Lord & Taylor department store in Tyson's Corner, VA has a great selection of fine dresses. It's one of my favorite stores to shop when buying gowns and cocktail dresses for benefit auctions. During the store's May sale, I was in a hurry. I quickly scoured the racks, bought three dresses, and took them home. One of the gowns was a Donna Ricco one-shoulder dress. Normally I wouldn't buy a one-shoulder dress for work, and $250 is the top-end of what I'd pay, but it fit so well, hit at the ... Read On >
auctioneer
The charity I see at charity auctions
Tonight I worked at a small charity auction. The crowd numbered ~80. The charity auctions items numbered only 12 hand-crafted art pieces. There was no silent auction or raffles. There was no sit-down dinner. My crew stayed at home, and I worked alone. I arrived with my bag, took a few photos of the space, and then started to admire the items for sale. When guests arrived, I mingled. The advantage of small auctions is that I have more time to visit with the guests. REALLY visit. Not just ... Read On >
The one thing to NEVER say on stage at a benefit auction.
Without a doubt, my pet peeve during this recession has been when the Executive Director, Auction Chair, or some other person of importance gets up to the microphone to say a few words at the benefit auction (e.g. thank sponsors and guests, etc.) and then -- immediately before I walk onstage -- pleads with the audience to "bid high, even though the economy is really bad right now." ARRRRGH! ARRRRGH! What are they doing?! Ladies and gentlemen, remember this: You will never, ever, ever get more ... Read On >
Why are you having a benefit auction? (Be honest.)
Imagine the scenario ... You've agreed to chair the benefit auction for a charity in your hometown. The ball is rolling and in a few months, guests will all gather to your event. You've got lots of ideas, but might feel overwhelmed. You've heard that many benefit auctioneers are booked months in advance, so you've decided to call a few today to get an idea of their services. Stop. Don't pick up the phone until you're clear about one point. You'll save yourself and the benefit auctioneer a ... 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 >