COLORADO AUCTIONEER
the Second Quarter • 2017
The Quarterly Newsletter of the Colorado Auctioneers Association
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From the President
As I fulfill my duties as President, like many before me, my wish is to make the CAA better and stronger. The board and I started this year to set a 5-year plan for the CAA, a goal that is achievable and yet keeps a common goal and assures the growth and continued future for Colorado Auctioneers. I believe that the CAA is a strong association and has been for this our 59th year. As the diversity grows, not only in the world but, in the association, long terms goals are needed to bring the common unity within the association, to reach new heights not yet realized. I have one of the most experienced boards ever assembled and with this group there is nothing we can’t accomplish. If you missed the DAY AT THE CAPITOL you really missed out! This event has become bigger and better every year. 1st Vice President Michael Nichols has done a wonderful job in preparing this event. It is a time to meet your State Representatives and see your beautiful capital building. This year the NAA was represented well at our capital as our very own NAA Vice President Scott Schuman and NAA CEO Hannes Combest attended this special event. The 2017 Colorado State Auctioneer Champion, Wes Lamb, stirred up excitement as he sold a flag that had been flown over the capital. A big “THANK YOU” for all who made time to attend this event. As you may or may not know the CAA is looking for a new Executive Secretary. Diane has discussed with some board members and has elected to be adventurous and daring to move on and try new things in her life and with that, we wish Diane all the best. We will see her as she attends conferences and picnics in the future. And speaking of picnic, I set forth a challenge to all members to make sure you attend this year’s picnic. It is a chance to meet the whole family and have fun with nothing but sunshine and joy. I hope to see you all at the picnic in Eaton on August 7th, so bone up on your horseshoe pitching, your story telling and bring your appetite to enjoy another day of fun with your CAA association. Take care, Eric Arrington - 2017 CAA President
BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT: Eric Arrington The Auction Team 1610 Hwy 50 • Grand Junction, CO 81503 970-245-1185 • Cell: 970-623-9161 • eric@theauctionteam.com 1st VICE PRESIDENT: Michael Nichols Nichols Auctioneers 22300 CR 9 • Flagler, CO 80815 719-765-4756 • Cell: 719-350-0126 • mnichols96@esrta.com 2nd VICE PRESIDENT: Cissy Tabor Cissy’s Auction Services, LLC 846 Cactus Ct. • Rifle, CO 82650 970-985-8228 • cissysauction@gmail.com CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD: Butch Hagelstrom Buckhorn Auction Services P.O. Box 306 • Ft. Lupton, CO 80621 303-827-5157 • butch@buckhornauctions.com TREASURER: Rob Hart, CAI, ATS Hall & Hall Auctions 100 S. Cherry Ave., Suite D• Eaton, CO 80615 970-716-2120 • Cell: 303-510-3866 • rhart@hallandhall.com Bryce Elemond (2016-2017) Affordable Auctioneering, LLC 25800 E. Byers Pl. • Aurora, CO 80018 720-229-5832 • affordableauctioneering@gmail.com Casey Giddings (2016-2017) Rocky Mountain Estate Brokers, Inc. 24 Oak Ave. • Eaton, CO 80615 970-454-1010 • Cell: 970-222-1625 • casey@whitleyauction.com Rob Hart, CAI, ATS (2017-2018) Hall & Hall Auctions 100 S. Cherry Ave., Suite D• Eaton, CO 80615 970-716-2120 • Cell: 303-510-3866 • rhart@hallandhall.com Mike Heitmann (2017) MH Bar Auctions, Inc. 27275 Mid Jones Rd. • Calhan, CO 80808 406-450-2051 • mhbar@earthlink.net Josh Larson (2017-2018) 310 N. Wayne • Haxton, CO 80731 970-520-2946 • jmlauction@gmail.com
Real Estate Business Liquidation Personal Property
Eric Arrington Auctioneer
Phone: (970) 245-1185 Cell: (970) 623-9161 eric@theauctionteam.com 1610 Hwy 50 Grand Junction, Colorado 81503
Lance Nichols (2017-2018) Nichols Auctioneers 38241 WCR 23 • Eaton, CO 80615 970-302-6185 • lanichols12@gmail.com John Schaffner (2017) Schaffner Auctions 36470 CR Z • Wray, CO 80758 970-630-3402 • jschaffner51@yahoo.com David P. Whitley (2017-2018) Rocky Mountain Estate Brokers, Inc. 24 Oak Ave. • Eaton, CO 80615 970-454-1010 • Cell: 970-539-1269 • david@whitleyauction.com Cissy Tabor • Executive Secretary 970-985-8228 • coloradoauctioneersassociation@gmail.com
www.theauctionteam.com 2
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5 Smart Steps To Building Your Brand The Right Way Would you be proud to wear your company’s identity on a T-shirt?
By Shawn Parr lmost all the entrepreneurs and founders I’ve had the pleasure of working with are brilliant in their own unique way. They see a problem or gap in the market, and they create a compelling product, technology, or service for an unmet need; and then with passion, vision, courage, and conviction they set out to build a company to solve those needs. They’re part of a fearless and inspiring bunch. By the time they come to us, they’ve usually got a solid idea about the problem they want to solve or the product they want to build. Most have thought through the mechanics of how they might build their product, and every single one of them brings an infectious amount of optimism and urgency to their venture.
clear and unshakable should include a clear vision statement that outlines, in simple terms, an aspirational view of the impact you’re planning to make on the world. It should include a purpose statement that informs how you plan to deliver on the vision. What most businesses skip is a set of operating principles or values that guide behaviors and decisions. With these foundational elements in place, you should clearly outline the personality traits of the brand to inform the development of your products, identity, and communications. Take each of these elements, and ladder everything back to the purpose and you’ll keep everything about your brand cohesive and connected.
Most of the time, what’s missing is a lack of knowledge about how to articulate and share the value of what they’ve built or are planning to build. There’s often a focus on the wrong tools needed and a general lack of knowledge around what is involved in building a brand. Many think a logo is the most important element they need, while others have fallen in love with using a forgettable, disconnected, or difficult name for their product or service. The most successful entrepreneurs I know are the ones who are fanatical about what they know and are equally honest and open about what they don’t know. Understanding the power and dimensions of brand is often at the top of the “don’t know” list. So for those building a startup, here’s a simple framework that we follow when building a brand.
Working from the brand platform, informed and inspired by your larger purpose, you’re now equipped to name your brand deliberately. Working from the brand principles and personality traits, you have the inspiration points and guardrails to direct the development of a brand identity that should break through and stand out in your category. Your identity and the design language that surrounds your brand is a worthwhile investment given the importance of design in most categories of business today. It’s important to understand the added value and quality cues that design can add to your competitive edge.
