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Auction Listings Are Vital to the Success of Fundraising Auctions

Fundraising Auction Tip: You should always provide potential bidders with a printed Auction Listing of both your Live and Silent Auction items at any Fundraising Auction. A printed Auction Listing is vital for several reasons:

An Auction Listing informs bidders of the order of sale, and what is coming up next. If you keep your bidders guessing, they will simply not bid.

If bidders are not 100% certain of what they are bidding on, they will not bid. A printed Auction Listing should answer any and all questions about what is being sold in order to encourage bidders to bid as much as possible.

Bidders often need time to plan their bidding strategies, especially on multiple and/or larger value items. A printed Auction Listing helps them to do that.

Couples often need time to consult with each other about what they are willing to spend on something. A printed Auction Listing helps them to do that.

Potential bidders need to know the specifics, the benefits, and the restrictions on any item they are going to bid on, especially on travel and/or other higher value items. A printed Auction Listing should answer all of their questions, in writing.

After bidders see that they have lost an item to another bidder, a printed Auction Listing makes it easier for them to re-strategize on what else they can bid on.
Printed Auction Listings generally come in 3 forms:

Printed in the Event Program or Auction Catalog.

Printed on loose sheets of paper and hand-inserted into the Event Program or Auction Catalog.

Printed on loose sheets of paper and hand-delivered to all attendees, or left on each dinner table in the room.
Auction Listings cost practically nothing to produce and they can make the difference between the success and failure of a Live and Silent Auction. You should never conduct a Fundraising Auction without one.

A Case Study

Let me share a real-life experience with you. Once I was hired to conduct a Fundraising Auction for a nationally renowned organization. The event was held in a major hotel, in one of the country’s largest cities, with several hundred “black tie” participants attending. It was an extremely professional event, with the music, singing, lighting, speeches, and awards all perfectly timed and choreographed. Everything was done to perfection… exception the Fundraising Auction.

Although I had signed an agreement to serve as their Auctioneer nearly one year in advance of the event, no one bothered to contact me for any advice or help. Approximately one week prior to the Auction date, I contacted the group to see if they had replaced me with another Auctioneer. But they said that I was still their man.

Upon arriving at the event I asked for a copy of the Auction Listing. I was told that there were none. I’m not sure whether they felt that the Auction Listing wasn’t necessary, or whether someone forgot to have them printed. This was never made clear. When I asked what I was to use at the podium, I was told to copy the list of Live Auction items from a committee member’s computer. It took me about 30 minutes to copy three pages of hand-written notes in order to prepare for my role as their Auctioneer.

I knew that they had created a PowerPoint program showing the various Live Auction items. When I asked whether the PowerPoint slide order corresponded to the order of sale I had copied from the committee member’s computer, I was met with a blank stare. The committee member left to check the slide order, and returned to let me know that the slide order did not correspond my notes, and he provided me with the correct slide order… hand-written on a paper napkin. This forced me to re-arrange my three pages of hand-written notes before taking the podium.

There was a Live Auction Table with descriptions of the Live Auction items that were to be sold, but the table was not clearly marked, and it received significantly less attention than the Silent Auction Tables, which were clearly identified. Since the Live Auction Table was located adjacent to the “Raffle Table”, it appeared that most people thought it was part of the raffle and therefore paid very little attention to it.

According to the event program (which did not include an Auction Listing), I knew approximately when I was to begin the Live Auction. At the designated time the Master of Ceremonies announced the start of the Live Auction to the several hundred people in attendance, and introduced me as Auctioneer. As I approached the podium I realized that photographs of award winners were still being taken… directly in front of the podium where I was to stand… which required me to stand aside for several minutes until the photographers were done. Can we say “awkward moment”?

As the photographers cleared, I approached the podium and began my Live Auction introduction. Approximately one minute into my introduction, the “Raffle Committee” approached the podium and stopped my Live Auction Introduction in order to pull the 8 or 9 Raffle Winners. These drawings lasted about 5 minutes. Upon it’s conclusion I was allowed to resume the start of the Live Auction.

When standing at the podium two intense and extremely bright spotlights were pointed directly at the podium. The lights were so bright that I literally could not see the center 1/3 of the room. I could see the tables on the right, and on the left, but was totally blinded when looking straight ahead. It took perhaps five minutes before the spotlights were turned off.

While at the podium and describing Lot #1, I had to ask someone to start the Lot #1 PowerPoint Slide… because apparently no one was assigned that job.

So with only the Auctioneer’s verbal description, and a PowerPoint slide, it appeared that few people in the room had any idea about what we were selling… or when we were selling it… until it was announced by the Auctioneer. As a result, bidding was extremely light and the final results fell several thousands of dollars short of where they should have been
The learning experience is this:

The Live Auction is where you place your better items, and where the real money should be made at any Fundraising Auction. Let bidders know as far in advance as possible what you will be selling, and the order of sale, so they can get excited about the Auction, and plan their bidding strategy accordingly.

Auction Listings are absolutely vital to the success of both Live & Silent Auctions. In my opinion, revenues at this Auction fell thousands of dollars short of where they should have been, because no Auction Listing was provided to the guests.

If bidders are not perfectly clear on what is being sold, including both the item’s specifics, benefits, and restrictions, they will not bid.

When you have a committee of volunteers, especially volunteers having full time jobs and/or very busy schedules, the services of a professional Fundraising Auctioneer can help to keep the committee on track.

And once you retain the services of a professional Fundraising Auctioneer… use the services that you are paying for.

