Benefit Auction Specialist (BAS)
Grab this 70-point Venue Checklist when planning your Gala Fundraiser!
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GALA GAL Jenelle Taylor has a series of short Youtube videos on silent auctions
Are you planning a silent auction? Is this your first one, or your 14th?
For a quick refresher on every way to streamline your process and earn the most money, make sure to check out this series of two-to-three minute videos on Youtube.
DON’T leave things folded up!
So, scarves.
It’s not a frequent donation, but these were high-end, valued about $80 each, and we had 12 of them!
How to display, how to display, to get the most eyeballs and attract the most bids?
“Don’t worry,” I told my client last January, “I got this.”
And with our hotel contact, we tucked 2 narrow tables into an alcove and draped them in black to make them “disappear,” and then draped 3 easels in an expensive-looking cream stripe to better offset the various scarf patterns. Then we grabbed 2 bamboo poles the hotel had in storage, tied those to the easel rests, and draped each gorgeous scarf. A quick tie with cream ribbon kept each from sliding off the pole, while still allowing guests to touch the fabric and lift upward to see the design.
Sure, you COULD leave them folded in squares, flat and sad on the silent auction table…but that’s only if you didn’t have a Benefit Auctioneer Specialist to help you craft a better display, right? 🙂
Download the FREE Checklist!
I try to do a Venue Visit with clients at least 2 months before the event, so I can help determine stage position, traffic flow, sound system and lighting needs, etc.
You can download and print (or view on your phone) this 70-item Venue Checklist to help you either A.) narrow down your venue options, or B.) catch potential problems with the venue you chose.
It covers
I often repeat the mottos “Make it easy for people to spend money” and “Ambiance is bad for auctions” (meaning low light is fine for dinner, but make sure the lights can be brighter for silent and live auctions and appeals).
As always, if you’ve got a question, just call my cell at 407-791-1360 in Tampa!
Featured Presenter Every Other Year!
It’s that time of year again, when the biggest names in Benefit Auctions nationwide gather to share and learn.
Oh, yeah, that happens, too, but many of us go year after year to see our much loved peers and friends! You see, the benefit auctioneers are a very tight group.
In fact, I’m part of a connected international (and private) group of more than 1000 individuals who do fundraising auctions.
That means that at any time, I can reach out to professionals across the country – to check out a consignment provider, bounce off ideas, or mentor someone. I can even get feedback on your committee’s brilliant (or kooky!) new idea 🙂
This year, to shake things up a bit we gathered in Cancun, Mexico, and a good time was had by all. My presentation this year continues my streak of being featured as a presenter for our industry every other year since 2010. As you can imagine, we come away with new techniques to bring back home to you, our nonprofit partners!
Selling chances to win for that cruise or yacht trip!
Ah, the Chance to Win, doesn’t most every event have one?
Of course, the very first thing you need to do is familiarize yourself with your state’s (and sometimes city) raffle, gaming, gambling, drawing statutes.
Did you know that in Florida, you can’t require anyone to pay for a ticket?
Print out the Florida statute here.
Once you know the rules, this is a great option for the “blinky lights” pin to show who bought a chance to win (and, obviously, who hasn’t yet).
Do you know that Holland America has a reduced-price program that your nonprofit might qualify for? It’s a great program with a reasonable fixed cost, and never expires. Check it out here.
If you’re selling chances to win a cruise or a yacht excursion, instead of generic pins consider these cute things, found at FlashingBlinkyLights.com. It’s themed, flashy, and if you don’t want to pin into guests’ fancy clothes, then simply attach each to a lanyard or a wrist-tie ribbon like my client.
Here’s to selling those chances and raising big money!
Using Mobile Bidding? Add an incentive to get guests to Bid More!
Do you use the “Lucky Line” for your traditional silent auction bids on paper?
It’s a way to encourage folks to be more generous, give a little more, just jump down a few bidding lines rather than the next bid available. I’ve got an explanation in a viewable Google doc here.
