As a benefit auctioneer we have access to new information , trends, models, etc. coming onto the the market , before many Development Directors, Special Event Directors and other organizations catch up to them,--- just by way of our associations , discussion forums and networking.

We know the marketing companies that would have you do away with your "in house" silent auction and run the whole thing on line before the gala.  They make the one point-- less work. Now your guests could come in, visit , drink , eat and bid on a few live auction items and go home.  Wow what a fun evening. They forget to mention the costs of running that program. Listing, running the bidding, packing, shipping , insurance and the collecting of money , all these costs are charged to your organization. 

Now newer companies marketing more electronic equipment for Benefit Auctions, would have you do away with the live auctioneer, the showman, the entertainment of the evening.   Just sit in your chairs and bid on your i-pod.    Why not just form a committee and call all your clients and ask for a monetary  donation. That's even less trouble. But what happens to your support building yearly Gala.

Here is a reply , with credit given to the writer, about the new auction tools,  being offered to nonprofits to set up and do all your  biding from ipods.   Wow what a fun evening setting around the table or setting at home watching TV in their PJ;s and bidding on items shown on a screen.  No "Vania's, no re-pore between MC and Auctioneer. Just set they and use your touch pad to bid.
________________Reply to a post on our NAA discussion board -------------------------

Phillip L. Pierceall Swing City Auction Co Plano, TX Posts: 508

Re: Have you heard of BidPal software? Uses I-pods for bidding « Reply #2 on: March 31, 2010, 05:45:32 AM » the problem with most organizations is that they can not see the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and so they are hard pressed to hire anyone at the beginning of the journey. Then there are those gala chairs that at the end of the gala can go to that organizations BOD and say look at "How Much Money I Saved" never thinking about how much money they left on the table. Then there are the smart ones that hire us the professional auctioneer to do what we do best, Create Energy and get all the money while entertaining the guest, but more importantly we put together a plan of action long ago and consulted with our client on how to do this so that on gala night all our efforts put tons of money into an organizations bank account to sustain them for another year. Those Ipod's sure are great in the silent auction, funny thing is that whole set up cost about the same as a professional auctioneer. Remember: You think hiring a professional cost a lot of money just wait till you hire an amateur. it's never the money you did not spend in the beginning - it's the money you left on the table in the end. John Henry beat the steal driving machine and I can beat an Ipod any day of the week. ___________________________________________________ We are all aware that many changes are coming into the Benefit Auction arena,  but directors and chairpersons, don't forget the electronics are not going to share with you years of experience, putting together the silent auction, helping you select and arrange the live auction.  They are not going to add to the excitment of the closing of the silent auctions and that last 10 second count down. They are not going to coax that last 100 or 500 out of a bidder that is having trouble making up his mind. No---don't count us out just yet.  We are still the best tool to help you increase last years return--- and have the folks leave talking about coming back next year because the evening was so much fun.  Don't forget each years auction is another building block for next years auction. We want to help you plan and conduct your next auction. If we have not contacted you, give us a call, for a lunch meeting. Ron

     Real Estate Agents &" Harke Auctioneers & Appraisers" = “ A Winning Team”

Real Estate Agents and Auctioneers often work together. The advantage being, the R. E. agent can offer benefits to their prospective clients, during the contract presentation. One benefit, relief from the stressful liquidation of personal property and clean out, preparing the home to be placed on the market.  Often it involves attorneys and trust officers, we can be helpful in these areas too.

The family and Real Estate Company want to place the home on the market quickly, time is money! The Estate Auction solves that problem. The family, auction company and real estate company all profit, as do the auction attendees.

Estate auctions often bring record prices for items the family might have “thrown out” and the auction attendees are ecstatic about their bargains.  Auction companies specialize in the sale of jewelry, antiques, collectibles, furniture, household items, art, and other personal property. We like to hold the Estate Auction, “on site” when it fits the onsite auction criteria. If it does not, the contents can be packed, removed from the house and ready for a consignment auction, usually with several other ‘estates” held at a later date. Either way the house is usually ready for the market that same day.

