There is a lot of work and preparation that goes into making sure a conference call goes flawlessly.

There’s the invites that need to be sent to all participants, the agenda that needs to be created and sent out to those participants and don’t forget about the skill to keep the discussion moving forward quickly and effectively. Then there are all the things that need to happen behind the scenes and on the technology end to set up the perfect call.

But perhaps the most important part of every conference call is the audio quality. When it comes to conferencing, this is undeniably the foundation of the call and the most critical factor to ensuring the call is a successful – even enjoyable – experience for all involved.

So, with that in mind, every conference call host needs to know how to ensure top notch audio quality during each of their conversations with teams, coworkers and clients. Here are eight tips you can use now that will improve the quality of your calls.

1. Find a quiet location before starting or joining the call

Before ever joining a conference call – and especially before leading one – it is critical to find a place from which you can call in and speak freely without interruption and without other distractions that could grab your attention or the attention of people on the other end of the line.

But in addition to needing a quiet location in order to have a better conference call experience, you also want to find a spot that is comfortable. At minimum, this should be a comfortable place to sit. You may also want somewhere to set any other needed documents or a computer during the call.

2. Set the ground rules of proper conference call etiquette

Sometimes, making sure everyone has a good audio experience comes down educating all participants on conference call etiquette and what kind of behavior is conducive to a positive call experience and better audio.

If you are the moderator or leader of the conference call, then it’s your job to set the ground rules and inform everyone of proper etiquette. This includes instructing everyone to call in on time, starting the call on time, ending the call on time, encouraging people to allow others to finish speaking before they speak up, encouraging questions and trying to make sure nobody takes too much time to speak and prevents others from being heard.

3. Know when and how to use the mute button

One of the best ways to make sure people are allowed to be heard and not have to fight for the opportunity is to use the mute button.

Conference call hosts should know how to mute everyone once they join the call. That way, they can unmute selected people when those people need to speak. This helps call participants share their thoughts and ideas without fear of being cut off or drowned out by somebody else.

Call participants themselves can also take advantage of the mute button if the place they are calling from is not very quiet or they do not want to accidentally interrupt the conversation. The mute button also protects the call from being interrupted by the stray sneeze or cough that couldn’t be contained.

4. Get rid of distractions in the background

When possible, though, it is always preferable if any and all background distractions are removed from the area you’re calling in from.

This is because background noise and distractions may not only cause possible interruptions for you, but they could prove to be distracting to others on the call who can hear the noise coming through from your line.

If there are audible noise distractions, then this is a good moment for call moderators to remind everyone to use the mute button or simply mute everyone except speakers.

5. Use the right microphone, headphones and other equipment

In many cases, technology is to blame for poor audio. And it may not be the tech behind the conference call service you are using – although we’ll get to more on that in a bit.

No, for the moment, we’re talking about the technology that you are using yourself to participate in the conference call, including the type of phone you are using, microphones, headphones and headsets – those types of things.

If you want to improve sound quality, and often call in using a mobile phone, then you may want to invest in a reliable set of headphones or earbuds that feature a quality microphone. You might be surprised at how using headphones or earbuds and the mic they are equipped with can be a superior sound experience compared to just using the phone itself.

6. Avoid using speakerphone

If you are calling in with a mobile phone, then it’s a good idea to avoid using the speakerphone setting when participating in conference calls. That’s because the speakerphone setting can make you hard to understand on the other end and it could be hard for you to understand speakers, too.

Instead, if you must use speakerphone because multiple people need to use your phone to join the call, then you may want to invest in a communications hub that can deliver better sound quality and pick up everyone in the room easily. These are especially useful in offices.

7. Consider using a landline phone

If you just can’t get quality sound while using a mobile phone, then we suggest switching to a landline phone. In many instances, landline phones can deliver clearer call quality and you sound better to other callers when you speak, too.

Landlines also won’t buzz in your ear at random times due to notifications from other apps and messages like a mobile phone can.

8. Use the best conference call service available

Finally, one of the best ways to ensure a high quality audio experience during a conference call is to find the best conferencing solution available.

But when there are so many options available, how do you decide which is best? Let us help:

Find a conferencing service that is always free and has many in-demand features. That’s what you get when you sign up for Conference Town. Give our service a try today and experience a better free conference call.