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 serving as the fundraising auctioneer. That auctioneer might be a volunteer from your community, a professional auctioneer who dabbles in benefit auctions, or a true benefit auctioneer who works nothing but fundraisers.
If your auctioneer is top-notch, he or she is already asking or well-prepared with the information I’m about to share. If not, you’ll want to take ownership of this concept and do the extra work to get your auctioneer up to speed.
Watch the video to see how my client pulled out all the stops to ensure I was able to serve as an extension of his own development team and thank auction donors through the simple use of a binder.
As an aside, how you decide to work with your auctioneer will influence your event’s vibe. If your auctioneer’s involvement is primarily just the day of — meaning, they show up and sell items with little preparation of their own beforehand — creating this binder for him (if he uses it, of course) is just another way to make your auction donors feel special.
Want other ideas? Auction planners rave about my publication Benefit Auction Ideas. Read the reviews of it on this page.
Thanks for sharing, Sherry. These are great tips and as we all know, them better prepared the auctioneer is, the better they can help with the success of the auction. Happy Thanksgiving!