One of my auctions this past weekend used this silent auction entertainment idea. As the idea is fresh in my mind, it’s a perfect time to give you some pointers on using this concept. They’re called living statues. Also called “human statues,” the idea is that a person stands “frozen” until he receives a donation or otherwise wants to startle a passer-by. At that point, he changes his position. Here’s why I like this form of entertainment ... and some tips on getting the most out of ... Read On >
Silent Auctions
Silent auction items from home parties: Tapping into a work-at-home biz
A few years ago, one of my onsite clients utilized her entire consultation time with me by having me write all of her marketing emails leading up to the gala. Sometimes I’m asked to re-work sponsorship programs. And sometimes I am asked to revert to my old role at General Electric and be the event planner. None of these are traditional “benefit auctioneer” roles, but they all impact your auction. And though I can do them all well, I really don’t like one of them. Event planning. Planning ... Read On >
How to get auction guests to notice your fabulous benefit auction items
The last time I visited my parents, I did a lot of work outside. But before I could mow, trim, dig, rake, and haul, I needed to remove about 30 orange and yellow flags from the yard. The city had cross-crossed my parents lawn with small flags identifying various cable and utility lines in preparation for some work that had been completed a couple of months earlier. When I asked Dad why he wanted me to store the flags versus just throwing them away, he said, “You never know when they might come ... Read On >
Call it flirting. Call it sales. Just train your silent auction volunteers to do it.
Valentine's Day is nearing. That special day when we celebrate love and romance,and even sex and lust. In honor of this Day of Passion, all month I'll be writing about love ... as it relates to your benefit auction. Today you learn how to train your silent auction volunteers to flirt. +++++ Silent auction items rarely sell themselves. Some items won’t move without help. And virtually any item will command a higher dollar bid if it's given a 'lil love and attention. Unfortunately, many ... Read On >
The 10 most read benefit auction ideas of 2012
If you're just getting started in this wonderful world of nonprofit auctions, consider this blog post a study guide of what you should read *right now* to get up-to-speed. This is my "Best Of" issue. The best of my 2012 blog posts. It's what other auction planners found to be most intriguing on my site, last year. How do I know these posts were the most popular? They had the highest hit rates. (Thanks to Website analytical programs, it's easy for me to track these things.) As a prolific ... Read On >