Today, most property auctioneers post photos of upcoming auction items on their website and do marketing of the auction with sale bills, email contacts, the internet and absentee bidding.

We are looking forward to talking with you and providing complete information resulting in a better understanding of how you can help your prospective or present clients. 

Ron Harke
314- 631- 1731

National Auctioneers Association: Certified Estate Specialist and Graduate Personal Property Appraiser
Member of Certified Appraisers Guild of America, Missouri Auctioneers and National Auctioneers Associations.

We recently attended an AFP “Selling Major Sponsors” web/audio conference as part of our continuing education and dedication to our Fundraising Clients and Prospects. –  

 Selling your Sponsors, Committee, Volunteers, Event, and Audience!

It was a refreshing review of planning and selling techniques and at the same time filled with new ideas to help make your once a year event, successful, memorable and sending your audience home with a desire to return next year.

As we have suggested in our blogs, paradigms change, as do committee chairpersons and volunteers.  One constant, is the Professional Benefit Auctioneer who helps plan and facilitate Benefit Galas all year. Sharing the ideas learned from Seminars and the exchange of information with Benefit Auctioneers across the county.

We will not “just” show up and sell your live auction items. We want to help you “sell” your entire program to your sponsors, committee, volunteers and invited guests.

Ron Harke, Professional Benefit Auctioneer wants to help put “excitement” into your auction planning and Gala Benefit.

We are looking forward to working with you!!

Ron Harke
Professional Benefit Auctioneer
Harke Auctioneers & Appraisers LLC
St. Louis , MO

It is time for your annual  Gala Fundraiser!!  Your organization has been holding this event for years and years , you are preparing to have another beautiful and successful evening

However you have a new committee chair this year. Other parents and committee members have moved on.  But you have all the records from previous years.  So everything is OK. 

Is it?  I once read this.   "If you are doing the same thing the same way, that you have  been doing for years, "something is wrong"  Interesting comment.  Based on,  new parents, new members, new generations,   paradigms do change. 

 Professional Auctioneers who spend time and training to keep up with changes in the profession of Fund-Raising Auctions can be an invaluable source of help to reach a new level.

We bring new and impartial ideas to the table, our goal is to help you raise the bar, that's what we do! Yes we respect your experience, your re-pore with your organizations members, we have no interest in "taking over"  but our single goal is to help your raise more money then the year before.  That's part of our reward.  We bring to your planning table the ideas and experience of hundreds of Benefit Auctioneers across the county who raise millions of dollars doing Benefit Auctions. Why not access this pool of talent.

A volunteer or celebrity will attempt to do a nice job and may bring in few "fans"  But a  Benefit Auctioneer knows how to raise the bid, what increments to call out, how to raise excitement and awareness to your silent and live auction.  Have you ever watched a professional "floor auctioneer" (bid assistants ) work an audience, compared to "volunteers bid spotters"   Are you aware of the bell curve in lining up the live auction items, the golden ticket, closing silent auctions by value, games to raise more money. Do you use auction software, do you put  your silent auction items "on line", are you registered with the department stores, ie Bridal Registration. Is your event 100% sponsored before it "begins"  Do you know all the ways to recognize your sponsors, do you know how to "fill" seats purchased by sponsors, (there is nothing worse then empty seats at front row tables).  Is your evening a Fundraiser, or Gala  Dance and Recognition Dinner? You auction has to be planned within the purpose of the evening.

We can work with you and your committee all year during the planning process, (will a volunteer or celebrity?  We will be there on set up day, sound checks, room layouts.

If you do not need all of the services a Professional Benefit  Auctioneer offers, at least be aware of the fact that we are "Trained" to raise the bid.

Let us interview with your Development Director and Committee Chair . You only have a once a year chance to make your event a fantastic success .  Why not take advantage of of all the "tools" available.

Ron

www.harkeauction.com

314 631 1731

During a recent school auction committee meeting, I was asked if it was a good idea to put class room projects in the Live auction. Be it room baskets, or a project made by the students.

