How to Get Bidders to Bid at Your Fundraising Auction Event

First off, there are several ways to get bidders to bid at your benefit fundraising auction, but the MOST important aspect is to make sure you have the right people in the seats with the means to support your cause!  Check out this past blog post explaining this in more detail:  What is the most important ingredient to a successful fundraising event?

Here are the top 3 ways to get bidders to bid at your charity auction event:

1.  Hire a professional fundraising auctioneer to take the helm during your live auction and fund a need.

2.  Make sure you procure desirable items for your auction.

3.  Do not start your bidding too high.  This includes not using items with high minimum bids (i.e. consignment items).

There are several factors that play into a successful auction but these are the key elements that make your auction a record breaker and help you achieve fundraising bliss.

Written by Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS of Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services

What can Auction-tainment do for your Fundraising Auction Event?

Are you looking for a way to spice up your live auction?  Then Auction-tainment is for you!  My favorite way to utilize auction-tainment is by having a professional sound technician play a snippet of music when the auctioneer says sold.  It works best to plan this ahead of time and make the music match the item.  For example, imagine your professional auctioneer selling a suite at a baseball game and as he says "SOLD", Take Me Out to the Ballgame comes on for about 5-10 seconds as the auctioneer transitions into the next item.  It keeps your audience entertained, engaged and energized (The three E's).  This approach can be done as you open an item as well.  However, it must be accomplished with a professional auctioneer and sound tech in order to have the full effect and not seem corny. 

Auction-tainment can be done in many forms, utilizing what works best for your audience.  If you are a theater group, actors can be incorporated into the live auction.  If you are a school, the band can be showcased during the live auction. 

While a professional benefit auctioneer will improve your bottom line by leaps and bounds, auction-tainment can take your event to a much more memorable experience for your donors and keep them coming back for years to come!

Written by Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS of Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services