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Brand is?
Brand is not a logo, a tagline or an advertising campaign. It’s a multidimensional platform that can be your greatest differentiator and competitive edge, if built correctly. It represents both a rational and emotional connection to your various stakeholders and the consumer that ultimately decides to purchase and engage with you. It’s important to understand and deploy the power of a fully developed brand.
Clearly define what business you’re in.
It’s the first question, the one to start with, and the one to answer with careful thought. And it’s not always the first answer you give. “What business are you in?” should lead you to understand the broader value you’re going to offer the world. It is the fundamental question that should inform others about why you exist, while helping mold your vision and purpose. When we ask this simple question to the founders of startups and senior executives of large and established multinational corporations, they realize that when they answer it correctly and imaginatively they unlock new value and potential for their brand.
Build a rock-solid brand platform.
Design an identity that you’d be proud to wear on a T-shirt.
Tell a compelling story.
Developing and sharing a compelling brand narrative is like crafting and telling a really good story. You want other people to hear it and want to share it. To start, prepare an outline that’s informed by your purpose and your business strategy. The characters in your story and how you tell it should be guided by your principles and personality traits. When it comes to crafting the stories, find a consistent voice for your brand and test it out to make sure it resonates. When it comes to sharing your story, think like an editor of a magazine, and program out the chapters or the various aspects of the story with an editorial calendar to ensure you manage the delivery and the timing in a coordinated manner. They say people don’t read today, which I don’t agree with, so make sure you’ve got something interesting, relevant, and memorable to say. Shawn Parr is the Guvner & CEO of Bulldog Drummond, an innovation and design consultancy headquartered in San Diego whose clients and partners have included Starbucks, Diageo, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, Adidas, MTV, Nestle, Pinkberry, American Eagle Outfitters, Ideo, Sony, Virgin, Disney, Nike, Mattel, Heineken, Annie’s Homegrown, Kashi, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, The Honest Kitchen, and World Vision.
Think of your brand platform as the foundation that directs and informs every aspect of your business. A platform that’s crystal
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Education
CAA Members Help Raise Funds At CAI With A Fun Sports Theme
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ryce Elemond, Butch Hagelstrom, Cissy Tabor and Class Advisor, Shannon Schur of CAI II helped the National Auctioneers Association raise funds that will assist the National Auctioneers Foundation for future scholarship awards through the required CAI II Class Benefit Fundraiser. In addition, their class chose the Blue Tassel Farms as the recipient from the Buyer’s Premium. CAI II chose Blue Tassel Farms, a Christian ministry that serves inner city and at-risk kids as well as those struggling with homelessness in which the aim of Blue Tassel Farm is to create a place “Where Hope Touches Heaven” and of whom have partnered with Christy’s Auction House in Indianapolis to conduct a monthly auction to support their work. The class felt strongly of supporting Jack Christy, of Christy’s Auction House, who has welcomed the CAI students for many years into his establishment and wanted to be able to give back to him.
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CAA Foundation
Colorado Auctioneers Foundation By O.J. Pratt, CAI
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e have such a great Association of Auctioneers here in Colorado and it is great to see how much participation there is in the Colorado Auctioneers Association (CAA) and now in the CAF. I am very proud to be a member of this great Association! We are currently in the midst of a fundraising campaign, which was kicked off at our Annual Convention in January. Please read OJ Pratt’s article about the Sweepstakes in this newsletter. Our goal is to raise money into your Foundation through as many outside sources as possible so we are not always coming to you for the money we are trying to raise. Once we raise the money, how is the money used? One way is to give scholarships through our scholarship program to children and grandchildren of our Association. There were no applications for scholarships prior to the December 1st deadline, so no scholarships were given during the convention this year. Your Foundation Board has discussed and voted to move the scholarship application deadline date out to March 15 of each year, with scholarships being announced on April 1st. This will coordinate with many other scholarship programs across the country. Our Foundation can be recognized, as the student attends their school awards banquet as a scholarship recipient. We are happy to say we had 3 excellent candidates who submitted applications to receive a scholarship, prior to the April 1st deadline. One application was incomplete, so was removed from consideration, with the hope they will reapply next year. Your Foundation Board voted to award scholarships to Peyton Flack and Preston Carpenter. Congratulations Peyton and Preston! You will be able to read their applications at our Annual Convention in January. We encourage you to participate in your scholarship program. Take advantage of the benefit you are offered by being a member. It is not too early to fill out your scholarship application for next year. Another way your Foundation uses its funds is by bringing in a mid year educational session or designation program. In 2015 we brought in the BAS Designation course and a Technology course in 2016. We are working with the NAA to bring the Auction Marketing Management (AMM) Designation course to our State. This is one of the newest and most popular designation courses that is being offered by NAA. This course is very highly rated and hope you are able to attend once it is scheduled. If you have any suggestions of any other programs you would like to see us bring to our members, please contact Doug Carpenter, OJ Pratt, Walt Partridge, Shannon Schur or Cissy Tabor with any suggestions you may have. We want Colorado Auctioneers to be the most educated auctioneers in the country!
Good Design is
Good Business Specializing in print graphics and logo & identity branding. Proud Designer for the 2016 NAA Marketing Award Winners for The Colorado Auctioneer newsletter. 10+ years of experience in design!
