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You are here: Home / Blog Post / Incorporate the 5 senses into displays to upsell silent auction donations
Mar 28

Incorporate the 5 senses into displays to upsell silent auction donations

Sherry Truhlar 3 Comments

silent auction donations - dance band with CD

Give the band a listen before you decide to bid.

Your silent auction donations have a better chance of selling for more money when guests enjoy experiential shopping.

For inspiration, let’s look at my old stomping grounds:  corporate marketing.

Have you noticed that for-profit entities are quick to give away samples of their products?  They want to convert window-shoppers into paying customers.  (Your silent auction has a lot of window-shoppers.)

A visit to your local shopping mall proves the power of the sensory experience.

Consider these common examples:

  • Bath and Body Works invites browsers over to their in-store sink where they encourage you to use their exfoliation products and lotions.
  • As you walk through the food court, at least one vendor will offer you a toothpick of a juicy morsel (bourbon chicken is common in my local mall) so you can taste the product before you commit to buying lunch.
  • A walk through the fragrance counter can leave you with several different perfumes spritzed on your arm.  You can smell them all, before you commit to buying a bottle.
silent auction donations - cookies for taste

Try a sample of the cookies before you bid.

Businesses know that you’re more likely to become a paying customer if you experience a product using your five senses —  taste, touch, sight, smell, and sound.

They are happy to give you a sample of their product because they know you’re more likely to buy after your enjoy it.  Let’s incorporate that philosophy into your silent auction displays.

For instance:

  • When cookies are for sale, can you offer guests a sample?
  • If a scarf will be knitted for the winning bidder, can guests touch the quality of the yard and feel how soft it will be against their skin?
  • Does that chocolate cake up for bid offer a scent so heavenly that your guests can smell it across the silent auction room?
  • Does the string quartet have a CD of their latest work playing?
  • Is your visual display of the item fetching to onlookers?

The harder you believe an item will be to sell, the more important it becomes to draw guests in. 

Your silent auction donations will perform better when offered in this multi-sensory shopping environment.

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Copyright © 2011 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. Gail Perry says

    April 4, 2011 at 9:42 AM

    Love, love, love this idea. What a no-brainer! I’m sending this to my favorite organizations!

    Reply
  2. Lori L. Jacobwith says

    March 30, 2011 at 5:52 PM

    Engaging ALL the senses makes so much sense. I recently attended an event that had a bunch of vendors who were displaying their “stuff” and giving free samples of any of the food items. I purchased way more than I normally would have because I got to taste and feel things…it really does work!

    Reply
  3. Kirsten Bullock says

    March 29, 2011 at 5:06 PM

    Great thoughts Sherry. If you walk past the bakery at Disney you’ll be able to smell things baking (but I’ve heard rumors that the smell is actually piped in).

    Reply

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Sherry, oh, Sherry! You were an invaluable asset to this year’s gala. With your assistance we were able to add so many new elements that truly made a difference in taking our event to another level. This year was the most successful yet! Everyone loved you and the amazing energy that you brought to the event. We look forward to having you again in 2018!

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