There are steps you can take - even if you are working with the best AV company - to help your speaker be heard. Here's how to avoid the seven most common audio mistakes.

1. Your speaker doesn't need a microphone.
News flash: It's not for the presenter. It's for that 54-year-old guy in the back who moonlights as a drummer. Any audience larger than those sitting around a board room table is a large group. The presenter will have to strain to fill the room, and the folks in back will have to strain to hear the message.

Always supply a microphone, even for small breakouts, and insist that everyone use it. Ask presenters for their preference in advance: lavalier (clipped to a lapel) or hand-held, corded or wireless. If you go wireless, include a corded backup. It can double as the mic for the introducer or emcee, or put it on a long cord for audience participation.

2. We can just plug a mic into the wall.
This leaves your presenter with no local control. The house equipment is locked up in a closet somewhere deep in the bowels of the hotel, and nobody knows how to adjust it. Laptop-based video, live Internet demos, sound effects, or music in the program will require a mixer to manage multiple inputs. Ask the AV supplier to patch a small, portable mixer between the inputs and the house, even for a single microphone.

And when the AV crew hides it under the stage behind the skirts ("because the wires are ugly"), ask them to move it to a table just off to the side, where your presenters have easy access.

3. This stuff is expensive, so it's a good place to economize.
You've spent a ton of money pulling this meeting together. People have traveled thousands of miles to attend. Insist on pro-grade sound equipment. If you do a lot of meetings, buying a few key pieces of your own may be a good investment.

4. The speakers in the ceiling will be just fine.
Why do hotels spend millions on renovation, then put $10 speakers in the ceiling? Even the good ones are low-fi, and when you push them, they distort. A pair of powered front-of-house (FOH) loudspeakers on stands (like Mackie SR 450s) have enough muscle to be heard loud and clear. FOH speakers draw attention to the front of the room, where the action is.

5. The FOH speakers will be adequate.
Even when using a pair of FOH loudspeakers on either side of the stage, run a second output to the house. While the speakers in the ceiling may not be great, they will help fill in for those sitting in the back. Turn off the ceiling speakers in the section just over the stage to prevent feedback.

6. We'll put the FOH speakers in the corners out of the way.
The FOH loudspeakers should always point away from the microphones. Otherwise, you're asking for trouble. The correct placement is just in front of and at the corners of the stage, turned in slightly to point toward the audience. Keep the sound with the picture. And don't skimp trying to get by with just one FOH loudspeaker, or when the presenter moves to the opposite side of the stage, it will become a ventriloquist act.

7. I know it's bad but there's nothing I can do.
The setup guy said, "Now don't touch anything!" Then your keynoter arrives for a sound check and it's just not right. Most speaking professionals are intimately familiar with the tools of our trade. They know how to make the appropriate adjustments.

Moving the Master sliders up or down just a smidge can mean dramatic improvement. Walk the whole room and listen. Experiment with the "High-Mid-Low" EQ (equalization) knobs. Eliminate feedback by cutting the highs; eliminate rumble by cutting the lows. By boosting the mids just a bit, you'll bring out the presenter's voice.

Speaker Savvy Take Away

Make sure everyone can hear. Insist on:

1. microphones, even for small breakout sessions
2. pro-grade sound equipment
3. a pair of powered front-of-house loudspeakers, placed correctly
4. running a second output to the house.

Orvel Ray Wilson, CSP, is a 30-year veteran of the platform and co-author of the "Guerrilla Selling" series. He's spoken in more than 1,000 cities and 42 countries, and has dealt with just about every bad-sound situation you can imagine. Feel free to call him with questions at (800) 247-9145.

These tips should be used for informational purposes and not be considered legal advice.
The National Speakers Association (NSA) is the leading educational organization for professional speakers. NSA's 3,500 members include experts in a variety of industries and disciplines, who reach audiences as trainers, educators, humorists, motivators, consultants, authors, and more. As a service to meeting professionals, NSA provides resources and information on finding and working with speakers. Please visit NSA's Web site at www.nsaspeaker.org.