Sarah Krautschun 970.590.3235 sarah.krautschun@gmail.com
We look forward to continuing our service to you! 6
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Government
Colorado Auctioneers Association Is Well Represented For The Annual CAA Day At The Capitol Event
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By Michael Nichols
n April 7th 2017, members of the CAA met at our State Capitol in recognition of National Auctioneers Day / Week, which was recognized officially on April 15, 2017. A meeting was arranged with Representative Perry Buck and all members present had the opportunity to visit with her shortly before we were seated as an association on the House Floor. After opening exercises on the floor, members of the House of Representatives are allowed to introduce special guests. Representative Buck spoke for a moment about the auction profession and the Proclamation of National Auctioneers Day. She introduced the Colorado Auctioneers Association and we were welcomed with an enthusiastic applause by members of The House and other guests. Our 2017 Colorado State Auctioneer Champion, Wes Lamb was introduced and allowed to stand on the House Floor and auction off a Colorado State flag. We had our members positioned on each side of the floor to catch bids as Wes sold the flag. The bidding was fast paced and loud; the House of Representatives were bidding actively and the auction went well, selling the flag for $220. Wes did a great job selling the flag and representing our association as our State Champion. Representative Buck and all of the House Floor members showed great hospitality to all of our association members and guests. We extend our thanks to them. We also had another first this year at our CAA Day at the Capitol! Our 2017 Junior Champion Auctioneer, Shelby Shuman, was recognized by Perry Buck and received a standing ovation as was our own NAA President Elect Scott Shuman. Both received thunderous applause from everyone present on the floor. Additionally, we were honored to have NAA’s CEO, Hannes Combest join our association for this annual event. In honor of National Auctioneers Day / Week, a Proclamation was signed by the Governor to officially recognize April 15, 2017, as National Auctioneers Day. There was also a United States and Colorado Flag flown over the capitol on April 15th 2017, in recognition of National Auctioneers Day. The Colorado Flag of will be sold by our 2018 Troil Welton Auctioneer Champion and the US Flag will be sold by our 2018 Colorado State Auctioneer Champion at our 2018 annual convention. Our members remained on the House Floor for a few more minutes and then exited the House Chambers. I would like to thank Representative Perry Buck for meeting, speaking with and introducing the CAA on the Floor of the House. There were 25 members and guests in attendance at the 2017 Day at the Capitol event, our biggest turnout yet! Chairman of the Board Butch Hagelstrom, President Eric Arrington, 1st VP Michael Nichols, 2nd VP Cissy Tabor, Treasurer/Director Rob Hart and Board Members David Whitley, Casey Giddings, Lance Nichols, Mike Heitman, Bryce Elemond and Jon Schaffner; including other members and guests, Gary Adler, Paul C. Behr, Raymond Griffith, OJ Pratt, Wes Lamb, Doug Carpenter, Alex Whitley, Scott Shuman, Krista Shuman, Walker Shuman, Amanda Shuman, Shelby Shuman, Mathew Heitman, and NAA CEO Hannes Combest . I understand that with everyone’s busy schedule and travel it is difficult to attend some events, but I would like to, “Thank all those who were able to attend and look forward to seeing an even larger turn out in membership representation at the 2018 Day at the Capitol.” There was a Board of Directors meeting held shortly after our visit on the floor where plans were made for upcoming events for the remainder of the year and our 2018 convention.
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CAA Foundation
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Social Media
Join the #ColoradoAuctioneers Social Campaign By Cissy Tabor
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ver a year ago, in my research for finding material to provide in our quarterly newsletter, I came across the campaign, #AuctionsWork that began within the Michigan Auctioneers Association and quickly became a national social media initiative from the National Auctioneers Association. “The campaign relies on the power of hash tags and elbow grease of NAA Members” that use it not only during the National Auctioneers Week each year, but also throughout the entire year. In addition, this hash tag has been accompanied by #NAAPro to not only signify the importance of our industry and what we believe in and work for, but the second hash tag signifies “an additional network of auction professionals” as expressed by the NAA that “believes in continuing education and ethical auction practices.” So, what’s the big deal? Well, I’m not an expert, but when I suggested it to our association and we created our own hash tag for the CAA, (#ColoradoAuctioneers), I believed that it could be a tool that would be easily recognizable for others to search. I had hopes and intentions that it would be able to increase CAA members presence. I didn’t know much about hash tags and there are many that I have read and have no clue what they are talking about or get tired of the #hash tag #word #after #hash tag #word. Don’t you? So why am I writing about this? And why does it matter? For me, I simply look at it as a quick and easy tool that I can use when posting on the internet in relation to my company or the work I’ve done for our association. The Michigan’s Auctioneers Association continues to promote the #AuctionsWork campaign on the association page in which they spotlight success stories with their members that have set some valuable market prices for a number of items. Go ahead, check them out, www.msaa.org. You can look up a hashtag usage with one of the many services available such as, www.hashtagify.me. OR, go to Google and type a hash tag phrase in the search engine and see what comes up. I simply typed in #ColoradoAuctioneers and #ColoradoAuctioneer. Check out what comes up… Now that we have had more than a year after we initially began using the #ColoradoAuctioneers campaign, I challenge you to go ahead, add a hash tag to your social media posts, your blogs, video and marketing materials. One last thing, remember, even if you don’t use a hash tag on each posting, it’s all relevant in the world wide web and so is connecting the dots when someone searches for Colorado auctioneers. - #ColoradoAuctioneer
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Social Media Relations
Increase Your Reach AND Engage Users On Facebook
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ast quarter, we learned about reach and engagement on Facebook and in social media marketing. That article ended with a promise to expand upon Facebook marketing by exploring both paid and free ways to engage users. Free ways to increase your reach and engage users: Utilize photos and video in your posts. Photos and video will always draw more interest than text alone. Interact with people who post to your business page – see above. “Like” and respond to their comments and questions. Engage in polite conversation. Thank them for their interest and for coming by your page. Invite them to visit your website. Encourage them to attend your next auction. Keep your business page about business and your personal page personal. Again, think of the people behind the computer. • If you’re a personal friend with the owner of the local restaurant and every single time you see them they hand you a business card and start talking about the business. The weekly special, their new supplier for take out containers, the type of sanitizer they use in the dishwasher, etc. Would you rather hear about their family, what they’re doing on the weekend, talk about topics which are of mutual interest? • You are not a personal friend of the owner of the local hardware store. When you go into the hardware store for a tool and professional advice, does the owner whip out photos of his family, talk about what he did over the weekend with his friends and share inspirational quotes? Yes, we all have friends who are also business associates! And it’s ok to overlap those to a point, but interact with them on social media similar to how you would in person. Don’t inundate your friends with your business, and as far as your business you want to make it personal - but only to a point. Share your business posts to Facebook Groups. Invite people to like your business page. Invite people who have liked your posts – I shared a Facebook marketing tip with graphics in the 2016 CAA 3rd quarter newsletter. Refer to that graphic for an easy way to invite people to like your page! And finally, HELP US, HELP YOU by applying these things to the Colorado Auctioneers Association Public page. The more you interact and engage, the more people we will reach. The more we reach, the bigger the audience for your auctions. The public page is a free service to you, the members. Boosting – a PAID way to increase your reach and engage users: Who is your target audience and how do you reach them? Here are several methods by which you can create a specific audience for your boosted posts.