My comment was one that most Benefit Auctioneers make.   Live Auction=Quality  --Silent Auction= Quantity.  That's not to say that class room baskets, or student projects are not Quality, far from it, I have seen beautiful items put together by class rooms.

Here is where the difference comes in.   I have sold Pillows signed by Seniors, quilts with the Seniors names woven in, signed and framed beautiful Senior Photos in the live auction.   But guess what , only parents and grandparents bid on them. Leaving a very large percentage of money in the room and taking that time selling to a smaller percentage of interested bidders.

So it stands to reason if a class room donation is very "Class room" specific, the only bidders interested will be the ones who have an attachment to that "grade"

Many of the "Class room" projects are better set up in a designated area.  (one idea)-- containers placed in front of each item and tickets sold by the arm length , allowing buyers to place tickets in the container of their choice . (All tickets if it's their child's room).

Another idea could be a "Special" section in the silent auction, ie."Class Room Projects"  Especially (important)  bid sheets with a "own it now" value at the bottom. Let someone buy it quickly, allowing bidders (and time) to move into other areas of the silent auction.

With either example I think closing the bidding or raffle first is very important.  REASON: We want the bidders to "move" their attention and competitive bidding,$$$$$ to other parts of the silent auction, with a larger variety of choices

My thoughts!

As promised my Blog will share with you, ideas from Benefit Auctioneers across the country. Professional Benefit Auctioneers want your next Benefit to raise more money then the last.   We all believe working with a B. Auctioneer increases those opportunities

Many non profits are still using the old model of  sitting up silent auction bidding. One reason I can think of , it is easier to print a "open"  bid sheet and have bidders do the math etc needed to fill in their bid amount.

There is a newer and proven money maker for silent auction bidding that should be considered. We will explain even more as we meet you and your committee

This article is credited to Daniell Sloanaker of A1 Benefit Auctions.
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The Traditional System

In the traditional system, a bid sheet is placed on the silent auction table in front of the item to be sold. On the bid sheet, there is a description of the item, a value, a starting bid, and a “minimum raise” requirement. Generally, there are 20 to 30 or more spots (lines) on the form for bidders to enter their bid.

To bid, the bidder first must read the description of the item, look at the value, understand the minimum raise amount, and read the amount already bid by the previous bidder.

After reviewing the information, the bidder, if wanting to enter a bid for the item must add the minimum raise amount to the previous bid amount, then must write in the new bid amount and then write his or her bid number or name. All of this takes time, is subject to a variety of mistakes such as improper bid raises, failure to write the new value clearly so the next bidder can interpret the previous bids, and other potential problems.

In addition, human nature dictates that if an item has a “minimum raise” of $10.00 as an example, we tend to do exactly as told, and will raise the bid by exactly $10.00. Rarely will people routinely “over raise”, that is, raise a bid by $20, $30, or more if the minimum raise is $10.00.

Finally, because there is an open ended bidding process, with no way to take an item out of the bidding before the close of the silent auction, the “hot” items will draw all the attention of the bidders, often at the expense of the bidding on the other items.

The Best Silent Auction System

The bidding process should be kept as simple as possible. You want your guests to be able to bid on as many items as possible as quickly as possible.

The amounts on the silent auction forms should be pre-filled before the auction, the bidder need only review the form, pick an amount to bid, and then write their bid number next to the pre-filled bid amount. This greatly increases bid activity for several reasons:

· No mental “math” for the bidder to deal with
· Only 14 steps keep activity on a “hot” item to a reasonable level. The very hot items are purchased using the “Own it Now” step. The balance of the silent auction items will receive more attention once the “hot” items have been purchased.
· The bid activity is spread over a wider selection of items since it takes less time to bid using this system.
· Bidders routinely skip bids on the forms and go directly to the level they wish to pay for the item. That is, if there was an item worth $100, the opening bid would be $20.00 and each of the remaining 13 bids would be filled in to a “Own it Now” amount of $150.00. Bidders will often skip increments and go directly to the $60 or $70 slot.

