, acknowledge it and pivot rather than pushing.
### Objection handling [#objection-handling]
Specific objections prospects raise when this vendor is in the deal. The objection is
quoted at the top of each block, and the response runs underneath it as a short paragraph.
{/* SCREENSHOT: the Objection handling section — a quoted objection with the response beneath it */}
Scan for the objection you actually heard rather than reading top to bottom.
### Win stories [#win-stories]
Deals won against this vendor. Each story sets out the scenario (who was on the call,
what got thrown at the rep, how it went) and ends with a **Key learning:** line.
Use these as proof on a call. A specific story about a similar company lands harder than a
claim about the product.
### Questions to ask [#questions-to-ask]
Questions to put to the prospect when this vendor is in the deal, each with a line
underneath saying what the question exposes.
These are for the prospect, not for you. Ask one and let the answer do the work.
### Pricing & packaging [#pricing--packaging]
How the vendor charges: who they sell to, the model they price on, and chips describing
their packages or licensing tiers. A **Discounting:** line at the end covers where they
tend to move on price.
Pricing on a competitor card is your team's best current read, not a quote from the
vendor. Don't repeat a number to a prospect as fact.
## When a competitor comes up on a call [#when-a-competitor-comes-up-on-a-call]
You don't need to open this list mid-call. While Backdrop is recording, the status strip
in the panel reads *Listening for competitors...* until it hears one. When a prospect
names a vendor, the strip switches to *Competitor mentioned: \* and the name is
highlighted in the transcript.
Then it raises a short version of the card, in the panel, without you touching
anything. A tab per vendor it has heard runs across the top, so a call that
names three gives you three tabs.
The in-call card is deliberately smaller than the full one:
* The vendor's name, what they do, and a line of context: headcount, founding
year, and their site
* A **We** / **They** split, one sentence each, the contrast you would say out
loud
* **Landmines**: questions to put to the prospect, written to be read off the
screen and asked as they are
{/* Not floated: only two short paragraphs follow, and this panel is 515px tall
once floated — it would leave a column of dead space beside them. */}
It is the same content as the full card, cut down to what you can act on
without breaking eye contact. Close it with the × and the transcript comes
back; the tabs stay, so you can reopen a vendor later in the call.
So the flow is: prep with the card before the call, let the panel raise it
during, and come back to the full card afterwards if the deal turns
competitive.
***
## Next step [#next-step]
See [During a Call](/help/during-a-call) for the rest of the in-call panel and what it surfaces
while you talk.
### Building a Custom Framework
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/custom-frameworks
A **framework** is the rubric Backdrop scores your calls against. It is a list of
**elements** — Metrics, Economic Buyer, and so on — and, for each one, the
evidence a call has to contain before that element counts as covered. What the
elements grade is up to you: MEDDPICC grades deal health, and a framework you
write can grade anything a call should have proved.
MEDDPICC ships built in and is what you get until you change it. If your calls
turn on something MEDDPICC never asks about — a security review, a procurement
gate, a champion who has never bought software before — you can build your own
framework and have Backdrop score your calls against that instead.
Every Backdrop user can build one and choose which framework scores their own
calls. You write it by answering a few questions about how your deals go wrong,
and Backdrop writes the elements from your answers.
## Your frameworks [#your-frameworks]
Select **Frameworks** in the sidebar. The list is the built-in frameworks plus
every framework you have written yourself — frameworks your teammates wrote stay
on their own lists.
Select any row to walk its rubric one element at a time. Built-in frameworks are
read-only — the rubric reads the same, but nothing in it can be edited.
**Duplicate** one from the **⋯** menu and the copy is yours to change, or build a
new framework from it, which is what the rest of this page covers. The **⋯** menu
also carries **Rename** and **Delete framework** for the frameworks you wrote.
## Choose what scores your calls [#choose-what-scores-your-calls]
The star beside each name is the one that matters: it marks the framework your
calls are scored against, and exactly one framework can hold it.
Select the star on any row to move it there, and your next call is scored against
that rubric. A framework needs at least one element before it can take the star.
Organization admins get a second, org-wide Frameworks view in the admin area:
every framework in the organization, who is scored by each one, and an org
default for everyone who has not picked one. An admin can point you at a
framework from there, and you can change it from your own list at any time.
## Talk: pick what it's built on [#talk-pick-what-its-built-on]
Select **New framework** and the builder opens on its first question: what the
framework should be based on.
Each tile shows the framework's element badges and how many elements it has. Pick
a built-in framework, one of your own (marked **Yours**), or **Nothing** — an
empty framework built only out of what you say.
