Be Microphone Savvy

| May 17, 2013 in Mary Anthes

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In the movie “The King’s Speech”, a BBC announcer prepares to go on the air. A waiter brings him water, and a spray bottle. The announcer gargles and spits into a spittoon that the waiter is holding. The announcer then takes the spray bottle and mists moisture into his mouth. Finally, he sits down in front of the microphone. Using both hands he touches the little finger of his left hand to the microphone, thumb of his left hand to the little finger of his right hand and thumb of his right hand resting on his lips. The microphone is the proper distance away, he’s ready to speak.

Having to use a microphone to give a presentation can be scary, unless you use them regularly. Unfortunately, we don’t have a waiter standing by with water and a spray bottle, or better yet, a glass of wine.

An alternative to fearing a microphone is to learn how to use them.

There are several different types of microphones, hand held, lavaliere, head and lectern.

Lectern microphones are definitely not my favorite. I’m five foot two inches tall, and behind a lectern people can barely see my eyes. Put a microphone in front of me and I disappear. The other huge disadvantage of this type of microphone is you have to stay put for your entire presentation. As Lisa B Marshall (www.publicspeaker.quickanddirtytricks.com) aptly says “Delivering your talk from the lectern limits your ability to make direct connection with your audience. In fact research shows that the physically closer you can get to your audience, the more likely you are to persuade them. Your goal for all presentations should be to make a connection with your audience”.

If you absolutely have to use a lectern mike:

Hand Held Microphones, preferably wireless so you don’t trip over a wire, need to be spoken over. Hold the ball of the microphone below your mouth, a few centimeters from your face and pointed towards your nose. The best way to do this is to put the ball of the microphone on your chin and leave it there.

Lavaliere microphones are my preference. They attach to your lapel, and have a battery pack that clips to your waistband. Lavalieres allow you to move freely and use both arms for gestures. A few pointers for using lavalieres:

Head microphones are a favorite with singers, actors, entertainers, and speakers. I haven’t used them, but the set up seems perfect. The advantage of the head microphones is if you turn your head, the microphone goes with you, keeping the sound level consistent. They come in different colors to blend with skin tones. The headband is worn behind the head and secures comfortably behind the ear. The optimal placement of the mike is about 1-2 inches from the corner of the mouth.

For all microphones:

Microphones have come a long way since “The King’s Speech”. You won’t need water, a spittoon, or a spray bottle. A glass of wine would still be nice.

Mary Anthes is a retired business owner, speaker and a Distinguished Toastmaster. She can be reached at nmanthes@shaw.ca

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