Face-to-face meetings are a crucial part of my relationship with my clients when planning silent and live auctions. So important, in fact, that even my smallest consultation package includes 5 critical collaborations you should expect from your auctioneer:

1. An initial EVENT ENVISIONING meeting with the decision makers, including time to “Do the Math” and actively design the exact strategic plan for each auction
2. A SITE VISIT to either select the venue or evaluate how to use the chosen venue to maximize both money raised and guest experience
3. A MID-POINT MEETING which covers more than 60 points to ensure success for your event while there’s still time to change things
4. A CRUNCH TIME meeting in the final days to put everyone’s mind at ease and be on hand when stress is highest with years of solutions ready to offer
5. A WRAP UP meeting, essential to assess our successes and determine tweaks to implement the next time

Today’s continuing effects of Tropical Storm Debby all across Florida (tornado watches, flooding, power outages) remind me that I’m fortunate to be able to consult with both my non-profit groups and my auctioneer colleagues even when the weather’s horrible!

Remember all the tools for communication we have when in-person meetings aren’t feasible:

Communicating in writing

• e-mail
• texting
• Facebook messaging

Communicating by speaking

• cell phones if landline power goes out
• landlines if cell phone service is down
• being on speaker phone is almost like being there in person!

Communicating visually

• Skype video calling
• Apple/Mac FaceTime
• Screensharing (join.me, freescreensharing.com, WebEx)
• Video Conferencing (WebEx or Go to Meeting)

What have I left out that you’re using to communicate with your team?

Share your thoughts in the Comments, and stay safe out there!