The builder runs in four phases, tracked across the top of the window: **Talk**,
**Building**, **Review**, and **Done**.
Whichever you pick is copied in whole, and everything in it is yours to reword,
drop, or add to.
## Talk: answer the questions [#talk-answer-the-questions]
Backdrop then asks about your deals — where they stall, what a good call actually
proves, which deal shapes you'd rather walk away from. Answer in your own words,
in plain prose. Specifics are what make the difference: the questions are there
to find the failure your current rubric doesn't grade.
Each answer gets a collapsed **Thinking** line above the reply. Expand it to see
what Backdrop took from your answer and which element it decided that belongs
to — worth a look if a later element is not what you expected.
## Building: it writes the rubric [#building-it-writes-the-rubric]
When the interview is done, Backdrop plans the changes and then writes the
elements one at a time, with a counter of how many are finished.
Elements it decided not to touch are copied in as they were. Elements it invented
from your answers — here a **Security review readiness** element that MEDDPICC
has no equivalent for — appear alongside them. **Next** turns on once the rubric
is whole.
## Review: read it and fix it [#review-read-it-and-fix-it]
Review is the rubric as it will score your calls. The rail on the left is every
element; select one to read it.
Each element is made of the same parts:
* **Assessment** — what Backdrop is asked to judge on this element.
* **Definition** — what the element means, and what it explicitly is not.
* **Graded attributes** — the table that does the work. Every attribute is
graded across the same three bands: **Fully**, **Partially**, and **Fails**,
each spelled out as the evidence that band requires.
* **Scoring bands** — what a score out of 10 means for this element.
* **Anti-patterns** — the mistakes that should not earn credit, such as counting
a seller-supplied number as buyer evidence.
* **Post-call question** — the question this element answers on the post-call
scorecard.
Some elements also carry optional sections: a litmus constraint and its tests,
role disambiguation, a framework caveat, or extra constraints.
Everything here is editable in place: select any field to rewrite it, drag
elements in the rail to change their order, and use **+** at the bottom of the
rail to write an element of your own. Two ways to change it:
* Edit the text yourself, field by field.
* Select **Refine with AI** and say what is wrong with it — an element reps skip,
a score that turned out to mean nothing, a deal it let through. Backdrop asks
from there and rewrites or adds the elements you agree on.
## Done: put it to work [#done-put-it-to-work]
Select **Save** when the rubric reads right. Your edits and the element order are
written, and the framework joins your Frameworks list.
Select its star there and your calls are scored against your elements from then
on: the same post-call scorecard, reading your rubric instead of MEDDPICC.
***
## Next step [#next-step]
See [Post-call briefing and MEDDPICC scoring](/help/after-a-call) for how a
framework's elements are scored and read after a call.
### During a Call: Live Transcript, Prompter, and Ask anything
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/during-a-call
Backdrop sits beside your call as a single panel. The body of the panel shows
either the **transcript** or the **prompter**. Below it, a MEDDPICC rail tracks
how the deal is qualifying, and an **Ask anything** input handles whatever else
comes up.
## Starting Backdrop [#starting-backdrop]
Backdrop doesn't launch with your conferencing app. Open it manually before a
call, or wait for the notification when a call begins, then click **record** in
the transport pill.
Backdrop records your microphone and your computer's system audio, so it runs
alongside whichever conferencing app you're on: Zoom, Google Meet, or
Microsoft Teams.
## Anatomy of the panel [#anatomy-of-the-panel]
From top to bottom:
1. **Top bar**: a back chevron and a home button on the left; a transport pill
with **record**, **pause** and **stop**, plus an elapsed timer once you're
recording; the mode pill; a [language control](/help/languages) showing
**EN**; and an overflow menu.
2. **Status strip**: a line of italic text naming what Backdrop is watching for
or what it just caught. It reads *Listening for competitors...* until a
prospect names one.
3. **Body**: the transcript or the prompter, depending on the mode.
4. **MEDDPICC rail**: eight letters, each with a track and a number under it.
5. **Ask anything**: an input with a **+** button on the left and a send button
on the right.
## Transcript and prompter [#transcript-and-prompter]
The pill in the top bar names the view you're in, **Transcript** or
**Prompter**. Clicking it swaps to the other one.
### Transcript [#transcript]
The live conversation as Backdrop hears it, each turn labeled with the speaker
and their role. Before you start recording it reads *No transcript yet. Start
recording to see the conversation*.
