My team recently fielded a question by LinkedIn reader Ed in Oklahoma City. Ed was curious about how he should display a couple of flags he'd procured. He would be selling them in his benefit auction. Each would likely go into a separate package, but could be sold individually. He wanted ideas. "A folded flag doesn't seem too appealing to me," he wrote. Well, it might not be appealing. But that's how most are sold. Typically flags are folded and stored in a triangular wooden case ... Read On >
Live Auctions
One tip in hiring a benefit auctioneer, and the critical descriptions you’ve shared about past auctioneers
My company's 34th onsite auction of 2013 was earlier this month in Michigan. The client was a spirited nonprofit that competes aggressively in their town, as over 20 other organizations in their area offer similar services. As you might imagine, it's heavy competition for clients and donations. Trying to "differentiate" is important. After the auction, the Executive Director told me that about half of his Board approached him to inquire about the new employee — meaning me. Because I was so ... Read On >
Should you really give that guy a microphone? (Or “How to lose your corporate job.”)
One of my projects in my last year of working at GE was planning the annual senior management meeting. That’s when all of the senior team convened in an upscale hotel and spent 3 or 4-days in executive-level strategy and training sessions. Although we had internal speakers, we also hired outside facilitators and motivational speakers. The vetting process was aggressive. I spent hours selecting contractors, watching their promo videos, reading articles, studying websites, and calling ... Read On >
Where smart Auction Chairs spend their money
Established auction committees tend to write lots of checks. A budget for fundraising gala will vary by group (for instance, you might have access to a free venue; others might negotiate discounted printing), but when we look at the budgets of committees coast-to-coast, we see common expenses. And it’s not uncommon to see costs shape up like the chart on the right. So do you think that if you write the biggest check to the caterer or the venue or the band (pick a category), they are ... Read On >
Too good to be true? Playing it smart with unsolicited auction items.
When I first started my business, I prospected for business by cold calling. (Cold calling means reaching out to someone who doesn’t know you and to whom you have no connection.) At the time I was living in Miami, FL, so I Googled lists of area private schools and nonprofits. I’d visit each group’s Website, researching it to see if they held an auction. If they did, I’d call them to tell them about my services. I share this because if you’ve posted anything about your benefit auction on your ... Read On >