By Adele Nichols Boosting to a SPECIFIC TARGET AUDIENCE has worked for me on a variety of pages in a variety of industries. Think of your target audience – where are they in terms of geographic location, what are their interests? Create an audience which homes in on these things. • Strategically choose the geographic location. Will someone who lives over 500 miles away likely come to your live, onsite weekly consignment auction? Probably not. I’m not going to waste my boosting money by targeting someone who lives far away. However, if I’m selling something very rare, collectible, desirable and hard to find, people just might. Consider your items and choose geographic location wisely. You can focus on a very small area of 10 sq miles all the way up to the entire country, or even the entire world. • Consider your audience interests and what you’re selling. If I’m boosting a post about a classic Mustang, it wouldn’t be very efficient and effective use of my boosting funds to target those interested in carnival glass and antique dolls. Instead I would look for terms such as Classic Cars, Muscle Cars, Mustang, Mustang Collectors Club, Ford, etc. A Lookalike audience is created by Facebook and can be based off a variety of sources such as your customer email list, people who currently like your page and more. A lookalike audience will likely be interested in your business because they’re similar to your existing customers/page followers. Use data you already have and create a Custom Audience. Dropdown Menu - Create Ads (takes you to Ad Manager) – Choose Page – Create New Audience – Drop down menu – Custom Audience – Import your customer email list via copy/ paste or directly from MailChimp Don’t be afraid to explore different boosting methods and audiences- you can boost for as little as $1.50 per day and compare which methods and audiences are reaching more people and have a higher engagement. Take an active role in your social media marketing and you’ll receive great return on a comparatively minor advertising investment!
A Colorado Auction Company
H.L. (Butch) Hagelstrom, Jr. 140 Denver Ave., Ste. F Ft. Lupton, CO 80621
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Office: 303-857-2399 Mobile: 303-827-5157 buckhornauctions@earthlink.net www.buckhornauctions.com
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NAA Promotions
Helping NAA members promote themselves and the industry
By Tim Mast, CAI, AARE - Promotions Committee Chairman o you keep hearing about NAA promotional efforts, but their family or friends will consider auction as the best method what does that mean for you? In this article I would for selling assets. They will also know that the best results will like to give some background on what the promotions come by hiring an NAA professional. committee has done and what we’re asking members to do. Having finished National Auctioneers Week 2017, you may have The Mission of the Promotions Committee is to, “Promote noticed that we are expanding on the previously mentioned NAA Auction Professionals and the Auction Method of Marketing.” theme with success stories from our clients. The theme is In formulating strategy for achieving this Mission, we explored “Success with my (our) #NAAPro.” To assist with this theme, numerous ways to achieve this objective. Ultimately, the you should have committee concluded that, the best approach is to provide received a foldout tools so that engaged members can promote themselves as sign with the April well as the industry. We firmly believe that a coordinated edition of Auctioneer message, through social media and beyond, will help raise Magazine to have positive awareness of the auction methodology to the general your clients hold public. If we are able to do this, it should help members find for a photograph both buyers and sellers. or video. The sign Some of the earliest tools provided for the membership is also available for were updated, and relevant, fill in the blank, press releases download on www. tailored to most NAA functions. This allows participating auctioneers.org and members to get positive publicity when they participate in the should be available educational, networking and other events with the NAA. We as a pullout sign believe that this type of positive publicity helps not only that soon. specific member, but also the entire NAA Membership and the With your industry as a whole. participation in National Auctioneers We also provided some guidelines for “elevator speeches. You may have heard, for example, that the reason a person Week and continued should hire an auctioneer is because: “Auctions are a fast, fun use of the hash tags and transparent way to sell all types of assets.” You may also have and “Success with our heard that the reason sellers should engage an NAA Auction #NAAPro” theme, Professional is because: “NAA Members belong to an ethical, we believe that we educated network of professionals.” We encourage members to use will see a grassroots these elevator speeches or simply use them as a guideline for campaign that should have a more direct their own. and positive impact Last year we introduced National Auctioneers Week (NAW) on our membership for the first time, this is basically an expansion of National than an expensive Auctioneers Day to allow a greater impact. Along with NAW, national ad campaign two hash tags were introduced for use with all social media would. platforms. #AuctionsWork, which had been started by Kenny Lindsey and David Helmer in Michigan, is now encouraged on Thank you to each a national / international level. #NAAPro was introduced for one who has and the first time. The goal is to spread a consistent message that will participate in the “Auctions Work (#AuctionsWork) when conducted by an (#NAAPro) promotion of our membership and NAA Auction Professional.” industry. You make it I hope you have seen both of these hash tags many times and all possible. used them yourself. The philosophy is really quite simple, yet twofold. When we, as auction professionals, see success stories of other auction professionals, it encourages us to continue pushing forward and create our own success stories. Perhaps even more important is that most of us have a significant number of social media connections who are not in the auction industry. By sharing this message on social media, we expose them to the message. We hope that when the need arises they,
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NAA Spotlight
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ast month, I returned from Bloomington, Indiana, where I spent a week at Indiana University learning from various industry leaders in the auction industry through the Certified Auctioneer Institute (CAI). This was my ninth time to participate in classes, and I continue to learn about this fascinating industry. CAI is the cornerstone of NAA Education. It is a three-year program designed to introduce students to best practices in the auction industry, ensuring that when auction professionals leave Bloomington after their third year, they have the tools they need to grow their business or make them more effective. CAI candidates are exposed to subjects like negotiation, prospecting for sellers, operational efficiencies, online auction successes, business planning and much more. During their three years off campus (the program is one week a year in March), students work on developing proposals to obtain clients for their business and developing a business plan designed specifically for their business. So why am I talking about it now? Two reasons: 1) It is not too early to think about attending CAI in 2018. The dates for the class are March 18-22, 2018, held at the Memorial Union on the Indiana University campus. For more information about the curriculum and entrance criteria, go to auctioneers.org/ education. 2) This year, we introduced a new course on building success as an auction professional. This class, taught by past president Tom Saturley, CAI (President of Tranzon Properties), was designed to help CAI candidates understand the importance of ethical business practices. Last fall, NAA introduced a newly revised Code of Ethics (auctioneers.org/ethics) and Mr. Saturley discussed why the Code is important. NAA’s public relations efforts focus on the fact that NAA Auction Professionals are committed to continuing education and to the Code of Ethics. Yet, one of the complaints we get from non-members is that they know an NAA member who does not conduct his/her business ethically. And often, we receive complaints that NAA does not govern members’ behavior according to the Code. It is my belief that most people try to do their business ethically but we all make mistakes. The allegation that NAA does not take these instances seriously is erroneous. The Grievance Committee investigates each and every complaint that is made in order to determine whether it falls within Code of Ethics parameters. Many complaints do not qualify as they demonstrate a difference in business practice opinion as opposed to a question of ethics This is an important distinction because our commitment is to have our members conduct business ethically, not tell them how to conduct their business. Our goal is to educate our members to continuously do better,
and we do that privately. That is why the Grievance Committee delivers sanctions, but rarely do we make that public. Make no mistake, however, the NAA Code of Ethics is one of the most important documents we have in this organization. We encourage members to follow it and to use it to show clients that they are committed to do the best job possible for the seller AND the buyer. Action must follow with that commitment. Many of the state associations have a Code of Ethics as well – or have voted to follow the one set out by the NAA. Check your state to see what your Code of Ethics says, or check out NAA’s Code. Do you have questions about it? Email me, and I’ll be glad to bring it up to the Grievance Committee. And remember, put CAI on your calendar for next year. We think you will be glad you did!