The status strip works with it: when a prospect names a competitor, the strip
calls it out and the name is highlighted in the transcript. See
[Competitors](/help/competitors).
### Prompter [#prompter]
The prompter is the coaching view. It surfaces the next thing to ask or say as
the conversation moves.
Until it has something for you, the prompter reads *Listening to the call.*
*The next thing to ask or say will pop up here as the call unfolds.*
Once the call gives it something to work with, the prompter fills with cards,
newest last. Each one opens with what to do: a lime **ASK** badge for a
question to put to the prospect, or an amber **SAY** badge for a line to
deliver. Under the badge sits the category it came from, then the sentence
itself, written to be read off the screen and used as it stands.
An objection card can carry a **Then ask** block underneath: the question to
move to once you've handled the objection. The thumbs on each card tell
Backdrop whether the prompt was worth surfacing, and a card shows how long ago
it came up.
## The MEDDPICC rail [#the-meddpicc-rail]
Along the bottom of the panel, eight letters track how the deal is qualifying
while you're still on the call. They're the eight MEDDPICC elements in order:
Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Paper Process,
Identify Pain, Champion, Competition. The rail shows bare letters. The
post-call scorecard is where they're named and where the two Ds and two Cs get
labeled **D1**/**D2** and **C1**/**C2**.
Each letter has a track and a number beneath it. Both move as the call gives
Backdrop something to go on for that element, and the color steps from red
through amber to green as the number climbs. Elements the conversation hasn't
reached sit at the bottom of the scale, so the rail doubles as a list of what
you haven't asked about yet.
After the call, each element gets a score out of 100 in the qualification
scorecard. See [After a Call](/help/after-a-call).
## Ask anything [#ask-anything]
The input at the bottom of the panel is for anything the prompter hasn't
already put in front of you: a product question the prospect just asked, an
objection you want a line for, how to position against another vendor. Type
your question and click the send arrow.
## Keeping the panel off the shared screen [#keeping-the-panel-off-the-shared-screen]
Backdrop is a floating desktop window, so it sits on top of whatever else is
open, including anything you're sharing. Two monitors is the clean answer:
share from one, keep Backdrop on the other. On a single screen, share a specific
window rather than your whole desktop. [Installing Backdrop](/help/install) walks
through both.
If neither is an option, turn on **Hide from Screen**, which keeps the panel out
of screen shares, recordings, and screenshots. Support varies by conferencing
app and OS. See [Hide from Screen](/help/hide-from-screen) for the list.
## Stopping a call [#stopping-a-call]
When the call ends, click **stop** in the transport pill. Backdrop closes the
call out and writes it up on its own page.
***
## Next step [#next-step]
Most of Backdrop's output lands after you hang up. See
[After a Call](/help/after-a-call) for the summary, the MEDDPICC scorecard, and the
follow-up email draft.
### Getting Started with Backdrop: Setup Guide
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/getting-started
Download for Mac or Windows
## 1. Install and sign in [#1-install-and-sign-in]
Download from [getbackdrop.ai/get](/get). The page
detects your OS. On macOS, drag Backdrop into Applications; on Windows, run the
installer. Open the app, click **Sign up or sign in**, and authenticate with
Google, Microsoft, or your work email.
Backdrop reads the calendar you take meetings on, so sign in with the account
your meetings live in. There's no invite code to wait for.
Full walkthrough: [Installing Backdrop](/help/install)
## 2. Run your first call [#2-run-your-first-call]
Backdrop doesn't auto-start with Zoom or Teams. Open it manually, or wait for
the notification when a call begins, then hit record.
The panel sits beside your call and does three things while you talk:
* **Transcribes** the conversation live, so you never lose what was said
* **Flags competitors** the moment a prospect names one
* **Scores MEDDPICC** as the call goes, filling each letter from what the
prospect actually tells you
The **Ask anything** bar at the bottom answers product questions mid-call.
Full walkthrough: [During a Call](/help/during-a-call)
We strongly recommend a **dual-monitor setup** and sharing a **specific window** (not your whole screen), so the prospect never sees Backdrop. If you only have one screen, turn on [Hide from Screen](/help/hide-from-screen).
## 3. Review after the call [#3-review-after-the-call]
When you hit stop, Backdrop generates a call summary, MEDDPICC qualification, and a draft follow-up email tailored to your product. Nothing sends automatically. You review and edit first.
Full walkthrough: [After a Call](/help/after-a-call)
***
## What to expect in week one [#what-to-expect-in-week-one]
Backdrop is a new kind of tool, and like ChatGPT, it takes two or three calls before it clicks. Use the first call to get comfortable with where things are. By call three, most reps stop tab-switching entirely and run deeper discovery without thinking about it.
