Elite Auctions & Fundraising Services 2013 Year In Review

Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services (http://www.elitefundraisingauctions.com) had a spectacular 2013 and would like to thank all the non profits and schools that made it possible!  If you need a fundraising auctioneer and consultant so that you can break your fundraising records let us know.

How to hire a professional fundraising auctioneer… What should I ask when determining which auctioneer to hire?

DON'T FORGET TO TAKE YOUR AUCTIONEER'S ADVICE WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING MONEY AT YOUR EVENT!

Hiring a professional auctioneer for your charity, benefit or fundraising event is an essential element to maximizing your organization’s profit.

www.elitefundraisingauctions.com

Here are some questions that can be asked to determine whether or not the auctioneer is reputable...

1.  Do you specialize in charity auctions?

Auctioneers that specialize in charity, benefit and fundraising auctions are going to be best equipped to handle all aspects of your event from the silent auction, live auction and the fund-a-need or appeal.  There are many proven "tricks of the trade" that a professional charity auctioneer will know vs. a volunteer or non-charity auctioneer.

2.  Are you bonded as an auctioneer in the State of California?

Auctioneers that conduct business in the State of California are required by law to be bonded by the state.  If the company you are interviewing is not bonded by the State of California be very cautious to proceed with them.  Check your state laws regarding auctioneers if you are not conducting your auction in California.

3.  Are you a member of the National Auctioneers Association (NAA) and your State Auctioneers Association?

It is not manditory that auctioneers be members of the NAA or their state associations, but all auctioneers that are members of both associations are required to follow a code of ethics while practicing as a legitimate auction company.  Do not do business with auctioneers that aren't members of both associations because they may not be looking out for your best interests.

4.  How many successful auctions have you completed and how many years have you been in the business?

Choosing an auctioneer that has not conducted more than 50 successful auctions and been in the auction business for at least 5 years may not be in your best interests.  In order for auctions to have a positive outcome they must be handled by an auctioneer that has the

proper knowledge and experience, which can only be gained by conducting a multitude of successful auctions over a legitimate time period.  (Pictured right: Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS of Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services on stage taken by Henry A. Barrios The Californian)

5.  Do you have any auction videos that I can view?

An auctioneer should be able to show you videos of him/her in action.  If he/she does not have videos, request to attend one of his/her upcoming auctions so that you can see how he/she works with the crowd to entertain, raise money and how his/her overall personality will mesh with your organization.

6.  What type of training have you had regarding benefit auctions?

There are several different training courses and designations that an auction can complete.  The National Auctioneers Association has the Benefit Auctioneer Specialist (BAS) designation that less than 1% of fundraising auctioneers hold.  It would be a huge bonus if your auctioneer had this designation.  Ask them if they attended auction school to learn his or her chant as well.  An auctioneer that is new to benefit auctions or doesn’t have any training might not be the best choice for your event.

7.  Do you charge for your services?

Auctioneers that don't charge for their services are not going to take your event seriously.  Many times they are not charging because they don't value their ability to maximize your profit.  Ask the auctioneer what their fees are and use your judgment in determining if their cost is fair.  Remember, good charity auctioneers are the line item in the budget that make you money... It does not cost, it pays to have a professional benefit auctioneer.  They will pay for themselves with the extra revenue they will achieve vs. a volunteer.  Volunteers, weathermen, comedians, etc. are not trained as auctioneers and will lose thousands of dollars for your cause... they will cost you far more than hiring a professional with their lack of experience and consulting knowledge.  "Having a volunteer or unqualified auctioneer handle your event is like having your accountant work on your car."

*Remember, a good charity auctioneer has a lot of tips that can maximize your event's profits using a multitude of different techniques.  Auctioneers that have conducted a lot of auctions have seen many different money-making ideas and know what works and what doesn't work (i.e. timeline, types of auctions, what order to put your items in, fund-a-need, etc.) 

What You and Your Board Should Consider when Having a Fundraising Auction

I.              Evaluation

a.    What do you hope to accomplish with a fundraising auction?

                                          i.    Thank donors and volunteers

                                        ii.    Raise needed funds

                                       iii.    Increase donor base

                                       iv.    Increase volunteer base

                                        v.    Increase community awareness for your cause

b.    Does your organization have the necessary resources?

                                          i.    Start-up capital

                                        ii.    Staffing

                                       iii.    Volunteer support

                                       iv.    Time

                                        v.    Will you need input from other organizations

                                       vi.    Professional consultation

c.    Does an auction compliment the mission of your organization?