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World Automobile Auctioneers Championships Convention News
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By Dalas Farney
aving recently returned from the 2017 World Automobile Auctioneers Championship in Manheim, PA, I’m happy to share my experience with my fellow CAA members. This was the first year competing for me, as last year I attended the competition in Columbia, MO as a spectator. After witnessing the fun and excitement last year, I was pretty much convinced I would throw my hat in the ring as a competitor this year. Once it was confirmed that the competition for 2017 would take place at Manheim, PA—the largest auto auction in the world—that made it official for me. Growing up around the auto auction industry and now working in the business myself, I have always wanted to see the auction that operates with 35 bays running close to 9,000 cars each sale. So, I headed to the Northeast to compete in the Ringman contest. Upon arriving at the hotel the night before the competition, I remember seeing several of the gentlemen who had made finals the year before and finished near the top of the list. I felt nervous about competing and even second guessed what I was doing there, given the amount of experience I have compared with many of them. While attending the annual meeting of the World Automobile Auctioneers Professional Association, my mind was put to ease. So many of my fellow contestants approached me and introduced themselves, and were interested in who I was and where I was from. Many offered support and encouragement as I entered the competition for the first time and as one of only a very small number of women who compete each year. So, in no time at all I got over the “What am I doing here?” feeling. There were still some nerves left behind though. While walking back to my room the night before the competition, I was joined in the hallway by the great Shane Ratliff. If you’re not an auto auctioneer, let me tell you, the man is a legend in our field. He’s considered one of the best there ever was. He is the 1992 World Champion Automobile Auctioneer, and there he was talking to me just as humble as could be. He asked about me, and was interested in my story. That’s how it was the next day all through the competition as well. From sharing a shuttle van from the hotel over to the auction with Michael Chambers, to another World Champion Auctioneer, Kevin McGlothlen, asking me about my experience and if I was enjoying myself. I was impressed by how many of the successful men with well-known reputations in our field were happy to talk to me and interested in my background. I also shook hands with and introduced myself to many newcomers and first-timers like me. It was a bit of a relief to meet others who were battling their nerves too.
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When it was time to compete, my partner and fellow CAA member, Christopher Miller, and I had four successful runs. With him calling the bids and me working the ring, we sold everything from Honda to BMW and had a great time doing it. I found the best way to settle my nerves was just to tell myself to do what I do at work each week—that it’s nothing new. Once I thought of it in that way, I just went about fulfilling our motto in the auto auction industry, which is “turning metal into money.” By my last run, I was relaxed and having a great time. Seeing the people in the crowd, judges and even one factory representative smiling at me helped reassure me that I was doing well and also made me feel fortunate to have a job that I find so exciting and fun. I’m so glad that I made the decision to compete this year. Being among the best of the best inspires and motivates me to be better. There is also no bigger platform for networking and meeting others in the auto auction industry. From the competitors to the auto industry executives that come as judges and sponsors, the championship gives all of us a chance to come together and celebrate what we do and recognize those who do it the best. Competition makes everything better and it gives us a chance to show the world, the true professionals we really are.
www.coauctioneers.org SECOND QUARTER • 2017 thecoloradoauctioneer
Member Spotlight
The CAA would like to wish the following contestants Good Luck competing at the National Auctioneers Association. Shelby Shuman 2017 Colorado Jr Bid Calling Champion IJAC 2017 Competitor
Dean Gunter 2016 Colorado Reserve Champion IAC 2017 Competitor
Wes Lamb 2017 Colorado State Auctioneer Champion IAC 2017 Competitor
www.coauctioneers.org SECOND QUARTER • 2017
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Branding Your Company In A Digital Age!
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pproximately a year and a half ago, John Nicholls took a long hard look, not only at his company, his business platform, but also, his staff, after he made a flippant comment to his daughter. Yet, was his quick comment, really that far off ? As it turns out, “No.” John’s suggested comment was for Miss Sophie to be his upcoming Facebook guru for Nicholls Auction Marketing Group (NAMG), which specializes in Real Estate auctions based out of Virginia. John already has a very successful Marketing Director for the company, who has invested many hours learning Facebook. Yet, there was already an overwhelming volume of print marketing that continued to grow with the increasing growth of their company and John had a vision to continue growing even more. So, where does someone go from there? Well, despite the fact that Miss Sophie was already a full-time college student, she did guide him in the right direction with her suggestion in looking at hiring one of her friends. Aha! The conception of having an individual solely provide Social Media Marketing for his began. John expressed to me that before he really sought anyone out to fulfill this position, “I needed to really embrace the fact that I was looking for a younger individual in their early 20’s, who had ALWAYS had an exposure to social media, someone who never knew life without Facebook. Someone who would also be considered part of the YouTube Generation.” “We have found a very talented young lady, Miss Chelsea Wilson (Social Media article, page 17), who is a self-starter, always looking for progressively new ways to increase our market share and continuously sends me articles, podcasts and news. I believe in “treating her right”, showing her appreciation with praise / acknowledgment and financially, in addition to investing in her. Our company has sent Miss Chelsea to NAA’s Auction Market Summit (AMS) and she has received her Auction Marketing Method Designation (AMM) along with Facebook Certified accreditation.” Now, our industry has been learning year after year about social media, getting educated and in relation, trying to keep up on how we can apply it to our own companies and the auction industry, not to mention the different auction divisions and how we can apply social media to help us progress successfully. But for John, this one decision, well, as he states, “It Has Transformed and Revolutionized Our Company!” In the past 18 months, Nicholls Auction Marketing Group has grown from 2,000 followers to 9,000 as of this interview and his last auction was shared 6,000 times with Paid Facebook Boosts! I would say that is quite the growth and a positive reaffirmation of his decision / analysis for his own company’s growth! 16
~ An interview with John Nicholls John shared with me some of the strategic plans that has used to achieve their growth success. • 30% (+) of their Marketing Budget is used for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest • Education to the public via Facebook; videos or postings • Their auction listings • Auction Method & Process • Non-Auction Company Promotion Areas – Marketing Blitz “In the future, we are looking at targeting Millennials with more Pinterest & Instagram and will be looking to add Snapchat. We want to stay relevant.” By using these methods, John told me, “We are spending our clients marketing budget to the best of their ability. Our phone calls, emails, texts and Open Houses have increased. We’ve involved family. (I’ve personally seen his shared posts by his beautiful bride, Lisa, and his Dad, Charles.) We make it a point to ask, “How did you hear about us?” And our community recognition & outreach to them has been garnered through social media.” Many times auctioneers / auction companies are small enough that even though they really need to engage in the social media platform, it’s difficult to see how they would be able to afford it… So, I asked him the taboo question and he shared with me that, “We pay a commission per auction. By doing so, it “cuts the risk” a little bit and with the financial rewards we receive from our team efforts we believe in sharing / showing our appreciation.” Wow! Per this arrangement format, anyone really has the ability to expand upon their own company or team to add social media marketing and be able to utilize their talents in a more beneficial way for their company and clients. Facebook has taken the world by storm and we’ve got to either learn it or find someone who really engages in it to make it a success for us. In conclusion, John reminded me that, “We stay in each others lives every day in Social Media. Make It Relevant Every Day! Put yourself in front of their path. Get Hired. Be Successful. Let Them Know You Are Hungry!” John Nicholls, 2016-2017 NAA President, owns / operates his family’s business, Nicholls Auction Marketing Group, in which his father, Charles Nicholls continues to work alongside with him in Virginia. I would like to extend a sincere “Thank you” to him for taking the time for this interview and in sharing with me his knowledge and experience.