We recommend you use a form that has only 14-steps available to it, is a half-sheet in size and has pre-printed areas to list the bid increments. The normal opening bid is 20% of the estimated fair market value of the item, and each of the 13 remaining increments are set at 10% of the fair market value of the item. Since there are 14 steps total, this makes the final bid on the form worth 150% of the estimated fair market value of the item. The 14th step is called “Own it Now” or “Guaranteed Purchase” which means a bid number entered there is an “instant winner” of that item.

The silent bid form should also be a 3-part carbonless form. The white and yellow copies should be removed at silent bidding closing and taken to the cashier for data entry and filing. The pink copy should remain on the table in front of the item so your bidders can check back to see if they were the successful bidder. The winning bid amount and bid number should be circled at the conclusion of the bidding.

Summary

Your organization will see at least a 10% to 20% increase in silent auction revenue compared to the traditional system. It is any easy system to use and will make your organization more money. The conventional wisdom is that with fewer places to enter bids, some items might sell too cheaply. Actually, on a single basis, that may be correct. However, when you look at what your overall yield is for the silent auction, your bottom line is what you deposit in the bank, and you will earn 10% to 20% more revenue from this system.
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Allow Ron Harke Professional Benefit Auctioneer to show you the 150% return formula we have available. We look forward to meeting with you.

Ron Hrke
Harke Auctioneers & Appraisers LLC

Just about every Professional Benefit Auctioneer across the country has written a blog or article about this subject.  Volunteer bid spotters, or Trained Professional Bid Assistants, i.e. Professional Ringman.
I understand reasons why a school or non profit would not use their help. At the schools (large & small) all the moms, dads and grandmas and grandpas love to see their kids working the auction.  Waving that flashlight or sparkly wand. After all the parents are bidding and they get a kick out of seeing their own working in the crowd.

Non profits many times just do not want to spend the money for extra help, and yes many of their volunteers love to stand up and have fun and do the same as the students, wave the flashlight or sparkly wand, many do  love to entertain and believe they can and add to the evening, I do appreciate that.

Let’s consider the simple definition of each. 
Bid Spotter: A bid spotter stands in an area assigned by the chairman of spotters, does not move from his 4 or 5 table area and puts up his hand so the auctioneer can see the bid. Usually only with a  flash light or wand, with no yell or "Yep" and yes ,sometimes after a while just loses interest or starts talking to their friends around them.

A Bid Assistant:
 Hired by the auctioneer (via, the organization) he is there for one thing, "To Work" he is trained, (there are Professional Ringman schools that many attend) he has worked auctions, and knows the auctioneer.  He moves from bidder to bidder, he is as active as the auctioneer. Many times he does not use a flash light etc, because auctioneers and bid assistants communicate by sound as well as "gestures".  An assistant "Yeps" a bid and the auctioneer reacts to that, without even seeing the bid, because he knows his "assistant" has that bid.
The Bid Assistant is animated, adding excitement and helping to hold audience attention. He is not afraid to step in again asking the bidder to raise his bid.   It has been proven again and again that a Bid Assistant will more than pay for his fee, before the auction has ended.

Ok, so why don't more non profits and schools use trained Bid Assistants.  I think the answer is they just do not know enough about the Professional Ringman, or have not attended an auction using Ringmen. They have not witnessed the excitment.  If they had they would know what the Ringman does for a fast moving money producing auction. Estate, consignment, gallery or the Benefit Auction. 
 Many of these same schools and organizations still use volunteers and celebrities to auction (sell) their items and try to raise the bids at their one large benefit of the year. 

Benefit Auctioneers around the county agree! An Auctioneer and 3 perhaps 4 Professional Ringman can work an audience of 400 people.   Less if the crowd is smaller. That should tell you something right there.  That’s much easier that organizing 12 volunteers standing around the parameter of the room waiting for someone to raise their bid card.?