### Hide from Screen: Supported Apps for Backdrop
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/hide-from-screen
Backdrop's **Hide from Screen** feature keeps the Backdrop widget invisible to screen sharing, screen recording, and screenshot tools. This page covers which platforms are supported, conditional cases, and known limitations.
## System Requirements [#system-requirements]
* **macOS**: Devices from 2022 or later recommended
* **Windows 11**: Must be a 2023 or later device
* **Windows 10**: Not supported
## How to Enable Hide from Screen [#how-to-enable-hide-from-screen]
1. Open **Backdrop Settings**
2. Navigate to the **General** tab
3. Toggle **Hide from Screen** on
***
## Supported Platforms [#supported-platforms]
The following platforms are supported. Backdrop will not appear when sharing your screen:
* Google Meet
### Zoom [#zoom]
Zoom is supported under one of the following conditions:
* Use **Zoom version 6.16 or older**, or
* Enable **"Advanced capture with window filtering"** in your Zoom settings
### Microsoft Teams [#microsoft-teams]
Microsoft Teams is supported with the following limitations:
* **Not** hidden during Teams' entire-screen share mode
* Limited support on **Windows 10** and **Windows 11 Home**
If you're using software not listed above, we recommend testing the Hide from Screen feature before sharing your screen. Open a test screen share session and verify that the Backdrop widget is not visible.
***
## How It Works [#how-it-works]
Backdrop runs as a native desktop application outside the browser sandbox. It uses OS-level APIs to remain invisible to screen sharing software.
### How to Install Backdrop: Desktop App Setup Guide
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/install
Everything you need to do once, before your first call. It takes about two minutes.
A Mac or Windows machine and a **work email**. Backdrop signs you in with
Google, Microsoft, or an email link. No invite code required.
## Step 1: Download Backdrop [#step-1-download-backdrop]
Go to [getbackdrop.ai/get](/get). The download starts
automatically and the page detects whether you're on macOS or Windows. If it
doesn't start, use the **download Backdrop manually** link on that page.
The `/get` page has a **Send link** field. Enter your work email and Backdrop
will send you a link to open later on your computer.
## Step 2: Install the app [#step-2-install-the-app]
Open **Backdrop.dmg** from your Downloads folder.
Drag the **Backdrop** icon into your **Applications** folder.
Open **Backdrop** from Applications.
The first time you launch it, macOS may warn that Backdrop was
downloaded from the internet. That's expected. Click **Open**.
Run **Backdrop-setup.exe** from your Downloads folder.
Accept the installer defaults. Installation takes about a minute.
Open **Backdrop** from the Start menu.
## Step 3: Sign in [#step-3-sign-in]
On first launch you'll see the welcome screen. Click **Sign up or sign in**.
Backdrop hands off to your browser to authenticate. Pick one of three methods:
* **Google**: fastest if you're on Google Workspace
* **Microsoft**: for Microsoft 365 accounts
* **Email address**: enter your work email and continue
Backdrop works best when it's connected to the calendar you actually take
meetings on. A personal address won't see your work meetings, and won't match
your team's workspace.
Once you've signed in, the browser hands you back to the desktop app
automatically. When the main Backdrop window appears, you're in.
## Step 4: Set up your screen [#step-4-set-up-your-screen]
This is the single most important thing for a smooth first call. Backdrop is
designed to live on your screen while you share, but only if you set it up right.
### Recommended: dual-monitor setup [#recommended-dual-monitor-setup]
Two monitors is the cleanest setup:
* **Monitor 1**: your presentation, demo, or deck (the one you share)
* **Monitor 2**: Backdrop, your notes, and anything else you reference
With two monitors, you never toggle between windows during a call, and Backdrop
is physically on a screen the prospect can't see.
### Single monitor: share a specific window [#single-monitor-share-a-specific-window]
If you only have one screen, **share a specific window**, not your entire
desktop. Every major conferencing tool lets you pick a single window:
* In Zoom, click **Share Screen** and choose the specific app window instead of "Desktop 1"
* In Google Meet, choose **A window** instead of **Your entire screen**
* In Teams, pick the specific window from the share tray
When you share a specific window, Backdrop stays on your desktop but is never
broadcast.
If you share your entire screen or desktop, the prospect can see Backdrop. If
you must share full-screen, enable **Hide from Screen** (see below).