www.coauctioneers.org SECOND QUARTER • 2017 thecoloradoauctioneer
What Makes Social Media Marketing Valuable In The 21st Century?
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icholls Auction Marketing Group primarily sells real estate. Each home is posted / shared on our Facebook page and website several times before the auction, and there are usually at least 2 ads run per auction. These ads have specific audiences in certain geographic areas. Historically, our main focus has been on the use of Facebook and Twitter, and we have started broadening our reach with Instagram. The more you share and post to your page the more often your followers are going to respond by liking, commenting or sharing your post; this broadens your reach and increases your following. After a year of continual time and monetary investment in our Facebook page, we have been able to produce real return, interest and growth within our businesses. Facebook advertising is not a sprint, but rather a marathon. It will take time and effort in order to grow your audiences and following. Maybe you, like many, have tried your hand at Facebook marketing and have not gotten the return you were hoping for. Here are a few ways that we have been able to improve our social media success: 1. If able, invest in hiring someone who has experience running ad accounts on Facebook or is willing to take the time to learn. Facebook is always changing and providing different options in their marketing programs and constantly implementing different tools that are available to you. You will want to experiment in order to find what works for you and your company. Having someone who is constantly staying in tune with the changes and strategies will give you an advantage when using ads. 2. Consistency, consistency, consistency! Posting once a month is not going to engage your audience. You must be willing to make the commitment to post often; for some, this means once a week, for us it means nearly every day! Continually sharing with your audience is important in order to stay at the front of their minds. Not only is it key to show what product you have to sell, but to also educate your potential clientele about the auction industry. 3. Make sure that you are driving traffic to your website if you have one. If you can get the user to visit and spend time on your website, the more invested they will become in your business. 4. Use the Facebook Blueprint training modules to familiarize yourself with the many tools that Facebook has to offer your business. Facebook has taken the time to draw you a road map to advertising success, definitely worth taking a look at… and it’s FREE! You can get more information at: www.facebook.com/blueprint Facebook is becoming a tool that you, the auction industry, can no longer afford to ignore.
By Chelsea Wilson As of December 2016, Facebook had 1.15 billion daily active users. The average amount of time people Scroll, Like, Share and Read per day is… 20 minutes. A number of these users are looking to buy and sell assets, it only makes sense to advertise to them. The person you hire to do your social marketing should constantly be looking for ways to push the envelope a little and make sure they are reaching the full potential that Facebook gives them with the ads. You will want your social media manager to be creative in the ways that they target their audiences and think outside the box. Time and the efforts of scheduling and building your posts is what will make you successful, you will want to devote time to making sure your content is interesting. This content can be photos / videos of your auctions or company information, team highlights of your employees, inspirational quotes, auction related articles and more. Nicholls Auction Marketing Group has a video series of auction myths that we pull educational content from. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at chelsea@silverfeatherllc.com Chelsea Wilson provides social media marketing for Nicholls Auction Marketing Group and Wilson Auction Company in Virginia. Chelsea is a lifelong resident of Rhoadesville, VA and grew up in the auction industry with her father, Tony Wilson. Their family business, Wilson Auction Company, interested Chelsea and she began to play a bigger role and in 2016, she was asked to join the team at Nicholls Auction Marketing Group. When she is not doing marketing, she enjoys time with her chocolate lab, Sadie, and flying airplanes.
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EXPERT NEGOTIATING
By John Hamilton
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f you look at pictures of business people of a decade or so ago, you would notice a big difference in dress and attire. To say we've 'gone casual' would be an understatement. I'll admit that I'm personally uncomfortable with this today's business attire. I'm probably the odd man out in this trend, but I've found a silver lining. That silver lining is that's it's really easy to dress more professional, more conservative and more powerful than it has ever been. You're probably with me on the 'professional' and 'conservative' descriptions, but what about the 'powerful' adjective. Let's discuss that very aspect of our dress It's no surprise when I state that "how we look, appear or dress" forms the vast majority of our first impression. People see what we look like and draw instant conclusions and form instant perceptions. Among them are how confident we are, how wealthy we are, what profession we might be in, how educated we are and how we will be to deal with. So what's that got to do with negotiating, getting our way and achieving 'good deal' results? Fasten your seat belts, here it comes. Like it or not, the results we can achieve during a negotiation are influenced by the impressions/ perceptions our opponent has of us. If they see us as unprofessional, less skilled, less educated, less informed and of a lower standing, they'll be more aggressive and more resolved to hold out for what they want when negotiating with us. The contrary is also true. If our dress and attire send a message of success, confidence and even slight superiority, our opponent is more likely to grant concessions. When you are about to enter into a negotiating circumstance (a meeting, a trip to a car dealer, an encounter with a vendor or a planning discussion) be the better dressed. We can typically predict the attire and appearance of our opponent. For us to match or, better yet, exceed their level of attire is easy to achieve. Don't go to their level. Set and achieve your own - even at the risk of comments by our peers. Will attire alone win the day for a negotiator? Of course not! It will however influence proceedings, impressions, respect levels, credibility and even concession patterns. In this world of dressing down, casual and even sloppy attire, a negotiator can gain that imperceptible edge with that easy point of difference - their personal attire. Don't be the one to shrug off the importance of attire. Good negotiators routinely appear more professional than their opponents.