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Good Small Business Ideas

In today’s challenging economy where do budding entrepreneurs look for business ideas and how do they do find success? What is meant by a small business varies widely around the world. Small businesses are normally privately owned corporations or partnerships with generally less than 50 employees. But if you are looking for good small business ideas, starting business with 50 employees may seem anything but small!Good small business ideas are ideally suited to internet marketing because it can easily serve specialized niches, something that would have been more difficult prior to the internet revolution.It is no secret that there has been a massive shift to people buying products and services online and this continues to grow which is good news for anyone doing business online.Small businesses do not suffer equally in tough economic times; while some will be hit severely, other small businesses will only experience a slight dip and still others will actually prosper.It is interesting to note that in Chinese, the word crisis is composed of two characters. One represents danger, and the other represents opportunity. The new digital internet economy opens up infinite possibilities of good small business ideas. For some, this means crisis, for others, opportunity.But how do businesses become a reality online? There are millions and millions of websites all fighting for attention and the only way to survive in the highly competitive online business world is be skilled on how to use it to your full advantage.New online entrepreneurs need to learn how to set up and earn from their online businesses. To succeed good small business ideas need to have somebody who is willing to learn a new set of skills and be committed to success.Good small business ideas on the internetAffiliate marketing is one of the most profitable business ideas on the internet. Quite simply, you promote other people’s products and services and, when somebody buys something that you are promoting, you get paid a commission by the product owner. You do not have to worry about creating a product or service, dealing with the fulfilment or any customer queries.There are so many different products and service which are available to promote, you are sure to find something that interests you.ClickBank is a popular online marketplace where you can find products for your business ideas. It boasts a vast selection of ebooks, software and other digital goods, which are products that are downloaded over the internet and where the buyer has instant access. ClickBank contains thousands of products that you are free to promote as a ClickBank affiliate. The vast majority of ClickBank vendors pay a commission of between 50% and 75% on the sale price of their products. To put this into perspective, ClickBank has paid out over $2 billion in commissions in the last 10 years.It is no secret that we are are currently in the longest depression since the 1920s. Unemployment remains uncomfortably high five years after the financial crisis and many of those in work have had to accept lower pay, part-time work and temporary contracts.The time has come for many to stop depending or be satisfied with just one income from one job. Entrepreneurs with good small business ideas and who take those ideas to the internet to start generating a new income are ahead of the game. We are at the start of the digital internet revolution and those who take the time to learn the skills and techniques required to succeed online will reap the benefits.

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Sales Skills Needed for Your Successful Home Based Business

First of all we need to define sales skills, and remove the negative stereotypes which surround the typical “salesman.”  Ask anyone who has not engaged in a sales career, and often their perception of the sales trade is exactly opposite of that of a successful salesperson.As you pursue your home based business, you’ll want  to consistently pay attention to the following.A. Being pushy and aggressive does not sell. It turns people off and often makes them defensive. Being courtesly assertive and persistent is what your aiming for. This is a skill which anyone can better at. Think of the last major purchase you made where the sales process was seamless. I would suspect your needs or desires were identified, and the salesperson simply provided you a solution which you purchased. Fact is, most home based businesses offer a credible product or service.B. The expression you have 2 ears  and 1 mouth, because you need to listen twice as much as you speak, is key to selling successfully in any home based business. People will tell you what you want if you simply ask directive questions and listen. Avoid trying to give too much information, it will usually confuse most people, and they will not be able to make an educated decision. The great thing about home based businesses is most people who are considering are usually serious about starting something. Identify first what they want, and then and only then, can the decision if your home based business suits their needs. I can’t stress this point enough. The mistake most salespeople make is talking too much, and talking past the close.C. Let’s identify the sales process. On a sheet of paper draw a line. On the far left write “warm-up”. In the middle of the line write presentation, and at the far right put in “close”. On top of the presentation draw in several arrows pointing to the line and label trial closes. Let’s discuss. When you are first introduced to your prospect usually via telephone you want to form a connection and establish rapport (warm-up). Remember, people will purchase your home based business opportunity if they feel comfortable with you. Talk about their past work experiences, their family, goals etc. You’ll know when you’ve established rapport, and then its time to begin your presentation of your home based business. The trial closes are merely questions or comments you ask in order to provide feedback, and hopefully tacit consent or buy in to your home based business. Don’t make the mistake of speeding through your business providing endless details. You need to get feedback from your prospect. Think of trial closes as mini closes with a cumulative effect. The more favorable response and interaction you receive during your presentation, the easier the actual close will be. Think of trial closes as the process we all go through before we buy a pair of shoes. We try them on, walk down the aisle, view in the floor mirror from different angles. These are all trial closes which allow you to comfortably purchase the shoes and leave the store. Afterall, most people know their shoe size, but I’m willing to guess in the history of man, no one has ever walked in a store and bought a pair of shoes without going through that ritual.D. Whether the home based business you are discussing is inexpensive ( a few hundred dollars) or high end ( thousands of dollars), it really isn’t important. If your prospect is qualified and properly informed, the decision process is the same. If your presentation was interactive, and tacit consent through trial closes was given, then simply assume he/she will join.Think of a traffic light between your presentation and the close. Once your presentation is complete, the traffic light will be red, green or yellow. It may be your prospect is not interested in your home based business. That’s a “red” light, and it happens, don’t beat yourself up. Occasionally the light is “green.” Move quickly to the close and discuss financial arrangements. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Most prospects will see a “yellow” light. There’s a degree of caution, and they could stop or proceed forward. Usually they see “yellow” because they need a little more information or direction. Success is made in home based businesses by people who can help those “yellow” viewers see “green.”Volumes of material have been written about sales techniques. It is my hope this article has provided some insight to help you increase sales in your home based business. Follow me in future articles and I’ll reveal more proven sales methods.