Yesterday I received this question from a client. Again this year, we are thinking about putting a Smartphone Auction card in our invite and on the back, adding information about two or three exciting live auction items with details about our auctioneer (you), including maybe your photo. We are trying to inform our guests that we have a new auctioneer. Here is what we were thinking we could say: "We’re putting together an exciting array of auction prizes, including X, Y, Z, and more! ... Read On >
Auctioneers
[VIDEO] How to make your fundraiser unique? Be exclusive with your benefit auctioneer.
The concept of exclusivity is often tied to commercial products. A company might have the exclusive right to sell a particular style or color of shoes. An airline might be the exclusive carrier of a sports team. In the nonprofit space, we may see the term used in conjunction with sponsorship. One client with a large food and wine event offers opportunities for vendors to be the exclusive provider of certain products, like vodka or beer. I know of one corporation that served as the exclusive ... Read On >
[VIDEO] Embarrassing your auction donor with a (too) high opening bid?
I recorded this video a few minutes after getting off the phone with a potential client. She and her committee weren't fond of their previous auctioneer. "She started with a high opening bid," she said. "Too high. And then in order to get anyone interested in bidding she had to drop it down. Way down. It was so embarrassing to our donor." The subject of where to start the opening bids on your live auction items can be a divisive topic. I've observed a discrepancy between what many ... Read On >
[VIDEO] Where to start your opening bids in the live auction
Every year I'll be asked by a few auction chairs, "Sherry, let's review the opening bids on these live auction items. Where shall we start them?" In this video and the post that follows it, I've addressed why you shouldn't care about opening bids. https://youtu.be/e32PMbixJGE?si=9rM1-E4u74E6A4ST Here's a conversation I'll have with some clients each year: "Sherry, this item is worth $2500. Where are you going to start the bidding?" "Start?" I'll counter, "It doesn’t matter where ... Read On >
Part 2: The raging debate on auction bid numbers versus names in the live auction
This is a 3-part blog post, explaining why benefit auctions should identify guests with bid numbers instead of names. The first post looked at the benefits of using numbers in a Fund a Need. Today, we examine using numbers in the live auction. The third post turns to using numbers in the silent auction. +++++++++++++++++ Why you should use numbers instead of names during your live auction. I worked an auction in New York a few years ago. The live auction process started to break ... Read On >