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Auctioneer SEPTEMBER 2010
The official publication of the National Auctioneers Association
Honoring the past, looking to the future Profiles from Conference and Show How to become a contract Auctioneer Members conduct auctions for reality TV
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The Benefit Auction Summit is scheduled for Sept. 20-21 in San Antonio, Texas. Kathy Kingston, CAI, BAS, of Kingston Auction Co., Hampton, N.H., is scheduled to present “Beyond Bid Calling: 7 Secrets to Boost Benefit Auction Profiles.” Submitted photo
Benefit auction experts to present best practices for success Qualitative research will reveal seven advanced competencies By Bryan Scribner editor
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o matter what their specialty, it’s likely many Auctioneers at some point will take part in a benefit auction.
It could be for a local church, the Girl Scouts or other charitable organization of interest to the Auctioneer. And in today’s struggling economy, when many nonprofit groups need more help than ever, presenters for the upcoming Benefit
SEPTEMBER 2010 AUCTIONEER
Auction Summit agree Auctioneers need to know the best practices that will ensure the most money is raised for worthy causes. In addition, Auctioneers need to have the resources and knowledge that will help them earn the most money as possible for their businesses. On Sept. 20-21 in San Antonio, Texas, that’s what some of the National Auctioneers Association’s most experienced and successful benefit Auctioneers plan to offer. “When you are in a difficult economy in particular, it’s important to be able to invest in yourself and realize the value that brings to your business,” says Sherry Truhlar, BAS, of Red Apple Auctions, Alexandria, Va. Truhlar’s presentation, “Creating a Recession-Proof Benefit Auction Business,” will focus on no- and low-cost marketing strategies, she says. It also will teach the Auctioneer how to increase his or her “expert factor” and use technology to build trust. WWW.AUCTIONEERS.ORG
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education
There’s still time to sign up
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What: Benefit Auction Summit: A Celebration of the Art and Science of the Benefit Auction
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Where: San Antonio, Texas When: Sept. 20-21
How: Call (913) 563-5428 or e-mail education@auctioneers.org
under your feet
A 45-minute window In his presentation, “Keeping the Audience in the Palm of Your Hand,” Andrew Bost, BAS, of Andrew Bost Benefit Auctions, Austin, Texas, says he will focus on the roughly 45 minutes benefit Auctioneers have to sell auction items. He will present best practices in performance and stage presence that he says will keep the audience’s attention and bring the most money possible. “You’re dealing with an audience of nonprofessional buyers,” Bost says. “At the benefit auction, nobody has to be there. The event has to be fun, it has to be entertaining. If you go too fast and lose the attention of the audience, then their wallets go back in their pockets. “One of the points that I’m going to be highly stressing is that the benefit Auctioneer’s role is to serve as kind of a cheerleader-in-chief. The benefit Auctioneer is there to pump the audience up, get them excited and bring them into a team feeling — let’s raise this amount of money together.” Using information she has gathered from benefit auction and seminar evaluation forms she has gathered in the past five years, Kathy Kingston, CAI, BAS, of Kingston Auction Co. Hampton, N.H., says she will share with Auctioneers qualitative research that will help them better understand their clients.
Seven secrets Through her research, Kingston says she identified seven advanced competencies Auctioneers should have that go beyond bid calling. Thus, her presentation is titled “Beyond Bid Calling: 7 Secrets to Boost Benefit Auction Profiles.” “Nonprofits have been severely affected by the economy, and they’re looking for creative and extremely effective ways to raise money,” Kingston says. “A benefit auction conducted by an Auctioneer who really understands that it’s more than just getting up there and selling live items is going to have a powerful tool and a service to offer that can help expand their general business and diversify their income stream.”
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Kingston says there are more than 1.5 million nonprofit groups in the U.S. and therefore plenty of opportunities for Auctioneers. “A professional Auctioneer that understands how to raise money for nonprofits using the auction method of fund raising will always be in demand,” she says. “It can help change the economy in so many communities.” u WWW.AUCTIONEERS.ORG
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Benefit Auctioneer Gary Corbett, BAS, of Tucson, Ariz., is scheduled to present “Great Ideas Session” at the Benefit Auction Summit. Submitted photo
Jenelle Taylor, CAI, BAS, of Gala Gal Inc., Tampa, Fla., also plans to focus on the benefit auction client in her presentation, “From Prospect to Client: What to Say to
Get Hired.” “We’re actually going to go through an entire process of learning to get into the mind of a client,” Taylor says. “What is this client who’s going to hire actually most concerned about?”
The mind of a client Taylor says her interactive presentation will incorporate role playing — one Auctioneer will play the role of the client while one will play the Auctioneer. “Clients” will be presented a set of questions from the “Auctioneer” so attendees can get an idea of what it feels like to be on the other side of an auction proposal. Taylor says the presentation will teach summit attendees how to provide information and services that will get them the job. “When someone’s actually attentive and listening and
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taking notes and asking and concerned — from the client point of view that feels really good,” she says. Aside from the presentations, Taylor and other NAA Auctioneers say the first Benefit Auction Summit will provide Auctioneers an important opportunity to network and share ideas. “That’s the greatest part — everybody will take the time to dedicate a couple of days to being able to talk and network,” Taylor says. “Beyond that, there are a lot of knowledgeable people who are going to present that have very different skill sets.” Benefit auction veteran Gary Corbett, BAS, of Tucson, Ariz., agrees. His presentation, “Great Ideas Session,” with Kip Toner, BAS, of Kip Toner Benefit Auctions, Seattle, largely will focus on sharing ideas that will help Auctioneers be more successful. “It benefits all of us,” he says. “It’s a growing field, but it’s also not only highly competitive but changing so much with technology and with the economy. Organizations are just struggling to make ends meet, and we’re kind of a great resource for them.” ❏ WWW.AUCTIONEERS.ORG