At a live event, how can you quiet a noisy room without killing the vibe?
It’s a common problem at large auctions and fundraising events: the energy in the room is high, but no one in the audience is listening to what’s happening on stage.
According to KLM Auctions Founder and Lead Auctioneer auctioneer Keith McLane, there are two key strategies for bringing the volume down and keeping the program moving without creating an awkward moment.
“First, you need to make sure the sound system is loud enough,” Keith says. Clear, strong audio is essential to command attention. But it’s not just about decibels—it’s just much about delivery. “Two, you want to do a friendly, funny, quiet-the-room,” he explains.
The worst approach? Pleading with the crowd. “What you don’t want to do is be the guy on stage going, ‘Excuse me, excuse me. Can everyone please quiet down?’ Everybody hates that. Don’t do that.”
Instead, try a tone that’s warm and playful: “Hey, if everybody could just drop the noise level about 10%, we can keep moving forward here.” This light-touch approach resets the room without scolding the audience or derailing the momentum.
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