www.coauctioneers.org SECOND QUARTER • 2017 thecoloradoauctioneer
Chaplain’s CornerBy John Schaffner The theme of this quarter’s CAA newsletter is “Branding” and having to do with the many different aspects and angles of how we, as auctioneers, can optimize the name recognition of our businesses. When people see our advertisements, whether in print or digital, we want them to immediately know our brand and what it represents. When an old cowboy like me hears the word “branding,” the first thing that comes to mind is a livestock brand. Every year I look forward to the time when all the baby calves are on the ground and we can hold our spring “branding.” “The Branding” on most ranches is somewhat similar in the fact that they are social and neighborly events. A few weeks before branding time, ranchers start getting on their phones to coordinate branding dates with neighboring ranchers. The cowboys from ranches in a general area show up on “branding day” to help with the event. On another day the same thing takes place on another ranch until all the calves in the area have been branded. The purpose of branding cattle is for identification. When someone sees my brand on a cow they will be able to identify who she belongs to. If she strays to another pasture she is still identifiable and that rancher knows who to call. If someone sees your “brand” on an advertisement they should know who to call. By this time you are probably wondering how this article has anything to do with Chaplain’s Corner. Here is the connection. We as Christians don’t wear a physical brand on our sides, but we should be able to be identified by our actions as belonging to Christ. When Christ was still here on Earth, HE said, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see GOD.” HE also tells us to “not hide our light under a basket.” Don’t be ashamed of your brand. I have seen cows with brands that were so blotched that the brand was unidentifiable. We need to make sure our Christian brand does not become blotched. When you get to that last and final roundup, “Will your brand be identifiable enough to get you through Heaven’s Gate?”
PRAYER REQUESTS • Keep Safe Our Military / Police Officers & Civil Personnel
www.coauctioneers.org SECOND QUARTER • 2017
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Hall of Fame
John Korrey Hall of Fame By Cissy Tabor
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ohn Korrey , 1992 CAA State Auctioneer Champion and 2009 Hall of Fame recipient was so kind to share with me some insight, advice and wisdom from his professional career and is always willing to pass on his experience and tips within the auction industry to anyone that asks, whether they are new or seasoned, all in the desire of making the auction industry better. To say that John is a true gentlemen and leader in the auction industry, is an understatement. As you all know, this section has grown to see a personal insight into our CAA Hall of Fame recipients and help us to get to know them better. Our association continues to expand and we hope that our members enjoy learning about those that have paved the way for our state association.
John always knew he wanted to be an auctioneer while traveling with his father every week to livestock auctions when his Dad would sell the produce that he raised on their farm and ranch. John’s attention would be on the auctioneer, and just like the song, The Auctioneer, he would practice and went onto Reisch Auction School in 1972 and has continued in the auction industry for 35 years. Even though John travels all throughout the world selling for Ritchie Bros, he lives at the ranch in Iliff, CO that he was born on in which he runs a small cow/calf operation when he’s away from the auctions. It’s not always just “work,” so what is some of his favorite auction memories? “Selling sales for my daughters classes when they were in grade school for their reading programs.” In addition to auctions, he is a member of the World Series of Team Roping, United States Team Roping Association, National Senior Pro Rodeo Association, an Elks member for 44 years and the Chairman for the PRCA Rodeo, in Logan County (Sterling Colo), this year Aug 10-11th. Come on out and say “hi”! So, what would be his Best Words of Advise / Wisdom? • Be prepared. Never take anything for granted • It's not how many auctions you conduct. It’s how many auctions you do right. • Be selective in the auctions you conduct. Don’t be afraid to say, “No.” Do your homework. Since John has seen a lot of changes in the heavy equipment and livestock within the auction industry, I asked him where he sees the industry going and he stated, “more digital, more technology, if that’s possible.” For John, the best part of being a member of the CAA is the fellowship with others that he sees at each event and the education that is offered. A big shout out to Mr. Sammy Hamblin for introducing John to the CAA! Remember, each member we introduce to the CAA is a gift of growing our association stronger and stronger and our Summertime Picnic coming up is a great opportunity to do so.
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Fundraising
Is it time to choose New?By Jeff Porter
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recently read a blog post from Randy Gravitt about leadership and choosing to take a risk. It hit home to me personally as I reflect on the many conversations we have with our clients about whether or not to take the plunge into Mobile Bidding. I wanted to share it with you all.... When is the last time you tried something new? Same old, same old is a default mode for average leaders. The exceptional ones Choose New. Growing up, Cheerios was my ‘go to’ breakfast. Rarely a day went by without me visiting Oatville. But everything changed one morning when I was visiting a friend’s house and he pulled out a box of Honey Nuts. I had never even heard of these Cheerios on steroids. All I can say is, WOW! … Life has never been the same. I remember that morning, nearly three decades ago, like it was yesterday. The apprehension, the anxiety, and the fear were all very real. However, each of those emotions were unwarranted, considering the Honey Nuts would become a game changer. They would not have been, had I not been willing to choose new. Looking back to my pre Honey Nut days, it was not the Cheerios I was in love with. It was the comfort of the familiar. Settling for the mundane is one thing when we are talking cereal. It goes to another level when the subject changes to leadership. Fail to choose new, and you will eventually become stagnant. If today finds you clinging to comfort in your leadership, I double-dog-dare you to “Choose New.” - Randy A simple analogy with profound impacts on our organizations and our lives. As Randy so aptly puts, "New" is much more attractive AFTER we try it than before. Are you "on the fence" about mobile bidding? Do you feel that there is already too much "New" this year already? This article first appeared on May 13, 2016, of Handbid Blog – www.handbid.com. Please check out their ad.
