Talking to a large room full of people!

[Blueyfan123]

I’m stressing! Please give me advice!
I’m starting a new job and my first task is to deliver a presentation to 100 people. It’s a new job in a new industry.
I’m having nightmares about the room full of people not stopping talking enough for me to start the presentation.
Those of you who are more experienced than this how do you stop this many people talking so that you can start a presentation.
I’m told there is no microphone 😬

I talk to hundred of students every week, and tbh, it’s never really been an issue. Mostly people will fall silent of they’re own accord if they’re seated and facing you, and can see you’re ready to start — the most you’re likely to have to to is say ‘Let’s get started.’

Isn't someone going to be introducing you? It will be that person's role to get the audience's attention.

Also it seems a bit strange to throw you into the deep end like this.

Is no-one going to introduce you? If not then I would speak loudly enough to catch the attention of those near you. Make it clear you are waiting to start, maybe even ask for their attention, and wait for people to self quieten.
Hopefully that should be enough - often a group like this will hush themselves.
If not then thank those paying attention to you, and raise your voice a bit more to ask for the attention of those still talking.

THEIR own accord. And yes to an introducer’s job being to get attention, if there is one.

I would find a man with a loud booming voice and ask him if he will get everyone's attention. Some men love doing this.

You can also get as high up as possible and tap on a glass. Lol

I’d go for the Bridget Jones “OI! OI!!!!!”

If I am speaking to a room full of people, I tend to just look forward, smile and loudly say, "OK, I'll start with..." and find that it just goes quiet enough for me to talk.

Also, when you do talk, slow your pace a little bit so that your words don't mix up with each other.

Acting like an incapable child is not going to make the OP feel empowered is it? Or make her look capable to her peers? And FYI women’s voices carry further than men’s.

Just look ready when you’re ready, chances are people will be quiet, if they aren’t say ‘let’s get started’ loudly, and if anyone is still talking (they won’t be) say HEY AT THE BACK THERE - we’re starting.

Most people are just making small talk and are delighted to shut up when the presentation starts. It’s not like teaching teens.

Agree with Pomegranate. Look confident, project "I'm ready" body language at the front of the room, and in most professional circles the audience will shut up. Anyone still talking, something like "Right, let's get this started" usually does the trick nicely.

😂

Have you the option to have music playing as people arrive?

Turn it off when you are ready to start, silence draws attention for you to start.

People tend to sort of shush themselves; it will happen naturally in a kind of wave that moves back from the front.

When you're speaking — I find it helpful to pick three or four people in different areas of the crowd to alight focus on as you speak. You sort of rotate your attention around them as you go. That way, you feel like you're connecting to humans rather than foghorning into a crowd. Comes across more natural.

I do a lot of big presentations, and if no one is introducing me I go with just walking to centre stage, pause slightly then doing a big smiling (weird, but if you smile while you are talking you sound like it too) 'Good morning, I'm CMOT and I have the pleasure of talking to you about widgets today. They'll shut up during that bit and you can project a bit more at the start.
Then just keep smiling and breathing, looking to every corner of the room and you'll be great

I wait patiently for a few moments for everyone to hush themselves. If you have some that refuse to stop chatting then look in their direction and say loudly and as confidently as you can "Hello everyone, if I could please have your attention...". Alternatively, if you're given a glass of water to drink (often speakers have water in case their throat dries up) then find something to tap against the glass.

As previous poster said, try to move your eyes around the room as you speak, so it appears you are speaking to the whole audience. Remember to take breaths in between sentences too, so you're not rushing what you're saying. Don't be afraid to pause and take a sip of water if you need to.

Good idea. In fact, just ask him to do the presentation on your behalf then you won’t need to worry about it at all