I have a loud voice - I don’t need a mic

I have a loud voice - I don’t need a mic

What I am about to write is an adaptation of a blog I published nearly two years ago which received a huge amount of coverage on many social media channels. So as a similar situation occurred recently, I thought I would adapt and repost the blog to my Linkedin Network as the message therein is every bit as important to those in business as it was to the voluntary organisation I was writing about when it was first posted.

The blog post was prompted by my attendance at a seminar where a situation occurred that once again releasing the very large bee from my bonnet.

So, what was the situation that arose? I hear you ask.

Well, it was one of this scenarios where the session presenter who, despite have a mic and public address system available; cock-sure of himself picked up the microphone, looked at it with disdain, declaring something along the lines of, “I don’t need to use this, my voice is loud enough so I’m sure you’ll be able to hear me.”

 Really? Will we? Can we all hear you? How could he possibly be sure of that? Did he ask us all individually as we entered the auditorium? And it was at this point that the bee in my bonnet was well and truly unleashed…! 

For all those people our there who are either presenters now or could be in the future – can I please made a plea on behalf of all those who may have hearing difficulties? And it’s a really simple one, which simply asks that if there is a mic available to you – then please use it.

As good a presenter as you may think you are, it is not your choice to decide whether your audience necessarily needs your voice amplified or not. Sure, you can ask them as I have heard done on numerous occasions – but let’s be honest, how many people in a room of 200+ are going to stand up and tell the presenter to use the mic otherwise they'll struggle to hear them? Furthermore, there is the hidden irony that some of those who need the mic may not even have heard the question being posed. So ultimately there’s no point asking. The simple answer is...just use the the mic.

Oh, and as an aside, if you "really don't like using microphones" then you probably shouldn't be on the stage presenting...just saying!

Most modern premises will be fitted with a hearing induction loop to help attendees with hearing aids participate in your session – and if you know what a Loop System is then you'll understand this is a sure fire reason to use the mic for your presentations.

An ‘induction loop’ is a system that allows someone with a hearing aid to turn it to a certain setting which will only pick up the output from a certain sound system – usually the microphone – and blocking out all the surrounding noises. So think of their disappointment when, as someone with hearing difficulties they enter the room with ‘the big T ear’ (the sign for an induction loop being available in this room) only to find that it’s not actually being used. Or that it is turned on, but the presenter decides they don't want to use the mic that the loop system needs in order to work.

Worse still for attendees is where they witness the premises proudly displaying signage for their loop (fixed or portable) and the presenter then decides to sabotage the in-build hearing enhancement system by unilaterally deciding their voice doesn’t need amplified. Don't forget they've already told you their voice is "loud enough".

Let’s take a different scenario and see if it makes any difference to your empathy with this situation. Now, imagine paying £150 for a single ticket to see your favourite musical performer at your nearest 15,000 seater venue only for them to decide they weren’t going to turn their sound system on – because in their opinion their voice is loud enough therefore everyone should be able to hear perfectly fine no matter where you were seated throughout the venue. Casts a slightly different light on not using the PA system now, eh?

You’d probably be surprised at how many attendees to the session leave saying they hadn’t heard a thing. And believe it or not, if there's a mic and a PA system and your audience cannot hear you because you think your voice is loud enough not to use the equipment, then the truth is that's your fault and not theirs.

So, the next time you are a presenter or the organiser of a large event where a public address system (and in particular a loop) is available – please use it or make sure your presenters use the mics and systems in the location. 

And although you many not think as much, but this is actually as big an equality issue as any of the other that we deal with in our workplace on a day-to-day basis. So it is important it is given our proper attention.

So, in closing think about this the next time you go to present. When you see a mic – don’t look at it with disgust and hatred. Instead, pick it up, use it and appreciate it – because by you doing this, there could very well be someone in your audience appreciating your what you are saying in a way they wouldn’t had you thought your voice was loud enough not to have used the equipment provided.

They may actually learn something from you...


Image by Ben Bashford by CC


Thanks for posting this reminder James. As someone who wears a hearing aid and struggles at time I cannot stress enough that this is really important. Guest speakers would not turn off the lights and prevent folk from seeing them - so why on earth do some of them think that it is not necessary to use the mics provided?

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