Unless you remember to hit the mute button, the sounds surrounding you are streaming through your conference call to participants on the other side. So if you don’t want to share the sounds of eating, burping, tearing paper, yelling kids or barking dogs, be sure to eliminate the background noise prior to the conference call or religiously use your mute button.

As TMC’s (News - Alert) Tammy Wolf recently reported, conference calls can go awry, and most often, it’s because the individuals involved are unfamiliar with the unspoken rules that come along with any call involving a large number of people. Other times, it’s technical and IT has to step in, putting the conference call, and the tasks at hand, at a standstill. And, you can’t forget about those step-by-step, monotone directions every host has to follow, leading all participants down the path to eventual distraction. Background noises are a simple problem to solve, and with the appropriate steps taken prior and during a conference call the common distraction of background noise can be resolved.

Before conducting or participating on a conference call avoid the use of cheap equipment that you know will provide poor sound quality on a point to point phone call, imperfections that will be magnified in a conference call. For those that need to access a call on-the-go beware the cell phone. Rescheduling the call or locating an area on the road with decent reception may be best, particularly if you are the host. Many cell phone services still have a long way to go before they match the clarity of a land-line. Furthermore, if using a speakerphone, adjust the speaker volume to no more than half capacity. Volume turned up too high can over-ride other persons on the call.

The other background noises that can lead to distraction on a call, those outside the control of your equipment, are distractions that you must be proactive in eliminating. Remind participants to use the mute button when necessary, or be aware of shuffling papers and tapping pens. Also, one should be conscious of open windows, doors, thin walls, etc. As your awareness and careful planning increases, the more likely your conference calls will be free from distraction and productive.