TLDR:
For ~$250, Jabra Evolve2 65 UC - an incredible wireless headset.
For ~$100, Jabra Evolve2 40 UC - a fantastic wired headset.
For ~$50, Logitech H540 - a very good basic headset with a noise cancelling microphone
Why you need a headset
You want your prospects to think you're legit, right? Then they need to hear you loud and clear.
Shouting into the built-in microphone in your laptop and playing out the audio through the built-in speakers will provide the worst audio experience for your prospects - the microphone is too far from your mouth and you will sound like you are inside a cave. Consider investing in a headset instead.
If you're going to buy a headset
Don’t buy an el cheapo brand.
You're a pro, or manage pros. Invest in a pro-quality headset from Jabra, Poly, Logitech Business or Sennheiser.
Headset wisdom compressed
If you’re a gamer consider that gamer headsets tend to have cheaper omnidirectional (read “capturing every noise in the room”) instead of unidirectional microphones (read “just your voice and no background noise”).
A wired headset is more reliable than a wireless headset and never runs out of battery. A wired headset with a USB connection works better than a wired headset with a 3.5mm connection.
If you are going to use a wireless headset, a Unified Communications or Call Center headset works better than a headset designed for smartphones.
A Bluetooth headset works better when paired with a USB Bluetooth dongle from the manufacturer of the headset. Built-in desktop / laptop bluetooth is buggy and we don’t recommend that you pair your Bluetooth headset to the computer directly.
Airpods and Airpods Pro do a great job of isolating noise coming into your ears but they are less good at isolating noise from your background going into your prospect's ears.
Headsets with microphone booms perform much better than headsets with microphones built into the earcups.
Models we use, we have tested, and recommend.
For ~$250, Jabra Evolve2 65 UC - an incredible wireless headset.
For ~$100, Jabra Evolve2 40 UC - a fantastic wired headset.
For ~$50, Logitech H540 - a very good basic headset with a noise cancelling microphone