Here's an attractive (and fairly common) way to display a necklace using a box.

Auction volunteers looking for creative ways to display jewelry in the silent auction will appreciate this approach.

Most often I see necklaces draped over a box.  Sometimes it’s the same box the piece will be packaged inside when sent home later with the winning bidder.

Boxes work well enough, but I recently spotted a couple of other silent auction display ideas you could use.

Anyone who has heard me speak knows that my background was working in corporate marketing and sales.  I’m always pulling concepts from that realm into the auction.  This latest inspiration is no exception.

Look at the right photos, which I cut out of my latest Wisteria catalog.

Photo credit goes to Wisteria. And if you like the necklaces, head over to their fab online store at www.Wisteria.com.

If you check with your volunteers, surely one has a large scallop shell at their home.  You can see from the ad that a scallop shell can be used to elegantly frame a necklace or bracelet.

Similarly I’d bet that a conch shell would also be an attractive display.  You could use the nubby / pointy parts of the shell to elevate a ring or other piece.

And who doesn’t have a nice vase sitting at home?  With a bit of tape to secure the necklace, a vase could serve as a beautiful way to set off a pretty strand of pearls, stones, or glittery diamonds.

For other helpful ways to plan and promote your silent auction, get your FREE Benefit Auction Ideas.  Silent auction ideas … delivered to your inbox!

© Red Apple Auctions Co.  All Rights Reserved.

Here’s one tip:  Give volunteers something new and creative to learn which simultaneously solves a problem your charity auction is experiencing.

Volunteers will remain engaged if they believe the solution you are sharing is 1) fun and 2) will solve the problem. When it’s fun to solve the problem, your volunteers will do it.

I’ve written before about Volkswagen’s “The Fun Theory” project.   The group conducted tests to see if they could influence the public to engage in activities generally considered unpopular, such as

• throwing trash in a bin instead of on the ground
• obeying the speed limit
• taking the stairs instead of the escalator

The result?  When the activity is fun, people will do it again and again… even if it’s kind of a negative for them.

Consider the act of playing the slot machines. Gamblers lose money playing those slots, but they continue to do so because they think it’s fun to push the button and maybe win a jackpot.

Here’s a process I’ve used to engage auction volunteers which might help you work with your team:

1. In my initial meeting, we talk about last year’s auction fundraiser.  If the topic doesn’t naturally come up, I’ll ask the volunteers what they didn’t like about the event.  What were “the issues.”
2. Based on those problems, I offer ideas for solutions. (I don’t offer ideas for everything; just ideas for issues  identified as problems.)
3. As I describe each idea, I note what they respond to.  I want their buy-in.
4. They’ll execute what is appealing to them; other ideas are abandoned.  (Even if it’s my favorite idea, I let it go.  The ideas that work best are those that appeal to many, not just me.)

When you start sharing new ideas for the auction, your volunteers’ creative juices start to flow. And when they are invested in the ideas, they will do a better job of executing.  (Let’s face it, you become more interested in the condition of the property when your name is on the mortgage!)

If you’re stumped for new auction ideas (maybe you’re new to the Auction Chair role), here’s a resource.  Charity Auction Bells & Whistles looks at 10 common problems of auction fundraisers and offers 22 suggestions for addressing those problems with a game, activity or raffle.  For instance, maybe you …

• are short on procured items this year.  Acquisitions have ‘dried up’ and you need help.
• want to have greater participation in your live auction because you’re tired of the same 10 people always bidding.
• need something that appeals to children because your auction guests are families, not just adults.
• have too many items on your silent auction tables.  It’s so cluttered, items don’t sell for high-dollar.

For creative help with these and other charity auction problems, visit www.AuctionGames.info.

© 2010 Red Apple Auctions Co.  All Rights Reserved.

And the arrows point to ... items, and no bid sheets!

What’s missing from the silent auction table in this photo?

There are no bid sheets. You see three items, and no bid sheets.

Your silent auction can now “go digital” through the use of handheld electronic devices.

There are a handful of companies offering electronic bidding technology.  Each has their own approach.

At this auction, guests were handed the electronic device (the size of a cell phone) when they registered.  They carried it with them and when they wanted to bid, they entered the item number and pressed a button to record their bid.  The wireless network allowed them to bid wherever they were … in front of the item, sitting at their table, or in the bathroom.

The devices are used for silent auctions and cash appeals where the bidding is slower. They aren’t used for live auctions.

(For you tech-y readers: I’ve worked one benefit auction in which we did have live internet bidding. That auction used software made for commercial auctions, not benefit auctions. The technology exists for you to use internet bidding in your benefit auction, but most groups don’t use it.)

I wanted to give my thoughts on the advantages of these devices as a preview to Thursday’s FREE technology call.

1. Ease of bidding

By far, the biggest advantage is how easy it is to bid. Rarely are venues ideal for silent auctions. If you have 600 guests and 100 items all squeezed into an ill-shaped space, the devices make it easy to bid without leaving your group conversation.

Guests still seem to take a look at each item upon arrival, but once they’ve seen it, they don’t go back. They often place their first bid during their initial walk-around, and thereafter bid from wherever they happen to be.

If your silent auction is crowded (lots of people with no room to maneuver), this technology is a definite plus.

2.  Men love them.

Not to say that women don’t like them, but the marked difference here is with the men. Silent auctions have traditionally been the domain of women, but give a male one of these, and — as one guest told me — “He’s hogging it like it’s our television remote.” If your auction has more men then women, keep this in mind.

My thought: Can you hand out two per couple, so both partners have a shot at bidding?

3.  Streamlined appearance on the silent auction tables

As you can tell from the photo, your silent auction tables will look sleek. Without the added clutter of bid sheets and pens, your tables appear clean.

4.  Instant gratification of benefit auction results

Because the bids are recorded instantly, you (the non-profit) can immediately get a sense for how well you are doing.  No longer do you need to walk around and look at bid sheets; you can monitor your system.

5.  Less conflict (maybe).

At some silent auctions, guests will jockey to place final bids on items as the tables close. Some situations get ugly.

But with these devices, silent auction tables are closed electronically, on schedule.  The system “shuts off” at a given time. If the tables are scheduled to close at 8:30 PM and the guest’s last bid isn’t in the system by 8:30 PM, that guest loses the item because they failed to place their bid in time.  It’s hard to argue with a computer.

(That said, we here at Red Apple Auctions have a unique way of closing our silent auction tables that eliminated this type of confusion and fighting.  Although this point wouldn’t be a big perk for our clients, it might be a perk for you.)

6. You might make more money.

Here’s my take:  If you’ve never invested in any type of improvements for your benefit auction or silent auction specifically, you’ll have a huge increase.

But if you’ve been making changes along the way and working with an innovative auctioneer or consultant, you might not see much of an improvement.  There are no guarantees.

For instance, a Texas reader wrote to me that her silent auction was markedly down after using electronic devices.  One auction I worked, the appeal was down from last year by several thousand dollars, though the yields in the silent auction were modestly higher.   Another client couldn’t justify the change, considering the strong silent auction yields she already got. “I don’t think I’ll gain more than what the system will cost,” she said.

So …. what’s the right answer for you?

It depends on your goals.

The devices are slicker than a whistle!  But you’ll need to make a decision based on what you’re trying to achieve.

Update as of December 2010: In November I’d held a free teleclass on this topic, teaching listeners about an affordable software solution for small auctions.  From time to time I hold teleclasses and they are announced in my (free) electronic magazine.  Subscribe to Benefit Auction Ideas to get notified of other calls.

© 2010 Red Apple Auctions Co.  All Rights Reserved.