### Backup: Hide from Screen [#backup-hide-from-screen]
For situations where you need to share full-screen (for example, a deck in
presenter mode), Backdrop has a built-in **Hide from Screen** feature that keeps
the widget invisible to screen sharing, recording, and screenshot tools.
Support varies by OS and conferencing app. See
[Hide from Screen: Supported Apps](/help/hide-from-screen) for the full compatibility
list.
***
## Next step [#next-step]
You're installed and ready. Next up: [During a Call](/help/during-a-call). The
anatomy of the in-call UI and how to drive it in real time.
### Backdrop Integrations: Gong, Salesforce, Notion & More
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/integrations
Backdrop pulls context from the tools your team already uses, like call recordings, product docs, and CRM data, so it can surface the right answer at the right moment. Connect your sources below.
## Available integrations [#available-integrations]
Import your Avoma meeting recordings and transcripts to enrich Backdrop's knowledge base.
Connect your Confluence spaces and pages as knowledge sources for real-time answers.
Connect your Gong call recordings and insights to enrich Backdrop's real-time enablement.
Share product docs, battlecards, and case studies so Backdrop can draw on them during calls.
Grant tenant-wide admin consent so Backdrop can access your organization's Microsoft Calendar.
Connect your Notion workspace to use pages and databases as knowledge sources.
Access customer data and opportunity insights during your sales calls. Coming soon.
Connect your Zendesk Guide help center articles as knowledge sources for real-time answers.
### Avoma Integration: Connect Call Recordings
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/integrations/avoma
## Get Your API Key [#get-your-api-key]
1. Log in to your [Avoma account](https://www.app.avoma.com).
2. Navigate to **Settings** > **Developer** > **API**.
3. Generate a new API key and copy it.
***
## Connect Avoma in Backdrop [#connect-avoma-in-backdrop]
1. In Backdrop, go to **Settings** > **Integrations**.
2. Click **Connect** next to Avoma.
3. Paste your **API Key** into the form.
4. Click **Save**. Backdrop will verify your credentials automatically.
Once connected, Backdrop will sync your Avoma meetings and transcripts so they can be used as knowledge sources.
### Confluence Integration: Use Pages as Knowledge Sources
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/integrations/confluence
## Connect Confluence [#connect-confluence]
1. In Backdrop, go to **Settings** > **Integrations**.
2. Click **Connect** next to Confluence.
3. You will be redirected to Atlassian to authorize access.
4. Log in with your Atlassian account and grant Backdrop read access to your Confluence spaces and pages.
Once authorized, Backdrop will sync your Confluence pages so they can be added as knowledge sources.
***
## Permissions [#permissions]
Backdrop requests read-only access to your Confluence content:
* **Read spaces**: browse your Confluence spaces
* **Read pages**: access page content for knowledge base ingestion
No write permissions are requested. Backdrop will never modify your Confluence content.
***
## Multi-Site Accounts [#multi-site-accounts]
If your Atlassian account has access to multiple Confluence sites, Backdrop will automatically connect to the first available site. To connect a different site, disconnect and reconnect the integration while logged into the desired Atlassian site.
### Gong Integration: Connect Call Recordings to Backdrop
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/integrations/gong
## Find base URL [#find-base-url]
1. Log in to your [Gong account](https://app.gong.io).
2. In the bottom left corner of the page, click **Admin Center**.
3. In the **Ecosystem** section, click **API**.
4. Go to the **API KEYS** tab and click **Get API Key**. Save the Access Key
and the Secret Key. You'll need both to configure Backdrop.
5. Refresh the page and go back to the **API KEYS** tab.
6. Find your Base URL and note it down. You'll need it to configure Backdrop.
## Finish Backdrop configuration [#finish-backdrop-configuration]
Send the **Access Key**, **Access Key Secret**, and **Base URL** securely over to Backdrop.
### Google Drive Integration: Share Docs with Backdrop
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/integrations/google-drive
## Get Your Service Account Email [#get-your-service-account-email]
1. Request your service account email from your sales rep
***
## Add Permissions [#add-permissions]
1. Right-click the folder or file you want to share, then choose **Share**.
2. Enter the service account address from step 1.
3. From the role dropdown, select **Viewer**, then press **Send**.
***
## Finish Backdrop Configuration [#finish-backdrop-configuration]
Notify your sales rep that you have finished adding files/folders.
### Microsoft 365 Calendar Integration Setup
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/integrations/microsoft-calendar
## Grant Admin Consent [#grant-admin-consent]
A Microsoft 365 **Global Administrator** must grant tenant-wide consent for Backdrop to access your organization's calendar data.
