At some point a guest at your gala will try to pull a fast one on you or me.I like to believe that the guest is being honest. After all, this is a fundraising auction; most people are filled with good will.But sometimes, stuff happens.Maybe they really didn't bid. They were just waving their bid paddle to get the attention of a friend across the room. Maybe they really did want to donate in the paddle raiser, but a column blocked them from view. Maybe they really did think ... Read On >
Live Auctions
The archetypes of live auction bidders
Since starting my company over a decade ago, I've observed several types of bidders. In this post, I'm describing my live auction bidder archetypes.These are a tad tongue-in-cheek.Even so, I suspect you'll recognize some of your guests from among these descriptions.(I'll zero in on some archetypes in upcoming posts.)Remember that most guests at your gala are not going to participate in the live auction. Usually just 10% to 20% of your crowd is active in the live auction; the ... Read On >
Best time to close the silent auction? Before the live auction begins.
Human psychology factors into fundraising auctions in many ways.The fear of loss propels a bidder to bid. Smart pricing strategies in a raffle influence how many tickets will be sold. Properly structured silent auction bid sheets generate 10% to 30% higher sales. Well-written auction donation request letters secure more "yes" responses than "no" responses. Using a proper method to properly close a silent auction generates higher sales on the most popular items. (E.G. Create an ... Read On >
One of the best auction donations from authors – writing your name in a book
In past posts I've written about the importance of securing the best auction donation from an author. Perhaps the most thorough post was from 2012, "Careful! Donations from book authors could be your next live *or* silent auction item."For instance, signed books are OK, but they are common. We tend to sell a collection of signed books in a silent auction.But if you secure something more juicy, we sell it in the live auction for thousands of dollars more.One of the several examples ... Read On >
Pet peeve of fundraising auctions: Pointing
One of the first lessons I learned at the Missouri Auction School was on the subject of pointing.“When inviting bidders to bid,” the instructor said, “use an open palm. It’s an invitation for the bidder to give you more money.”“Don’t point!” he emphasized, “It’s rude.”A quick way to separate the professional fundraising auctioneers from the amateurs is to watch their fingers.Get the full story in today’s video.To me, pointing is obnoxious.Am I overreacting?If ... Read On >