I think the old model is changing and will change, as more organizations have an opportunity to visit a Benefit Auction using Professional Ringmen(Bid Assistants)  Non-profits and schools are beginning to take notice that other groups are adding to their evenings, bottom line.  That’s what a professional, who does this for a living, can do for you. 

Please watch this clip from the NAA Ringmans Competition, tell me it would benefit you to use Professionals!!!!              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsngqAvBQjI

A short answer would be: A professional auctioneer who has taken the time to study, learn and understand the non profit benefit auction business. One who has the time to spend, attending committee meetings (even on weekends) researching to provide committees with helpful information and being on call to answer questions 24-7

But it continues.  Auctioneers who make their living doing Consignment, Estate and Real Estate auctions must focus their time and energy on handling that part of the business. It, in itself is a full time business 24-7 and they do a fantastic job. 

A Charity Auctioneer , as well as being a Professional Auctioneer trained to sell, has studied and practiced the art of entertaining a crowd of 400, learned to hold their attention, know their audience, attended committee meetings, has learned about the orginization and what it repesents, spent months with them and can present their cause and raise the bids to the highest level.  He has shared his knowledge with the committee, giving them ideas, helped in planning, usually conducts the better part of the event itself, making announcements, closing silent auctons, reminding attendees of the raffels, working on the "Fund a Need" and calling the live auction,  while committee chair and volunteers do their part for the evening. 

So why use a  a Sports figure, Radio/TV personality or another type of "celebrity" in the hopes of increasing attendance (larger audience does not always equate to more bidding) who shows up an hour before the auction.

Your best chance of increasing the income for the evening is hiring a professional, trained to work a benefit and raise the bids.  Remember the auctioneer is the only one working that evening that is going to make money for your event.

Call us, we are would appreciate an opportunity to talk to your committe chairperson

We Want To Help Raise Your Bids

The holidays are just about over and planning for Spring Benefit Auctions is in full swing. One of the questions I am asked at every organizational committee meeting I attend is ‘What sells best in the live auction.” Most want me to spin off a list right then and there. The answer is far more complicated that. So I am cautious about the information I give, even if I know many of (Benefit Auctioneers) agree on some of the same items.   Here is some general information for the newer committee chairs and benefit auctioneers. 

Before handing over that list, you would be wise to learn the makeup of the people to which the organization is marketing their benefit, ask about income profile, a good gauge is ticket prices, is it a celebration or party with an “auction” or is it a pure benefit auction. I have found a difference in “Gala Benefits” and their makeup. Is it a small school, large private prestigious school, church, large non profit, etc.?

Consider the items your trying to procure, as if you where bidding on them.  Would you  bid more for something you can buy at a retail store, including Televisions and Electronics?   Yes there will be exceptions; after all we hope to raise the level of “competitive” bidding, that’s our job.  “To have one person bid (give) more than the other so he has pride of ownership”.  I always tell committees, now is the time to use your imagination, think outside of the box, you will come up with winners.

Dental services may not go over at a wine auction, and expensive wine may not sell well at a small school auction.  Art, even by a known local artist can come up short in any live auction.

 A very large expensive vacation may not go well in an auction at a smaller mid town catholic school. But it would at a large prestigious private catholic school.  

It is also important to “package” your items;   theater tickets are better with a dinner, even better with a hotel, and even better with limo service.  Out of state condos sell better with air fare. Vacation trips always go better with air fare.   Try for unique items and packages; a camping package is better than a tent, a camping package with tickets to a private camp ground is even better.  Starting to get the idea??

Here in general are some items to be cautious of in the live auction if you want to sell “over value”,  professional services, ie  Attorneys, Dentists, bowling, art, home crafts, portrait sessions, tires, repair services, gym memberships, massages, jewelry can be a loser, furs, flowers for a year, almost new furniture just a few.

So before you hand a committee chairman a list of items that are complied by benefit auctioneers around the country, use them only as a tool, learn all you can about the organization, their sponsors and attendees and help them plan winners!!

Later we will talk about the items that usually do well bearing in mind again, the audience you’re selling to.