### 1. Open the admin consent link [#1-open-the-admin-consent-link]
Sign in as an admin and click the link below to start the install:
[**Install Backdrop Application**](https://login.microsoftonline.com/common/adminconsent?client_id=29c0d58b-aeae-4d67-956a-066e8d2a471b\&redirect_uri=https://getbackdrop.ai)
The link above uses `common`, which lets Microsoft pick the tenant based on the signed-in admin. To target a specific tenant, use this URL instead and replace `` with your **Tenant ID**:
```
https://login.microsoftonline.com//adminconsent?client_id=29c0d58b-aeae-4d67-956a-066e8d2a471b&redirect_uri=https://getbackdrop.ai
```
You can find your Tenant ID in the [Microsoft Entra admin center](https://entra.microsoft.com) under **Overview** → **Tenant ID**.
### 2. Approve the requested permissions [#2-approve-the-requested-permissions]
1. Sign in with a **Global Administrator** account for the tenant you want to install Backdrop on.
2. Review the permissions Backdrop is requesting.
3. Click **Accept** to grant tenant-wide admin consent.
After approval you will be redirected to `https://getbackdrop.ai`. The integration is now active for your organization.
***
## Finish Backdrop Configuration [#finish-backdrop-configuration]
Notify your sales rep once consent has been granted so they can complete the setup on Backdrop's side.
### Notion Integration: Use Pages as Knowledge Sources
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/integrations/notion
## Connect Notion [#connect-notion]
1. In Backdrop, go to **Settings** > **Integrations**.
2. Click **Connect** next to Notion.
3. You will be redirected to Notion to authorize access.
4. Select the pages and databases you want Backdrop to access, then click **Allow access**.
Once authorized, Backdrop will sync your Notion pages so they can be added as knowledge sources.
***
## Managing Access [#managing-access]
To change which pages Backdrop can access:
1. In Notion, go to **Settings & members** > **My connections**.
2. Find the Backdrop connection and update the pages it can access.
### Salesforce Integration for Live Sales Calls
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/integrations/salesforce
## Coming Soon [#coming-soon]
We're working on integrating Backdrop with Salesforce to help you access customer data and opportunity insights during your sales calls.
Stay tuned for updates!
### Zendesk Integration: Use Tickets as Knowledge Sources
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/integrations/zendesk
## Connect Zendesk [#connect-zendesk]
1. In Backdrop, go to **Settings** > **Integrations**.
2. Click **Connect** next to Zendesk.
3. Enter your **Zendesk Subdomain**. This is the part before `.zendesk.com` in your help center URL. For example, enter `acme` for `acme.zendesk.com`. You can also paste your full help center URL (e.g. `https://acme.zendesk.com/hc/en-us`) and Backdrop will extract the subdomain.
4. Click **Connect Integration**. You will be redirected to Zendesk to authorize access.
5. Sign in to Zendesk and grant Backdrop read access to your help center.
Once authorized, Backdrop will sync your Zendesk Guide content so it can be added as a knowledge source.
***
## Permissions [#permissions]
Backdrop requests read-only access to your Zendesk Guide help center:
* **Read help center content**: browse categories, sections, and published articles
No write permissions are requested. Backdrop will never create, modify, or delete your Zendesk content.
***
## What Gets Synced [#what-gets-synced]
Backdrop syncs the structure and content of your Zendesk Guide help center:
* **Categories** and **sections**: the folders that organize your help center
* **Articles**: published article content, converted to text for the knowledge base
Draft articles are not synced. If an article is unpublished or removed in Zendesk, it is removed from Backdrop on the next sync.
***
## Adding Articles as Sources [#adding-articles-as-sources]
After connecting, you can add Zendesk articles to your knowledge base:
1. When creating a source, select **Zendesk**.
2. Browse your help center by category and section, or use **Search articles...** to find a specific article.
3. Optionally filter by last modified date.
4. Select the articles you want and add them to your knowledge base.
***
## Syncing and Reconnecting [#syncing-and-reconnecting]
* **Sync**: Backdrop syncs automatically, and you can trigger a manual sync anytime by clicking **Sync** on the connected integration.
* **Reconnect**: If your access expires or you need to re-authorize, click **Reconnect** and complete the Zendesk authorization again.
### Supported Languages: Live Call Transcription in 55 Languages
URL: https://www.getbackdrop.ai/help/languages
Backdrop transcribes the call in whichever language the panel is set to, and the
transcript is what everything else runs on: the prompter, the MEDDPICC rail, and
the post-call scorecard all read it. Set the language before you record and the
rest follows.
