I've been racking up the airline miles working auctions nonstop for the last few weeks. Wisconsin, California, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, DC, Maryland, Virginia, and other states have been on my itinerary ... sometimes more than once. The constant go-go-go- has been exhausting, but the advantage of all that travel are the new ideas I pick up along the way. Today's tip is a nice touch from a classy Iowa gala I worked recently. If your benefit auction includes a live auction, somebody is ... Read On >
Auctioneers
BAS: The letters after an auctioneer’s name
My email signature is as such: Sherry Truhlar, CMP, BAS, CAI If I was so inclined, there are other initials I could use after my name, too. I've got a couple of bachelors degrees, a masters degree, and other certifications in addition to those three listed. Yet these three are only the designations I write with any regularity. I think it's because I must pay a fee to use them each year. I feel compelled to "get my money's worth" out of them. As it turns out, one of the questions ... Read On >
The unspoken impact on auction procurement of using a good benefit auctioneer
Many people assume that a professional auctioneer’s impact begins and ends with the selling of your items at the charity auction. Not so. Here’s a true story of how a benefit auctioneer can impact the quality of donations you receive in the months preceding your event. As a recent gala was ending and the guests were chatting and checking out, I was visiting with one of the founders of the organization. While he congratulated me on the success of the night, a woman rushed up and ... Read On >
11 pointers to selecting a benefit auctioneer
I've recently been hearing a string of complaints from auction planners dishing on their benefit auctioneers. How s/he read every word (or totally ignored) of item descriptions. “And he doesn’t read well,” she added. How s/he was unfamiliar with the details of the packages, even though the auctioneer had the information in advance. “We even went through each item,” the Development Director sputtered. How s/he sells too quickly. “We worked with him for three years, and he still ... Read On >
The difference between a minimum bid and a starting bid
Today's post applies to live auctions. Over the last two weeks, I’ve received some version of this email from two different clients: "The donor of this item wants to set a minimum starting bid of $1500. What do you think? What starting bid would you recommend?" It’s not uncommon for those new to benefit auctions to confuse the terms “starting bid” and “minimum bid.” Usually your donor is expressing “minimum bid,” meaning that he doesn’t want the item to sell for less than the amount he has ... Read On >