If you want to quiet your unruly auction crowd, several strategies should be used together to better manage the group. Two weeks ago I taped Part 1 on this subject, during which I shared scripting advice. Strong leadership from the stage assures that guests know what to expect; it helps control the vibe. Watch that video to learn what each speaker should be doing to help manage the room. (I call it podium leadership.) Today’s video covers 8 other strategies. Incorporate one or all of ... Read On >
sound system
How to control your loud school auction crowd
Is your school auction crowd obnoxiously loud? Though any auction crowd has the potential for being deafening, the loudest auctions tend to be Catholic schools. The parents know each other so quickly find their friends to chat. And let's be honest -- Catholics aren't timid about drinking alcohol, and that has a tendency to increase anyone's personal volume when consumed in excess. This past spring I had a new Catholic school group who prepared me for the worst. "Our crowd is loud," they ... Read On >
[Video] Model this sound system for a silent auction
One of the most difficult venues to hold an auction is in a gym. Though the venue often offers adequate space, it is a difficult place to control audio. By design, gyms are noisy venues. No one wants to sit through a quiet basketball game, so gyms are designed to deflect the slightest utterance. The shape of the building and the hard surfaces reverberate the sound, bouncing it around the room to make the noise louder and less clear. This presents a problem for fundraising auctions. We ... Read On >