English is the default and works on every workspace. Every other language is off
until the Backdrop team turns it on.
## Where the control lives [#where-the-control-lives]
The language control sits at the right end of the top bar, between the mode pill
and the overflow menu: a translate glyph and a two-letter code. It reads **EN**
until you change it.
English is available to everyone. Any other language requires an **active
Backdrop subscription** and has to be switched on for your workspace by the
Backdrop team. Until it is, the language control has nothing else to offer.
See [Getting a language enabled](#getting-a-language-enabled).
## Switching the language [#switching-the-language]
Open Backdrop and click the **language control** in the top bar.
Pick the language for this call. The list shows the languages enabled for
your workspace.
Click **record**. Backdrop transcribes in the language you picked.
{/* SCREENSHOT: the language control open, showing the list of languages enabled for the workspace. No capture exists yet. */}
Set the language before you start recording. If your next call is in a
different language from your last one, check the control when you join —
it holds whatever you left it on.
## Supported languages [#supported-languages]
Backdrop transcribes the following languages. Each one has a code, which is what
support will ask for when you request one. If a call moves between two
languages, set the control to the one it opens in.
| Language | Code |
| ----------- | ----- |
| Arabic | `ar` |
| Bashkir | `ba` |
| Basque | `eu` |
| Belarusian | `be` |
| Bengali | `bn` |
| Bulgarian | `bg` |
| Cantonese | `yue` |
| Catalan | `ca` |
| Croatian | `hr` |
| Czech | `cs` |
| Danish | `da` |
| Dutch | `nl` |
| English | `en` |
| Esperanto | `eo` |
| Estonian | `et` |
| Finnish | `fi` |
| French | `fr` |
| Galician | `gl` |
| German | `de` |
| Greek | `el` |
| Hebrew | `he` |
| Hindi | `hi` |
| Hungarian | `hu` |
| Indonesian | `id` |
| Interlingua | `ia` |
| Irish | `ga` |
| Italian | `it` |
| Japanese | `ja` |
| Korean | `ko` |
| Latvian | `lv` |
| Lithuanian | `lt` |
| Malay | `ms` |
| Maltese | `mt` |
| Mandarin | `cmn` |
| Marathi | `mr` |
| Mongolian | `mn` |
| Norwegian | `no` |
| Persian | `fa` |
| Polish | `pl` |
| Portuguese | `pt` |
| Romanian | `ro` |
| Russian | `ru` |
| Slovakian | `sk` |
| Slovenian | `sl` |
| Spanish | `es` |
| Swahili | `sw` |
| Swedish | `sv` |
| Tamil | `ta` |
| Thai | `th` |
| Turkish | `tr` |
| Ukrainian | `uk` |
| Urdu | `ur` |
| Uyghur | `ug` |
| Vietnamese | `vi` |
| Welsh | `cy` |
## Getting a language enabled [#getting-a-language-enabled]
Two things have to be true: your workspace is on an active Backdrop
subscription, and someone on the Backdrop team has switched the language on for
it. The second one is a request, not a setting you can reach yourself.
Ask by chat or by email — **Chat with us** at the bottom of this page, or
[support@getbackdrop.ai](mailto:support@getbackdrop.ai). Include:
* The language you need, and its code from the table above
* Roughly how many reps on your team take calls in it
* Whether those reps need it alongside English or instead of it
Ask support and they can tell you what your workspace is on. Plans and what
each one includes are on the [pricing page](/pricing).
***
## Next step [#next-step]
The language control is one part of the top bar. See
[During a Call](/help/during-a-call) for the rest of the panel: the transcript,
the prompter, and the MEDDPICC rail filling in as you talk.
## Blog Posts
- [The Death of the Enablement Slide Deck: Why Sales Leaders are Swapping Training for Live Call Infrastructure](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/real-time-sales-enablement-vs-static-decks): Why are sales leaders moving away from static slide decks and toward real-time sales enablement? Discover why traditional training fails on live calls and how live call infrastructure provides a real-time safety net for AEs.
- [Sales Tribal Knowledge: Scaling Expert AE Insights](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/scaling-sales-tribal-knowledge): How to capture and scale sales tribal knowledge from veteran AEs and push it live to junior reps during sales calls, avoiding static wikis and delayed follow-ups.
- [Real-Time Sales Enablement: Why Post-Call Reviews Fail](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/why-post-call-reviews-fail): Post-call reviews and coaching are beautifully written autopsies of lost deals. To scale your sales team, you must shift from retroactive reviews to live, in-call assistance.
