Your clients and prospects can’t be fully engaged during your virtual meetings if your audio is filled with echoes, static, background noise or overall poor quality.
So in this week’s video, I walk you through three critical steps to ensure that your audio is not detracting from the relationships you’re building during your virtual engagements.
🎤 Microphones
Investing in an external USB microphone is key to enhancing your audio and there are options for every budget.
- I use an ATR-2100 ($79)
- Perhaps the most popular is the Blue Yeti ($130)
- However, the amazing Matt Halloran of ProudMouth strongly recommends the Sampson Q2U ($55) over the Blue Yeti … and I strongly recommend ProudMouth if you’re an advisor with – or considering starting – a podcast!
- On the higher end, Shure mics are also great ($250+)
Other options include:
- Lavalier Microphone ($13+)
- These are affordable, lightweight, easily clip onto your attire and can work with both your computer and smartphone (just make sure you get the right plugs or adaptors). For as small as they are, they’re surprisingly powerful for eliminating echo and background noise and having you sound crystal clear.
- Apple corded headphones
- These are a popular option and often work well. However, always be mindful of where the microphone is and make sure it’s not rubbing against your hair or clothing because that causes distracting static sounds for the person on the other end.
Curious about the microphone in AirPods?
Listen to my shocking audio test from the video above here.
Bonus tip: Get yourself a Boom Arm (aka Scissor Arm) for your microphone so you can conveniently push it off to the side and have complete access to your desk when the mic is not in use!
🎧 Headphones
You’ll see in the video that I don’t use the microphone in my AirPods (and why you shouldn’t either), so why do I wear them?
Two reasons. First, it’s easier for me to hear the people I’m meeting with over using my computer’s built-in speaker.
Second, it’s an extra layer to ensure there is no echo – which we’ve all experienced on virtual meetings. If you’re using your computer’s speaker, it’s possible for that sound to get picked up by a microphone, causing the echo.
However, if you embrace the must-have tool listed below, this is unlikely to be an issue.
And what about headsets with built-in microphones?
In my opinion, even expensive ones often have poor audio quality. That money is better spent on a good external USB microphone.
🎯 A Must-Have Tool
If you’re going to have one takeaway from all of this, let this be it: Download Krisp.ai!
Krisp is an auto-magical tool that removes all background noise, ensuring that it’s just your voice coming through in virtual meetings.
Krisp is perfect for everyone but is especially useful for those with kids at home, barking dogs, loud neighbors or co-workers, and other distracting sounds that you constantly need to apologize for during client engagements.
It integrates with all of your virtual meeting platforms (Zoom, Teams, Meet, etc.) and even recording tools to make sure your video recordings aren’t ruined by unwanted sounds sneaking in.
Another great thing I love about Krisp is that it shows you what percentage of time you spent talking after every call. This is a great data point to ensure you’re doing more listening than talking.
Krisp is free for up to 240 minutes a week and the paid version is only $60/yr. — a steal! Download it here.