For years we (the benefit auctioneer community) have been trying to replicate this bidder incentive with handheld mobile/text bidding, but to date most mobile technology companies haven’t figured out a way to virtually highlight only bids past a certain point, and then segregate just those for a random winner.
And then my new client shared a semi-solution!
While the one “who makes the most bids” isn’t random and may not encourage as many people to try for the prize as the Lucky Line highlighting does, it certainly is trackable in mobile bidding reports, AND worth celebrating and rewarding! Using the technique above, the organization rewards participation, not dollars, which is an equalizer of sorts.
How have you figured out ways to incentivize more bidding using technology?
It doesn’t cost to hire a professional, it pays!
What do you pay for your auctioneer, and how?
When you’re hiring someone who does fundraising auctions for a living, you know it’s an investment in your success.
You get 1 night, once a year to hold your event, and your auctioneer may be on the microphone longer than any other speaker! Choose the right look, the right personality, the right ambassador to be the face of your annual fundraiser.
I try to offer folks 3 options to reserve a date on the GALA GAL events calendar: an all-inclusive rate (good if you have a budget or will secure an Auction Sponsor), a retainer to get started and a percent of the Live Auction results generated, or, some events qualify to use the Buyer’s Premium, which includes your bidders in auction underwriting so that you can hire a professional auctioneer at little to no cost.
Can you afford to hire a professional auctioneer?
Can you afford NOT to? You don’t get a do-over for your big event. With at least 3 options, there’s a way for just about every organization to partner with a full-time fundraiser like me.
Today’s tip is about the “Three Magic Words” that help you get just about anything donated. In fact, these words elevate your request from an all-too-common “ask” to an opportunity.
Ready? Here they are: feature, showcase and highlight. And the question? How would you like to be included?
Instead of begging for a donation, explain that – of all the possible businesses in town – for this event you’d like to “feature” ABC Business so you can “highlight” their great ____________ and “showcase” what they do to your prominent supporters and community members. “Our committee thinks more people should know about your terrific ____________, so we wanted to invite you to have one of the exclusive (another good word!) spots in our live (or silent) auction. How would you like to be involved?”
If they say “no,” thank them and say (to yourself), “Next.” They either see the opportunity or they don’t, and someone always will when you share how wonderful your cause is and how much you want to include them in your biggest 1 night, once-a-year event.
So just ask! And remember: feature, showcase and highlight.
Don’t Interrupt – ATTRACT!
As I was preparing my 90-minute presentation on Branding and Marketing for the National Auctioneers Association annual conference, I came across this GREAT article from a cool-looking group: The Emotional Intelligence Agency. Their tagline is, “Be as interesting as the internet.”
In their recent article in Fast Company magazine, they explain how marketing has changed.
The buzz word now is “emotion,” and how to connect in memorable ways with your target audience.
There are “four kinds of emotionally compelling content: funny, useful, beautiful, and inspiring.”
They condense this to FUBI – an easy thing to remember when planning (or posting) on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Snapchat, You Tube, your website, or anywhere else.
You don’t have to be all of these, and, in fact, you should consider having a different tone on different platforms. Maybe your posts are funny on Twitter, useful on Facebook, and beautiful on Instagram. You might even assign a different person to manage each distinct “voice.”
So, for my presentation, I made this 4-leaf clover image, because if you focus on being funny, or useful, or beautiful, or inspiring with your posts and content, I bet you’ll get luckier with your results.
Honored to present for the annual conference
On Thursday, July 13th I flew to Columbus, Ohio, to see hundreds of auctioneer friends.
Friday the 14th I was honored to present a 90-minute session to my peers and colleagues, all about who is attracting attention and staying top of mind in our industry.
I then gave them more than 30 tools and ideas to build their benefit auction businesses across the country.
Could your nonprofit use help branding and marketing?
I’m a national expert on that, too 🙂
(And I work with nonprofits on affordable short-term contracts and monthly retainers, unrelated to auction galas. Just call me, 407-791-1360, or use the CONTACT link on the home page.)