- [3 Best Balto Alternatives for Real-Time Sales Enablement in 2026](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/balto-alternatives-2026): We evaluate the three best Balto alternatives for complex B2B sales, detailing why technical technology sales require real-time enablement over soft-skills scripting.
- [Real-Time Sales Enablement: Selling to AI-Armed Buyers](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/selling-to-ai-armed-buyers): Discover how real-time sales enablement helps reps handle technical objections from AI-armed buyers who analyze documentation before booking a discovery call.
- [Real-Time Sales Enablement: Why Static Training Fails](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/real-time-sales-enablement-static-training-fails): Classroom training and post-call analytics cannot save failing sales opportunities. Learn how real-time sales enablement solves live objections on the spot.
- [AI That Sells For You vs. AI That Makes You Sell Better: Why the Distinction Matters](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/ai-sells-for-you-vs-makes-you-sell-better): B2B sales leaders are being sold on autonomous AI bots, but buyers reject negotiating with machines. True revenue growth comes from real-time AI that acts like a dashboard GPS, empowering human reps to execute live discovery and handle objections seamlessly.
- [Why AI Note Taking Tools Fail to Save Dead Sales Deals](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/why-ai-note-taking-tools-fail): A deep dive into why passive AI note taking tools and meeting recorders fail to save B2B sales deals, and why real-time enablement is the solution.
- [Automated Salesforce Meeting Notes: The Execution Trap](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/automated-salesforce-meeting-notes-execution-trap): Automating Salesforce meeting notes won't save a deal with bad discovery. Learn why real-time sales enablement is key to winning calls, not post-call admin.
- [AI Sales Roleplay vs Real-Time Enablement](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/ai-sales-roleplay-vs-real-time-enablement): Sales leaders are purging simulated training tools in 2026. Discover why AI roleplay fails to change live rep behavior and why teams are consolidating on real-time sales enablement.
- [How to Reduce Sales Ramp Time: The License to Sell Bottleneck](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/reduce-sales-ramp-time-license-to-sell): Traditional sales onboarding is broken. Learn how replacing classroom training with live guardrails can shorten AE ramp time and end the license to sell bottleneck.
- [Why Your MEDDPICC Rollout Fails: The Salesforce Trap](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/meddpicc-rollout-salesforce-trap): Why adding MEDDPICC fields to Salesforce doesn't change rep behavior, and how real-time live-call qualification enforcement saves deals before they stall.
- [How to Answer Technical Questions in Sales (Without an SE)](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/how-to-answer-technical-questions-in-sales): Learn how to handle complex technical sales questions in real time, stop saying 'let me get back to you,' and keep your deals moving forward without an SE.
- [The Flow of Work Is a Conversation, Not a Chrome Extension](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/ai-sales-enablement-flow-of-work): Traditional sales enablement tools live in sidebars or browser extensions, forcing reps to search mid-call. True AI-powered enablement delivers live questions and answers inside the conversation.
- [Live Sales Coaching Software for Account Executives](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/live-sales-coaching-software-account-executives): Why traditional live sales coaching software focused on speech therapy fails complex B2B sales, and why account executives need real-time enablement instead.
- [Conversation Intelligence vs Real-Time Sales Guidance](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/conversation-intelligence-vs-real-time-sales-guidance): A deep dive into why post-call conversation intelligence alone cannot save live deals, and how real-time sales guidance fills the gap during high-stakes B2B sales calls.
- [Why Your AI Sales Call Prep Tool Fails Live](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/why-ai-sales-call-prep-fails-live): Reps spend hours researching prospects only to freeze on live calls. Learn why pre-call preparation tools fall short and how real-time enablement solves the execution gap.
- [Answering Integration Questions in Sales: A Field Guide](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/sales-integration-questions-field-guide): How to handle complex integration questions on live sales calls. Empower your Account Executives to answer technical objections in real time without relying on scarce Solutions Engineers.
- [The No-Bot Revolution: Why the Future of Real-Time Sales Enablement is Invisible](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/silent-ai-sales-assistant): Traditional sales recording bots trigger enterprise firewall blocks and kill buyer vulnerability during discovery. Discover why the future of real-time sales enablement is a silent, system-level assistant that runs privately on the rep's screen.
- [AI Sales Assistants: Why Reps Need a Co-Pilot, Not a Tape Recorder](https://www.getbackdrop.ai/blog/ai-sales-assistants-co-pilot-vs-tape-recorder): Discover why legacy post-call conversation intelligence tools fall short and why modern sales teams need a real-time AI sales assistant on live calls.