It's been over a year since I led a free telelclass. High time I did so. This Wednesday (Nov. 6, 2013), I'm leading a no-cost training to help you generate some auction procurement ideas. The call is titled, "7 Secrets to Procuring Great Items for your Charity Auction … Without Leaving Your House!" Block off 90 minutes and join me at 3:00 PM Eastern. You'll learn ... Four strategies for procuring items … whether you’re in a big city or a tiny little town One likely donor sitting right ... Read On >
Training / Education
The easy way to train benefit auction volunteers
Oh I wish I had a video that captured the vignette I’m about to describe ... In late September I was in Ohio speaking. The next day, I met with a public school foundation for a private consultation. The group is dramatically changing their gala, so I was sharing photos from appropriate events to give them ideas. One of the Co-Chairs said, “Do you have other photos I can see?” As if on cue, the Executive Director whipped out her copy of Creative Auction Themes, Decor & Centerpieces, handed ... Read On >
Better Benefit Auction Ideas hit Chicago & Cincinnati next week!
Today’s question is: What do you do that makes your auction different from every other benefit auction in your city? Is that chirping crickets I hear? If you're stumped by the question, I'm not surprised. We planners get into ruts, doing the same thing all the time. Unless you’re traveling the world attending auction galas, it’s almost impossible to get exposed to fresh concepts. (Let alone the time it takes to learn about properly implementing something, once seen.) This leads me to why ... Read On >
Back to school: 5 Places to Learn New Benefit Auction Ideas
In Kansas, we returned to school in mid August. Here along the East Coast, many schools start in late August or even after Labor Day. Some kids will be excited. Others are already counting down the days until summer or graduation. Which were you? Here's what I know: Whether you enjoyed school or not, learning is ongoing. I'm a fan of education, but I'm not one who believes you have to go to college to get advanced training. Sure, I've got some degrees (three, actually), but I've learned ... Read On >
A million-dollar idea for your auction donations
You don't need a million ideas to make a million dollars. You need one good idea to make a million dollars. I love that phrase. I love it because it reminds me that I don't need to do EVERYTHING I hear in order to have a successful business. One good idea ... implemented well ... can pay dividends. Where do I get good ideas? I've heard more than once that some people get great ideas in the shower. Personally, I've never had a great idea in the shower. I get good ideas when I take classes. ... Read On >