Conference calls and other virtual meetings have become a regular part of the day-to-day operations of many teams.

While meetings are certainly not anything new for employees, communicating more frequently with remote employees or employees working out of different locations has become much more common in recent years.

According to Zippia, the average U.S. employee takes part in at least eight meetings per week. Those whose jobs are at a management or higher level find themselves in at least 12 or more meetings per week.

But it should not come as a surprise to anyone that most employees have mixed feelings about the meetings they must attend. Again, according to Zippia, more than a third of employees say unproductive meetings drag down their business’s productivity. Two-thirds of employees say that all the meetings that they attend are a hindrance to their ability to get their work done, while just under half (45 percent) say that they become overwhelmed by the number of meetings on their weekly schedules.

Improve audio quality for better conference calls

So, how do you make your organization’s meetings more productive – and perhaps a little more enjoyable for those who are scheduled to participate? By improving audio quality.

An increase in audio quality during conference calls makes it easier for participants to be more engaged, which will boost their satisfaction with the call. With more engagement, they should begin to trust that conferences and other virtual meetings – or at least the ones that you organize and host – are not a waste of their valuable time.

The question now becomes how to go about giving your call’s audio quality a boost.

Find the best sound equipment and hardware

The best way to immediately increase sound quality for a conference call is to first invest in better audio equipment. While it’s true that there are excellent free conference call services and platforms that can host your meeting, there is no such thing as free hardware and equipment.

By no means does this mean that your equipment needs to be the latest and greatest versions with all the bells and whistles, but in many cases, it is true that you get what you pay for.

Here is how to find the best audio equipment for your future conference calls.

What to look for when buying microphones for conference calls

If ensuring that you are heard and understood during a virtual meeting is a priority, then there is no piece of equipment more important than a quality microphone.

Even if you’re not the call host or a frequent speaker, investing a bit more toward a better microphone will make your voice much higher in quality. That means other participants on the call won’t be as likely to struggle to understand you or tune you out completely.

Now, if you’re thinking that the built-in microphone in your laptop, tablet or other device is sufficient for calls, then it’s probably wise to reconsider. Built-in microphones are not always the most reliable when it comes to picking up the sounds you want them to, such as your voice, and not picking up distracting sounds in the background.

That’s why a separate microphone is the preferred option here. When shopping for a microphone, you can be sure to select a mic that has multiple settings for determining what sounds to pick up. Look for mics that, at the very least, have a cardioid setting, which means the mic will only pick up sounds directly in front of it.

Many other common microphone patterns include omnidirectional, which will pick up sound in all directions, and bi-directional, which will take in sounds from both directly in front and behind the microphone. Both of these settings can be useful when more than one person is joining a conference call from the same device.

In addition to the microphone pattern, you will also want to make sure that the mic you purchase has the ability to adjust how sensitive the mic is to the noises around it. For example, if you are trying to be quiet when you speak, then you will need to increase the sensitivity level. On the other hand, if you are in a slightly noisy environment – while not the best for conference calls – you can lower the sensitivity levels to pick up a louder sound closer to the mic itself.

One final note about microphones: You will most likely want to find a microphone that can be plugged into your preferred device via USB port or a wireless connection, such as Bluetooth.

What to look for when you need better speakers, headphones or earbuds

Meetings and conference calls immediately become more productive and efficient when all the participants are able to hear each other. Assuming everyone has quality microphones, the only other piece of audio equipment needed are quality speakers, headphones or earbuds.

You will want to do your research into these types of hardware to make sure that they can deliver excellent audio quality that won’t leave you wondering what your colleague or coworker just said on the call.

In addition to the obvious need of excellent sound quality, you will also want speakers, headphones or earbuds that are not overly bulky. This makes the devices easier for you to take them with you anywhere you might need them by storing them neatly in your backpack or other work bag.

Finally, you may want to consider finding these types of devices that are wireless, as this will help with the portability. However, make sure you research each potential wireless purchase, especially wireless or Bluetooth speakers, to make sure there is not a noticeable lag time in when the sound is received and when you actually hear it from the speaker.

Upgrade your conference call quality

Once you have your audio equipment and hardware settled, it’s time to test it all out with your next conference call.

Did you know that you can start a free instant conference call with Conference Town? As the best free conference call provider, this is the best opportunity for you to discover conferencing that people truly enjoy.

Try Conference Town today for free – and you’ll never look back.