Yesterday I prepped you about my work with the Convention Industry Council®. From morning until early evening today, I sat with ~40 reviewers (I'm pretty sure I was the only Virginia benefit auctioneer) at the Westin Arlington Gateway and scored ("reviewed") application after application. We were seated at round tables to facilitate group help. If one of us had a question or wanted a second opinion, she could easily pose it to another CMP® for feedback. We read applications, checked math, ... Read On >
training
FREE teleclass: How to Get Your Board ON Board to Boost Your Benefit Auction Profitability
UPDATE: This class has passed. To keep abreast of future calls, subscribe to Benefit Auction Ideas. ++++++ If you've been reading my e-newsletter Benefit Auction Ideas (subscribe here), you know that I've been working to arrange for some teleconferences that will offer you more constructive ideas about specific aspects of your event. For one of my first topics, I'm interviewing nonprofit consultant Amy Delouise about getting Board support for your benefit auction. I've seen first-hand ... Read On >
Charity Auction Bells & Whistles – 20+ auction games
We work some auctions every year which are "silent auction only" events. My team and I are responsible for the charity auction revenue generating activities. We sell raffle tickets, get bids on silent auction items, and oversee games, like this wine ring toss game. This is direct sales at its core. We have techniques to upsell patrons -- and rely on our irresistible personalities to engage guests. ;) The end result is that guests buy more because they are having fun, like this guy who ... Read On >
Mastermind in California for benefit auction business
Though I am a benefit auctioneer based in Virginia, I travel a lot. And I enjoy it! Six times in February and seven times in March I was on a plane or train headed off to work or visit clients. Most of that travel was along the East Coast, but this trip was out West ...to California! Earlier this year I was in Los Angeles for a related business conference, but this is a new group. This trip is part of a 12-month Mastermind program focused on using new media (the Internet) in a business ... Read On >
This Virginia benefit auctioneer is in Indiana for an “MBA”
This week I've been in Bloomington, IN. I'm attending the National Auctioneers Association (NAA) Education Institute's program known as Certified Auctioneers Institute (CAI). CAI is a three-year program, so I won't graduate until 2011. My colleagues include ~66 auctioneers of all specialties. The Education Institute describes CAI as being "designed for leaders in the industry." It's an "executive development program focused on developing skills and providing tools." Most of us just refer ... Read On >