How important are recorders for your live auction and fund a need?

One of the most important jobs at a fundraising auction event are the recorders.  These are the people that are logging in the winning bid amounts and donation amounts from the live auction and fund a need.  They will also be the people running the recorder sheets to the check out personnel.  Sounds simple right?  We see more mistakes made here than almost any other volunteer job… it is a tragedy because this is where serious money can be lost!
 

Here is the formula for success with your recorders: 

1. Don’t have volunteers that like to drink alcoholic beverages handling your recording.
   
2. Assign this job to three people with identical recorder sheets to prevent missed bid amounts or bidder numbers.
3. Have pre-designed recorder sheets that are simple to understand.  Lay out your live auction sheet in the same order of the actual live auction and let recorders know if there are any items that have the potential to sell twice.  Design your fund a need sheet in columns with the same levels your professional auctioneer will be asking your guests to give.
4. Make sure that the three recorders check each other’s sheets and combine to one sheet for the checkout personnel.
5. All recorders need to be placed in a quiet corner close to a speaker, so they can hear, and just listen, logging in data based on what the auctioneer says.  DO NOT HAVE RECORDERS TRY AND FIND THE BIDDER NUMBERS THEMSELVES; THIS IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER!
6. Have the recorders meet with the auctioneer prior to the event to go over the system.

Written by Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS
EliteFundraisingAuctions.com

How many items should we have in our live fundraising auction?

How many live auction items should we have?  This is one of the most popular questions asked when planning a fundraising auction event.

In a standard “Gala style” event with silent auction, welcome speech, live auction and fund a need there is what’s called a “Golden Hour”.  I would suggest that an hour for a live auction at a fundraiser is a bit too much, but it is a good rule of thumb to keep your live auction no more than one hour long.  I really like to be more in the range of 30-45 minutes if possible.  

Now, that brings up the question: “How many items does that mean we can sell?”  A good professional fundraising auctioneer will take around 3 minutes per item (including the item description).  If you do the math that means that 15 items are the most you should be selling, but ideally you want to stay between 8-10.  Be careful of filling the auction with lower quality items just to say you have ten items!  I would rather have quality, not quantity in the live auction; even if that means having an auction with 4-5 items.  You only have a short attention span with your guests, so make it count!

Written by Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS

EliteFundraisingAuctions.com

Checking In and Out Guests at a Fundraising Auction Event & Where Guests should be Seated

When guests arrive at your event make the check in process simple by dividing them alphabetically by last name or company name in about five to seven different check in areas.  This will help cut down on long lines and crowd size.  

I highly recommend collecting credit card numbers upfront at check in and assigning bidder numbers to each person.  This will make check out much easier and more efficient.  If people are not willing to give credit card numbers upfront explain to them that their check out process may take a little longer.  You can even have VIP check out for those that submit credit cards upfront as an incentive.  Come up with a perk that VIP check out can offer your guests.  You could deliver their items to their tables or they could simply have a special checkout line.

In order to have the most successful fund-a-need, silent auction and live auction, assigning

bidder numbers is a must.  It will help tremendously to have everyone identifiable by bidder number rather than name, and it will dramatically cut down on the amount of runners and people having to collect information throughout the event.  The fund-a-need alone can almost not be done with a big group if bidder numbers are not assigned to each person.

Guests with the means to support your cause should be strategically placed at the front of a room or near the auctioneer.  These guests will more than likely bid several times and it helps to keep the flow of the auction if the auctioneer can easily find them.  Let the auctioneer know where the guests with the means to support will be sitting prior to the start of the auction, and don’t hesitate to introduce the auctioneer to the high rollers so he can build some rapport with them.

Written by Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS

Elite Auctions & Fundraising Services 

EliteFundraisingAuctions.com

How Important is Audio/Visual at a Fundraising Auction Event?

Having great, not good, not okay, but great sound is imperative to your fundraising auction event’s success.  Here are some tips regarding audio/visual at your fundraising event:

• Never use the in-ceiling house system.
• Always surround the room with speakers (Don’t leave out the attendees in the back). 
• Always have screens with auction items displayed during live auction. 
• Don’t forget to have high quality sound in your silent auction area as well (If located in a different area). 
• Don’t have too much treble or too much bass. 
• Have a professional A/V company handle it!

I am no expert in designing or setting up the A/V equipment and I’m assuming you are not either, so have a professional do this step… it can make thousands of dollars difference in your bottom line!  Just picture yourself at a fundraising auction sitting at one of the tables in the back of the room when there are only two speakers in the front and people around you are chatting with each other.  All you can hear is a rumbling sound but you can’t quite make out what the auctioneer is saying… you can’t bid if you can’t hear so the result to the non-profit or school is less money.

Not only is it important to have enough speakers but it is equally important to have enough amperage to power the speakers.  You want rich, deep sound when the auctioneer is chanting or your emcee is speaking.  I leave you with one final thought: “Is it worth paying a fee to an A/V company if you can make significantly more at your event?”

Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS
Chief Auctioneer/Consultant
Elite Auctions & Fundraising Services
http://www.EliteFundraisingAuctions.com

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.)