Microphone Vanity

“I don’t need a microphone; I have a loud voice.”

I hear arrogant speakers say this all the time—it’s a big mistake! Of course the speaker doesn’t need a microphone, speakers never need microphones. It’s the audience that needs a microphone. The audience needs the speaker to use a microphone in order to hear the speaker.

Many speakers think of themselves as confident presenters with rich, full voices. They then equate their ability to project with an overall sense of strength and power. “My voice is bigger and more powerful than your voice…” goes the sentiment.

It is always good to use a microphone and speaker anytime you are speaking to more than a handful of people. Within any group of people you will have a range of hearing abilities and that includes hearing loss. When a speaker turns down an available microphone, he or she is showing a lack of respect to people who don’t have perfect hearing.

There really is no good reason not to use a microphone and speakers if you are a presenter. Even if you get audio feedback, it’s still better to figure out how to reduce the feedback or avoid the hotspots in the room. Don’t simply remove the microphone and give up at the first sign of problems.

Speakers who ostentatiously make a show of “not needing a microphone” are tacitly implying that they are better than the speakers before them and after them. This is annoying to everyone.

By using a microphone, a speaker does the following positive things.

      Makes it easier for the audience to hear the speaker.
      Makes it easier for the audience to understand the speaker.
      It becomes easier to concentrate on the speaker’s message because the words       are more dominant in the room.
      The speakers create more of a stereo or surround sound approach to make things       easier for people who have hearing loss in one ear.
      By using amplification, the presenter can speak in a normal tone of voice and       sound more conversational.
      Without having to strain to project, the speaker will use less energy and preserve       and protect his or her voice.