The+Professionals+the+Auctioneer
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The auctioneer coaxes another bid from the guests as the MC stands by with the microphone.
The Professionals
any auctions are executed entirely with the free labor of volunteers. Anyone who
has planned events knows that as wonderful as volunteers are, some can
disappoint and fail to deliver. Volunteers forget, get sick and have any number of
crises that can derail the best of intentions. I have many stories but the one that
is forever burned into my memory is the volunteer who was in charge of the end‐
of‐the‐night raffle. She left for the auction and forgot the raffle tickets and supplies on her
kitchen table. Instead of immediately returning home to get them she flat out refused. Her
husband offered to return home, other volunteers offered to return to her house and get them
yet; still she refused to let anyone save the day. As you can imagine, the auction chair fumed all
night and the story spread like wildfire through the volunteers. This volunteer parent became
the focus of gossip for the rest of the night and I’m sure for a long time after the auction. It’s
been 7 years and her name comes up every
year when we discuss the raffle. She simply
did not understand or care that we
depended on her integrity. Every activity in
the auction is done for a reason bigger than
the activity itself. Excitement builds with
each segment and every winner. The raffle
was part of the bigger picture.
The charity world has evolved into an
amazing industry filled with a dozen services all designed with the intent of raising more
money, having more fun and handling the nuts and bolts of the event. These are vendors and
suppliers who design their products and services for planning events but may know little about
how to raise money. In fact, some vendors and their staff actually block bidders from bidding
and guests from giving. If you are going to use outside service providers it is important to
determine if they can work cooperatively with other vendors and enhance the buying and
giving activities.
M
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Charity auctions almost always include a master of ceremony and catalog reader. Joining them
are bid catchers, auction proceeds managers, sound and video providers, arena designers that
supply décor and props, printing companies for catalogs, banners and signage, catering
companies, bartenders and specialty beverage companies, dessert dash bakers, swag bag and
gift suppliers, consignment services, valet and courtesy staff, shipping and delivery for buyers
and even coat check services. Most of my clients use at least 6 professional vendors and a few
use all of the above.
I believe that once we solicit and accept donations from donors it is our responsibility to honor
their contribution by the way we display it, talk about it and show it off before, during and after
the auction. We must offer that donor nearly expert representation. The sales process or
auctioning must be fair, simple and understood. Inventory and financial transactions must be
kept and recorded and guests must be accommodated and managed and of course the
production needs to be engaging and somewhat entertaining. Few volunteers have the
experience, ability or inclination to provide the necessary services and support to make an
auction come
together for
the desired
results. It is
simply easier to
produce an
event that uses
experienced
professional
people and
time tested
procedures and
tools. The Raffle Ticket sellers standby as the master of ceremonies announcing the last chance to buy tickets during the live auction.
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The Live Auction Method
Auctioning is a sales method used to create a fair competition among buyers with the intention
of gleaning the maximum amount of money the market will deliver during the selling period.
The components of an auction sale require 3 aspects:
• A Legitimate Offering
The items being sold must be honestly and accurately represented and transferred to
the winning bidder under the conditions and representation at the time of the closing of
the sale.
• Qualified Buyers
By registering to bid, buyers agree to pay the amount of money cried by the auctioneer
either publicly or by written absentee bid or voice commitment by phone.
• Legal Transfer of Money
A sale is finalized by the auctioneer during active bidding and payment is due under the
published terms and conditions of the sale.
If your organization plans on holding an upscale affair that will attract the support of businesses
and donations of new merchandise then plan on surrounding the volunteers (free labor) with
professional vendors (paid labor). Experienced vendors working cooperatively with the venue
personnel, volunteers and each other are in a position to make the event planner and auction
chairs’ vision a reality. More importantly these pros know what to do when something goes
wrong.
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The Sales Team
The Auctioneer. Master of Ceremony. Catalog Reader.
The point of my advice is to help you make money. So pay close attention. An auction is not an
auction with out a real auctioneer. Period. I’ve never understood why anyone would spend
weeks, months or a year planning an event called an “Auction” and then ask the principal,
priest or banker to dress up and play auctioneer. Every auctioneer I’ve ever met can give you a
hundred reasons why you should hire them and I agree 100% with what they say so I won’t
waste your time or mine going on and on about it here. Plainly said, the odds that your auction
will be successful greatly increase when a qualified auctioneer is at the podium.
The Master of Ceremonies announces the names of the raffle winner as the sponsor awards the prize.
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I attended Missouri Auction School in 1992 and after graduation as part of my continued training I joined the National Auctioneer’s Association. The first convention I attended was held in Niagra Falls, New York in July of 1995. I caught a terrible cold the week before leaving Seattle and despite a horrific sore throat decided to make the trip. That summer the temperatures in the Buffalo area soared to record levels and the surrounding waterfalls did little to bring relief. I was so sick that I left the convention by noon every day to sleep off my fever and escape the heat. I was miserable, in a bad mood and because I was sure I was contagious, I avoided making new contacts and sat away from the rest of the crowd. Occasionally someone would say hello and make small talk. One morning as I seated myself at the general meeting, a cowboy slid his chair up behind me and introduced himself as an auctioneer. He was surprised to discover that I was an auctioneer rather than the wife of an auctioneer. He proceeded to tell me that “women can sell antiques and doodads but no one would take them serious sellin’ real estate and machinery”. He went on to say that he sold equipment and cars and he “didn’t know of one woman who could sell a farm”. “You gotta get up on those tractors and start ‘em up for the crowd”. So I asked him, “What body parts do you have that I don’t for startin a tractor?” As you might guess we did not become fast friends.
