A photo is worth 1000 words, so in today’s video, I show you some potentially problematic bid paddles compared to some great bid paddles. It’s so easy to produce a good bid paddle. You can generally print them yourself, if you desire. There's no need for fancy sticks, colors or shapes. You’ll see what I mean in the video. To see what some of these bid paddles look like in a real auction environment, watch the new (tongue in cheek) game show where you get to be the auctioneer. It's called ... Read On >
Administration
The hot new auction game show: “Spot the Bidders!”
Alright Auction Planners, it's time for "Spot the Bidders," the new game show that puts YOU in the auctioneer seat! In this 1-minute video, can you find the bidders in the crowd? Nonprofit revenues depend on it, and a well-designed bid paddle and large bid number are two critical components for success. Post how many bid paddles you find (before I reveal them to you at the end of the video) by leaving a comment. https://youtu.be/GwghaC0dkmg ... Read On >
List of fundraising auction software vendors
If you're looking to buy fundraising auction software, here's a list of current vendors. Software is helpful for managing and tracking ticket sales and sponsorships, organizing silent auction and live auction donations and packages, tracking fund a need / paddle raise donations, and more. And if you want to offer mobile bidding, I think nearly all of these vendors now offer that as a feature, too. Larger organizations then dump the data from their auction software into their CRM or donor ... Read On >
How I remember donor names at the auction gala to carry the conversation forward
How to remember donor names at the auction gala Over time I've learned methods to remembering names -- rhymes, association, repetition. My memory has never been perfect but I've managed well enough. These days -- likely due to a combination of age, too many life tasks, and the volume of people I meet -- I've struggled.. Each year brings new Gala Chairs, committee members, Board members, donors, and guests. The following year, I want to remember those returning people *and* meet new ... Read On >
Auction galas are team sports; not solo competitions
I had a client who had a great auction in year #1 of working with them, but year #2 was … blah. The auction wasn’t horrible, but it didn’t hit where I think it should have, given the big gains we saw in year #1. In my estimation, the reason for the change came down to one thing: Resting on one’s laurels. Instead of putting forth the same effort applied in year #1, the client took the attitude that since the auction was so much better in year #1, I would lead it to the same success in year ... Read On >