Perhaps the title of this post is a bit odd since this is about using a microphone properly. But when you think about it there are those who embrace the microphone and those who shun it. No matter which of these you are it’s important to keep the microphone close if you hope to excel as a presenter. In some cases the microphone is so close it’s strapped to your head. That’s the easy way to use a microphone because you’re not really aware of it. However, there are still many situations where you’ll have a handheld mic and using that properly takes a little finesse.

Let’s start with how you hold a microphone. You don’t want your hand wrapped around the top of the microphone unless you’re a rap artist. Hold the hand grip. You’ll see singers put their lips right against a microphone when performing. Don’t do this. Speaking into a microphone and talking into it are two different things. You want to avoid having the mic directly in front of your mouth as it will pick up sounds not intended for the audience such as breathing and popping of hard sounds like ‘p’. Instead locate the mic just below your mouth. Some suggest touching it to your chin so you have a physical sense of location. That’s a good cue. Resting the mic there avoids popping sounds but picks up your voice very well.

The other challenge presenters have is keeping the mic in one place relative to their mouths. You’ve seen this. They hold the mic in their hand and move their head from side to side without moving the mic. The result is that the voice fades in and out. Or, worse even than that, they let their hand drift down until the mic is resting somewhere about their midsection making it useless. At that point you’re just annoyed that the presenter is holding a mic that isn’t accomplishing anything. The same technique eliminates these problems. Touch the mic to your chin and keep it there. Your chin moves with your face!

When you want to make a dramatic point by getting louder or softer you can move the mic a little closer or further away from that set point on your chin. Speaking softly into a mic that is held close to your mouth makes a great sound that will draw an audience in. If you want to shout something for dramatic effect pulling the mic away so that your shout is loud but not too startling is a good technique.

As with any skill, practice. Get a microphone and have fun with it. Experiment with all the sounds you can make and what happens to your voice with the mic in different positions. Friend or enemy, keep the mic close to you and you’ll be a better presenter.