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You are here: Home / Administration / Ban catchy titles in your silent auction displays
Jun 24

Ban catchy titles in your silent auction displays

Sherry Truhlar 8 Comments

Silent auction display descriptive titleYears ago, when I was new to D.C. and searching for a job, my friend (a human resources professional) and I hysterically laughed as we took turns verbally reading job descriptions in The Washington Post.

We’d substitute the language of the job posting with what we believed was the true intention of the post.

In other words, we did this:

Job description language
What that really means
Seeking dedicated employee  = expect to stay many late nights
Creative work environment  = priorities change on a daily basis
Salaried  = you won’t be paid for overtime

Sometimes I think about that moment with my friend when I’m perusing the tables at auction galas.

At benefit auctions, our desire to be fun can sometimes eclipse the need to be practical. Cool your heels, Shakespeare! Write titles with a practical mindset. 

In your live and silent auction displays, downplay titles that are creative or clever. Instead aim for being succinct and forthright.

In an instant, let your guests know what you’re offering.

For examples, take a look at these:

 What the title says            A better title
A romantic weekend   vs. Two nights at the Ritz + breakfast
Fab for foodies   vs. SoBe Food & Wine Festival (2 tickets)
Take me out to the ballgame   vs. 4 Diamond Club Nationals tickets

You have a limited amount of time in which to market and sell items to your guests. Keeping in mind that most auction fundraisers run four or five hours, and that the auction items aren’t marketed onsite for much longer than two hours, we want to ensure our communication is clear.

It’s not easy to pare down the excess (I can also get caught up in the cuteness factor in writing), but straightforward titles are better for an auction environment.

Plain English versus prose wins the game.

Copyright © 2014 Red Apple Auctions Co. All Rights Reserved

About Sherry Truhlar

Fundraising auctioneer and educator, helping schools and nonprofits plan more profitable benefit auctions. A prolific writer for her own blog and other fundraising sites, she’s been covered in The Beacon-News, Town & Country Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, Northern Virginia Magazine, Wiley's Special Events Galore!, AUCTIONEER, and other publications.

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Comments

  1. Kelly says

    October 1, 2018 at 9:58 AM

    Hi There – I’m stumped thinking of a title for our misc gift basket area. Any suggestions that you could make would be greatly appreciated! Thank you. Kelly

    Reply
    • Sherry Truhlar says

      October 1, 2018 at 12:20 PM

      Great gifts? Special collections?

      Reply
  2. Patrice says

    August 27, 2018 at 11:16 AM

    I have till next week for a name

    Reply
    • Sherry Truhlar says

      August 27, 2018 at 11:28 AM

      Patrice, you could peruse Pinterest for ideas, or I offer private consulting, if you want personalized assistance.

      Reply
  3. Patrice says

    August 27, 2018 at 10:52 AM

    Our women’s group is have a mixed auction fundraiser for charity…we are having problems coming up with a name.

    Reply
    • Sherry Truhlar says

      August 27, 2018 at 11:03 AM

      If you can hold off a couple of weeks, Patrice, I’m writing a blog post on that September 11! Maybe it will give you some ideas?

      Reply
  4. Liz Rivenburgh says

    September 14, 2017 at 11:37 AM

    We are planning our annual auction which used to go under the name of gala dinner & auction but it is not a formal event. In fact the guests are encouraged to wear school spirit wear so we want to debunk the myth of the formality of the event with a new title. Any ideas? The neighboring school districts uses bids for kids & dollars for scholars. Of course any help would be most welcomed!

    Reply
    • Sherry Truhlar says

      September 14, 2017 at 12:14 PM

      Gosh Liz, I wouldn’t put too much thought into it as so many names could work: “Bash for Cash” … “Fest” … “A Night of Support for XXX School” … “Paddles Up for XYZ School.” I think you just need to decide how formal you want to make the name sound and select appropriately.

      Reply

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