I'm not making this up. Yesterday (December 1) was national Eat a Red Apple Day. I celebrated in my own way by opening the cart to my Catalog Carnival. It's a popular product that always sells out (who doesn't like to review a benefit auction catalog or two?), and yesterday seemed like a great way to honor a day that seems tailor-made for my company. Grab a benefit auction catalog set, if any remain. And today is #GivingTuesday™ (#GT), a movement launched by the 92nd Street Y in New York to ... Read On >
Benefit Auctions Blog
How a binder can make auction donors feel special
I've been racking up the airline miles working auctions nonstop for the last few weeks. Wisconsin, California, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, DC, Maryland, Virginia, and other states have been on my itinerary ... sometimes more than once. The constant go-go-go- has been exhausting, but the advantage of all that travel are the new ideas I pick up along the way. Today's tip is a nice touch from a classy Iowa gala I worked recently. If your benefit auction includes a live auction, somebody is ... Read On >
Getting charity auction guests to register their credit cards
Anyone who has followed my trainings on how to properly conduct a benefit auction registration and checkout process knows my analogy of the hotel versus the grocery store. At your benefit auction, it's best to function like a hotel, swiping each guest's credit card before letting them enter your property (i.e. the silent auction). Operating like a hotel means that your charity auction team must use credit card terminals designed for an auction environment. Once those terminals are rented and ... Read On >
Silent auction ideas for fourth quarter auctions
One of the natural advantages of hosting a auction in the late fall (think October through December) is its proximity to Christmas. Whether you celebrate the holiday or not, December marks a big month of gift giving for many people. Why not play on that natural cycle and use it to help sell your items? Here are some tips to make the most of the season. 1. Be blatant. Don’t try to hide anything. In your marketing literature, remind people that they should be on the look-out for gifts at ... Read On >
BAS: The letters after an auctioneer’s name
My email signature is as such: Sherry Truhlar, CMP, BAS, CAI If I was so inclined, there are other initials I could use after my name, too. I've got a couple of bachelors degrees, a masters degree, and other certifications in addition to those three listed. Yet these three are only the designations I write with any regularity. I think it's because I must pay a fee to use them each year. I feel compelled to "get my money's worth" out of them. As it turns out, one of the questions ... Read On >