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www.coauctioneers.org SECOND QUARTER • 2017 thecoloradoauctioneer
Press Release
Reinventing Your Image By Jennifer Hope
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e bought a “project” house a little over three years ago. There was nothing structurally wrong with our house, and the real issues were that the inside was stuck in 1986 and the landscaping was in abundance and in the state of a jungle. We immediately started working on some inside projects like removing lots of mauve and gray patterned wallpaper. I painted many rooms, and we started replacing carpet. The landscaping jungles received a little attention out of necessity, but I was set on getting the inside looking the way I wanted it to look. If I had to guess, I would say our neighbors wished I would have been more concerned with the landscaping. Since most of our neighbors have never stepped inside our front door, the outside of the house created our image. Those landscaping jungles were what neighbors saw repeatedly and were the only thing passers-by could use to form their initial opinion of us. It kinda sounds to me like the outside of our house was our brand. And with that, I take a huge gasp for air. Now lets think about your company and your brand. You may have removed all the 80s wallpaper, so-to-speak, from your business, and your staff may be working in harmony like a professionally-designed interior; however, if your marketing is like a landscaping jungle, you could be in trouble. Remember, your brand is not what you think about your company….it is what others think about your company. Back to the house for a moment. For the past three years, we had been working on the landscaping jungles a little bit. We had trimmed, cut and dug away a couple truckloads worth of excess foliage from our jungles. Even though we had invested hours in that work, the old plants, bushes and trees that remained simply hadn’t been taken care of properly for nearly 15 years and had grown somewhat out of control. Take a close look at your marketing materials. Are your company promo materials sending a nice, clear message? Do those items all have a similar look using the same paper stocks, fonts and colors? Do you have a real logo that you use everywhere? Is the general look and feel of your auction marketing pieces consistent? Or do you have a marketing jungle creating a distorted image for your company? This weekend marked the beginning of a huge event for us. Continuing to try and make the old, outdated landscaping look good was quite frankly not going to work. With my oldest son’s graduation sneaking up on us next year, I decided it was time to completely re-do our landscaping. After three years of not being particularly fond of the image our house was giving others and definitely not wanting graduation party-goers to think that was our brand, we have started to reinvent our image. We rented a skid steer (official name of a non-Bobcat branded bobcat) and got to work! One large trailer and truckload-full later, we now have a
relatively clean slate. We did decide to incorporate one tree and many of the gorgeous landscaping rocks into the new design. It was hard work removing the old, and we still have many, many hours of work ahead of us as we prepare the ground for the new plants and shrubs; however, it is going to pay off big-time. Beautiful new landscaping will welcome guests soon. Our neighbors who drive by our house on a daily basis will have a fresh, new palette of well-planned color to enjoy. We are redefining our brand so that the outside reflects the family on the inside. Of course we need to take this back to business; so, think about your brand. Are your marketing materials telling the story accurately, or are they creating an inconsistent jungle? With some detailed planning and some hours of honest work, you can reinvent your image. Is it time to update the layout of your salebills, ads, signs and website? It won’t happen over night, but it will be well-worth the effort. Originally posted on www.auctioninkadvertising.wordpress.com on June 14, 2011. Jennifer Hope has been serving the advertising and marketing needs of auctioneers and their clients for over 20 years. Before opening her own graphic design company, Auction Ink, in 2005, she previously worked for Halderman Farm Management & Real Estate Services as marketing director and for Schrader Auction Company as the graphics department manager. She also taught an auction marketing class for Reppert School of Auctioneering before it relocated. You can find her at www.jenniferhopedesigns.com
www.coauctioneers.org SECOND QUARTER • 2017
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Press Release
Holiday season’s a great time to get publicity for your firm
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ou know that news release you’re planning to issue on Jan. 3? Issue it now. Here’s why, in a nutshell: The holidays are a notoriously slow news period. Right now, even though more than 23,000 reporters have lost their jobs, there are reporters sitting around with nothing to do. After New Year’s Day, they’ll be up to their eyeballs in press releases — all from people who are saying, “We’ll put this out right after the holidays.” When do you think your story is going to get more attention? All else being equal, I’d rather pitch my story when I don’t have a lot of competition. So if you have an auction in January and were planning to hold the release until after the holidays, move up the schedule and issue it now. A lot of things have changed in the news industry, but this one hasn’t. More than 30 years ago, I was running the city desk in late December when a lady called to sheepishly ask if we’d care to cover an event she was hosting. I looked around and saw one reporter working crosswords. The other was looking out the window. “Ma’am, right now we’d cover a goldfish race if it’d get one of these reporters out of the office,” I said. A lot of factors drive the annual news lull. Congress and the state legislatures are usually out of session. People go on vacation, so deals get put on hold. The November elections are ancient history. The people still at work are closing out the books on 2016 and planning for next year. Even the world of sports is in a lull. The World Series ended more than a month ago. Once “rivalry week” is over, even college football is in a dead period between the end of the regular season and the bowl games. NFL playoffs are several weeks out. Basketball is under way, but the season won’t get interesting until spring. Hardly anybody is producing any news. Still not convinced? Pick up your local paper, or turn on the local evening TV newscast. You’ll see an endless stream of stories about stray dogs getting rescued, homeless people getting fed, flight delays for holiday travelers, interviews with the new pastor moving into the diocese and new displays at the local zoo. If the local college has an astronomy professor, he’s likely to be interviewed about the Star of Bethlehem. Some of that is just a matter of editors and producers appealing to the holiday season, of course, but the truth is they don’t have a lot of choices. Here are some story ideas your local editors might welcome: • If you conduct benefit auctions, you probably have an event or two coming up to raise money for local charities. With the client’s permission, invite the local TV station, daily newspaper or suburban weekly to interview the head of the charity about the upcoming event, and the needs being met. If you can make it easy for the reporter to interview one of the beneficiaries, that’ll probably get you 20 24
November 21, 2016 - By Carl Carter, APR, AMM an even bigger story. Be sure to emphasize the date, time and place of the auction. • An end-of-year trend story related to your business. If you sell assets that reflect the state of the economy — or parts of it — consider sending out a release about the state of the market for those assets. For example, if you sell bankowned real estate, you might offer some observations on government statistics about foreclosures. Impending tax or legal changes in your state might provide you an opportunity to become a source of information people need, especially if you can point to how that impacts auctions or the assets you sell. • If your firm is large or well known, you may want to consider a release pointing to your successes for the year. That can provide some good publicity, but be careful not to raise questions you’re not willing to answer. For example, a reporter may ask what your sales for the year were. I usually advise clients to keep that private unless they have disclosure requirements. It’s better to keep your competitors guessing. Carl Carter, of New Media Rules, is a specialist in media relations, public affairs and strategic public relations planning for clients who can't afford to use yesterday's strategies today. This article first appeared on November 21, 2016, in the Media Blog of New Media Rules, www.newmedialrules.com
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Colorado Auctioneers Association, Inc. 1685 S. Colorado Blvd., Unit S-160 Denver, CO 80222 • 303-729-1195 www.coauctioneers.org
CALENDAR July 11-15, 2017
NAA Conference & Show, Columbus, OH
August 7, 2017
CAA Summer Picnic @ Eaton City Park Dream Pickup Sweepstakes Drawing
August 27-29, 2017
Benefit Auction Summit, Cancun, Mexico
September 6-7, 2017 NAA Day On The Hill, Washington, DC December 1, 2017
CAA Scholarship Deadline Contact Doug Carpenter
January 4-7, 2018
2018 CAA 60th Anniversary Annual Convention
www.coauctioneers.org SECOND QUARTER • 2017 thecoloradoauctioneer