II.            Plan and Name Your Goal

a.    Establish a realistic financial plan

                                          i.    Consider all possible expenses and revenue

                                        ii.    Estimate attendance figures

                                       iii.    Be realistic in your assessment of participation

                                       iv.    Set an expense budget and stick to it

                                        v.    Outline the worst case scenario

                                       vi.    Establish the break-even point

b.    Develop a step-by-step action plan

                                          i.    Plan training for volunteer needs and know your sources

                                        ii.    Evaluate possible locations for your auction gala

                                       iii.    Layout a game plan for reaching your target audience

                                       iv.    Plan for publicity

                                        v.    Recruit a planning committee and solicit their input on the plan

III.           Get the Word Out

a.    Involve as many as possible in the planning process.  Let others share ownership of the event so you will get more support and have a more successful auction.

                                          i.    Sell  your board on becoming involved

                                        ii.    Contact current constituents and volunteers

b.    Recruit new volunteers

c.    Reach out to the media

                                          i.    Personal invitations

                                        ii.    Write press releases

                                       iii.    Organization newsletter

IV.          Post Event Evaluation

a.    Goal Evaluation

                                          i.    Did the auction accomplish the goals you established (financial, new donors, community awareness)?  Why or why not?

b.    Support Evaluation

                                          i.    Did you have the support you needed from constituents, your board, the media, and volunteers?  Why or why not?

                                        ii.    Did you have the sponsorship support you planned?  Why or why not?

c.    What would you have done differently?

d.    Layout a skeleton action plan based on your evaluation to refer to when planning the next auction.

                                          i.    Have committee chairs give written reports

                                        ii.    Should this be an annual event?

Visit http://www.elitefundraisingauctions.com for more information.  

Professional Fundraising Auctioneer VS. Professional Auctioneer

So you’re having a fundraising auction event and you need an auctioneer… one of the board members says:  “My uncle is a world champion cattle auctioneer and he is willing to donate his bid calling services.”  The rest of the board says that’s spectacular and your event proceeds with a great cattle auctioneer at the helm.  After the event your guests say things like: “I couldn’t understand the auctioneer, he was speaking so fast” or “I wanted to bid but I couldn’t understand the auctioneer.”  These are very common problems that occurs at fundraising events all the time and are easily preventable. 

Cattle auctioneers and many auto auctioneers have quick chants with minimal filler because their job requires them to sell a ton of items as quickly as possible to “professional” bidders that understand a super fast chant.  The vast majority of fundraising auction attendees have never been to an auction before and will have no idea what a “fast-chanting” auctioneer is saying.  

What happens when a bidder doesn’t understand the auctioneer?  THEY DON’T BID!!  What happens when they don’t bid?  YOUR CHARITY RAISES FAR LESS MONEY!!  You have to ask yourself if it is worth a “free” auctioneer when he or she is raising you significantly less proceeds for your non profit or school.  

Here is an example of a ten item auction that could potentially happen without a professional fundraising auctioneer in control of your live auction:

Item 1:  His and Her Bicycles worth $350 sold for $150 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 2:  Flat screen television worth $1,000 sold for $600 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 3:  Box of wine worth $500 sold for $300 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 4:  Trip to Napa Valley worth $1,500 sold for $900 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 5:  African Safari worth $4,500 sold for $3,000 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 6:  Latin dinner and dance party for 10 worth $2,000 sold for $1,200 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 7:  Nice Men’s watch worth $1,000 sold for $550 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 8:  Puppy worth $900 sold for $600 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 9:  Dinner for two with wine at nice restaurant worth $300 sold for $200 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 10:  Firehouse dinner worth $200 sold for $150 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

In this example the loss was $4,600!!!!  This doesn’t include improperly running the fund a need at all and it has already cost you nearly $5,000.  We have consistently seen results like this and far worse with volunteer auctioneers and auctioneers that don’t specialize in fundraising.   

ARE YOU REALLY GETTING HIS OR HER SERVICES FREE OR ARE YOU SACRIFICING FUNDS RAISED THAT WILL FAR EXCEED WHAT YOU WOULD PAY A PROFESSIONAL FUNDRAISING AUCTIONEER.

1. Experienced fundraising auctioneers know how to interact with the audience and drive the prices of your items to their full potential.  It is a proven fact that experienced auctioneers can easily attain 15%-50% higher for your items.

2. Experienced fundraising auctioneers have a passion for their profession and understand that their performance reflects the quality of their public perception.  Having a volunteer call your auction is like having an accountant work on your car.

3. Experienced fundraising auctioneers understand that the main goal of any event is to raise money, whether it be for a charity, business, or organization.  Auctioneers make giving money fun, emotional and competitive! 

4. Experienced fundraising auctioneers understand that keeping the audience entertained and having fun is the key element to a successful auction event.  According to a National Auctioneers Association survey, FUN is the number one reason why people attend auctions.

5. Experienced fundraising auctioneers have all of the necessary tools to make your event unforgettable.  Good auctioneers are always training and educating themselves about the latest trends in the business.

Written by Mike Grigg, BAS, AARE of Elite Auctions & Fundraising Services (http://www.elitefundraisingauctions.com)