I’ve thought often of that good ‘ole boy over the last 18 years. The truth is the ability to auctioneer only requires a set of vocal chords (or the ability to sign to the hearing challenge), an alert brain and one working eye preferably corrected to 20/20 vision. Talent is learned and expertise is developed. Auctioneering does not come natural. Anyone who has attended auction school can recount those first few days stumbling over the basic numbers 1 through 10 and the Betty Botter tongue twister. Any kid can count to ten and rattle off Bette Botter, right? Yet, when combining counting and poetry and then adding speed and clarity, chanting is not that simple. The skill is acquired over time through practice. The auction business comes by experiencing the many challenges audiences and clients present to us. Only 1 percent of the people that attend auction school earn a living calling auctions and less than 1 in 100 learn a usable chant. I chant. I love to chant. I love to hear other auctioneers chant and I have the desire to be really good at it. Chanting is the mark of an auctioneer.
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Charity auctions are very different than
estate auctions, livestock auctions, car
auctions and business liquidations. Even
though auctions have been around since the
days of the Pharaohs, the charity auction
model has only been around for about 30
years. None of the auction schools or
professional auction associations teach one
word about how to sell to the charity auction
audience or how to meet the needs of a non‐
profit. Further, few auctioneers call enough charity auctions to understand the makeup of the
client or audience then blame both for not responding to them. It is the job of the charity
auctioneer to know and understand the nonprofit organization and their respective arena of
influence and not the other way around.
So what characteristics make a charity auctioneer good?
The chant or conversation with the bidding audience is the
key to gathering the audience around the sales activity. A
charity auctioneer should be able to establish an instant
connection with the audience. When we consider that a
very small percentage of the audience is able to bid and
then win live auction items, then it is completely
understandable that the rest of the audience is likely not
paying attention to the sales activity. As the auction
progresses, there are fewer buying opportunities and
more members of the audience will turn their attention
elsewhere and may even distract others from playing the
auction game. A professional auctioneer is entertaining A wireless microphone allows the auctioneer and emcee to move about the venue.
The emcee arrives early to makes notes and changes in his master catalog and time line.
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simply because of their ability to chant and communicate with the audience through that chant.
We know how to bring buyers back into the bidding process and how to enlist non bidders to
help other bidders bid higher.
A charity auctioneer should be able to modify their chant and style to fit the audience and to
some degree, the wishes of the client. Experience is important, especially if the auction is high
profile and involves notables and celebrities. An auctioneer needs to be able to sell donations,
captivate interested buyers, guide volunteers, cooperate with vendors, and wrap themselves in
the organizations message. They need to be able to adapt to the unexpected and have a doable
suggestion when problems arise. It is critical to be able to make a connection with the different
kinds of buyers and the sometimes strange situations those people bring to an event.
I care deeply about my clients and their causes.
I’ve worked with nearly a thousand auction
committees and I understand to my core how
important fundraising events are to them. I
absolutely love the art of auctioning. I wrote this
book because I am very interested in the
successful out come of your auction. I know how
critical money is to your organization and I know
how powerful relationships are to your mission. I
really do believe that I am changing the world
one auction at a time. I think it is important that
not only the auctioneer, but that every vendor
exude the same passion. Vendors and
auctioneers missing that passion can keep an
event from reaching its’ potential and gleaning maximum profits.
There are many more things to consider when selecting an auctioneer. If you decide to preview
an auctioneer, make sure you talk with them afterward and ask if what you observed is typical
of their performance. As I mentioned earlier, a good auctioneer can change their style, attire
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and delivery by request. Even how they play to the audience can be morphed somewhat. The
point is, you are likely viewing just one performance model and IF they offer another style, they
might want to share that with you. There is also a chance that you were viewing them on an off
night through no fault of their own. They could have been missing the tools they need to do
their job, like good sound and readable scripts. The audience could have been over served
alcohol or the food may have been served late or worse, taste terrible. The presenters may go
on too long and the timing may be ruined. Even the best auctioneers rarely are able to save a
poorly managed event from the stage.
There really is no other profession like
auctioneering. We are not actors who
rehearse our lines and play off other actors.
There is no director, no script, no one waiting
in the wings to save us. We are not vocalists
who sing the written word melodiously. We
are not musicians following the composers’
inspirational notes. We are not public
speakers who rehearse just the right words
to say at just the right moment to provoke a
predictable response. We are not comediennes throwing punch lines at people waiting for a
belly laugh. We simply love to sell. We are a living sales tool attempting to bring together the
wishes and expectations of everyone. We work without a net. We are limited by our skill and
the support our clients provide us. We can soar to great heights with their thoughtful
consideration and the performance of those around us. Our intention is always to be the one
auctioneer that stands out among all others. The auctioneer you invite back. The auctioneer
you refer to others and the auctioneer that raised more money than you ever dreamed
possible!
The auctioneer must be flexible and adjust to program changes and adapt to the actions of others.
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The emcee and auctioneer work together as a sales team.
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April Brown is an 18 year veteran auctioneer and specializes in fundraising auctions. She is also the founder and Director of Whisker City, a feline rescue organization located in Shoreline, Washington. Brown also hosts April Brown’s Charity Auction World, the only internet television show designed to showcase the world of charity auctions. She is the author of Money is Marvelous and The Foundation ‐ Secrets to A Successful Charity Auction. April has a long history of dramatically increasing revenue for charities with a goal of $30,000 to $500,000 and higher. The Auction Powerhouse Training Method has helped thousands of volunteer and professional fundraisers attract new donors, develop profitable demographic and put together memorable auctions. Brown’s innovative strategies and concepts are used by auctioneers, development officers and volunteers throughout North America. She is a skilled auctioneer and combines her passion for business and love for charity by training others to do great things. April’s clients include private and public schools, hospital foundations and guilds, business and community service organizations and individuals