Credentials from the National Auctioneers Association (NAA)
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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.
Comments are closed - Categories: Charity, Consulting, Event Logistics, Silent auctions
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? 🙂
Comments are closed - Categories: Consulting, Event Logistics, GALA GAL Case Study, Silent auctions
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!
Comments are closed - Categories: Consulting, Event Logistics, Live Auctions
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?
Comments are closed - Categories: Better Buyers, Consulting, Event Logistics, Other Money Makers, Silent auctions, Technology
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.
Comments are closed - Categories: About GALA GAL, Consulting, Event Logistics, Live Auctions, Other Money Makers, Silent auctions
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.
Comments are closed - Categories: Consulting, Grab Bag, Other Money Makers, social media, Technology
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.)
Comments are closed - Categories: About GALA GAL, Consulting, Other Money Makers
Thanks to Jessica Rivelli from Working Women of Tampa Bay for the invite to speak!
Did you miss it?
I’m happy to speak to your board, your staff, or civic groups like Rotary, Kiwanis or chambers of commerce.
Of course I can talk about auctions, and how to best support the causes you believe in, but some people don’t know that I also speak nationally on branding and marketing.
Things are changing all the time in social media.
Isn’t it time you got some help?
Call me to chat: Jenelle @ 407-791-1360 cell
Comments are closed - Categories: About GALA GAL, Consulting, Grab Bag, social media, Technology
Who’s the “voice” of your social media posts?
I’m a huge, huge fan of Entrepreneur magazine. In fact, if you’re not already following them on Facebook, seriously, click over there and do it right now.
I’ll wait.
It’s that important.
If you want to be smarter about, well – anything – you should be following Entrepreneur magazine on Facebook.
Their posts are 2- or 3-minute reads about stuff you want to know, and I guarantee you’ll see something each week you want to click on and open.
By the way, I don’t get anything for promoting them. I’m just a super fan.
When I was researching for my presentation to the Working Women of Central Florida, I came across this awesome article Entrepreneur mag posted, “22 Statistics That Prove the Value of Personal Branding.”
It’s about how we (people, you and me) connect better with people, not companies, and you’ll do yourself and your organization a 561% favor by letting your employee’s personalities show when they share posts about your cause.
Since you can control the tone, images and message you put out there, sit down and really think about how you want to be perceived. Is your org inspiring? Are your clients beautiful? Are your services useful? And isn’t life just funny sometimes? (NOTE: If you don’t yet know about FUBI, read about it here.)
You can even let different people shine in their elements. If you’ve got a stellar soul who can communicate all you want to say on all your platforms, give him or her a raise! Otherwise, try trusting your inner circle with the platform that best matches his or her personality, and see if you don’t get more likes, follows, and engagement from your fans.
Comments are closed - Categories: Board members, Charity, Consulting, Grab Bag, Other Money Makers, social media, Technology
Sell More Memories, Less Stuff!
This might be my favorite video clip ev-er!
It starts at $100 and you’ll never guess where we end up 🙂
Watch the short VIDEO on my You Tube channel.
There’s a lot I love about this clip – this small crowd of 160 solid supporters, the clear joy of giving in the room, and the fact that I’ve done this event for years so we’ve built this great rapport!
(Sidenote: we really do have the best job in the world.)
Anyway, the winning bidder doesn’t even keep the hat! It’s all in fun, a vehicle for donations, and a few minutes we will all remember as a highlight. Can your event do that?
Sell more memories to make your event a signature celebration of your cause.
Not sure how? Just call me: 407-791-1360 in Tampa.
Comments are closed - Categories: About GALA GAL, Auctioneers, Charity, Consulting, Live Auctions
Auction Bidding is Enhanced by Displays
Today a client asked me
“Quick question – mobile bidding. Does it enhance an auction? Have you seen increased participation (read larger bids) utilizing mobile bidding?”
and I replied:
Good question!
Typically mobile only makes sense when there are a lot of attendees, a lot of auction items (100+) and the silent auction revenue is $30,000+.
Pros:
IF people use it, they can set max bids and not have to either log back in or walk to a table – most mobile bidding systems can just continue to bid for them up to a set maximum.
Auction displays can take less space
Everyone can see all the auction items if they wish (on a device) without walking around
You can close the bidding later
Cons:
Typically costs $3000-$5000+
Either you have to pay for one of the mobile company’s staff to be on site (could add $1000), or you’re 100% responsible for any kinks or problems. Unless you have a savvy tech person, this could add significant stress.
It can be hard to get people to engage in mobile bidding for several reasons:
~Some require downloading an app, though some just have a web address people key in
~Some say mobile is less social, since people move around less and must spend time staring at their phones
~Requires either than people use their cell phone data plans (and battery life) or the club has a reliable wi-fi connection that’s open to everyone; some mobile systems rely on wi-fi and can get bogged down or crash
Results:
Whether or not mobile adds revenue above and beyond the cost of using the technology is a source of heated debate! Just a few weeks ago auctioneers from around the country shared mixed reviews in an online forum. When the technology works as promised, is adopted by the attendees and gets used, certainly there are benefits to being able to shop from anywhere in the venue and not have to physically revisit a bid sheet.
On the other side, paper silent auctions have worked for decades by generating that person-to-person, last-minute competitive bidding atmosphere, especially when your professional auctioneer is making announcements and making the auction closings fun for everyone in the room.
What mobile definitely does is eliminate the need to clerk, record, tally or key in silent auction purchases once bidding closes, and for some groups, that fact alone makes the technology worth several thousand dollars, just to eliminate checkout!
There are 10-12 major mobile bidding companies nationwide, all scrambling for footing and market share. All have demos you can do or samples you can view.
Industry software leader Greater Giving has great educational info with just about everything you need to know about mobile here.
Because of the many pros and cons (and how those affect your overall revenue/schedule/logistics), it’s something you should ask your professional auctioneer about as early as possible.
Like this great client of mine did! Thanks for the question, Sara 🙂
Comments are closed - Categories: Better Buyers, Consulting, Event Logistics, Silent auctions, Technology
Fingertips for $40
Recently a client asked me about raffle (Chance to Win drawings) pricing.
“I found this on-line as a guideline to selling tickets. Does this make sense?
Raffle ticket sales: 3 tickets for $5, 6 tickets for $10 and finger tip- to-finger tip $20″
Here’s my take:
1. Raffle chance pricing depends on the value of the prizes to be won.
2. Calculate the math equation: How much do you want the raffle to raise (have a goal), who will be asked to buy tickets and what pricing feels exciting to them, and how many tickets (at what level) can you expect to sell? PRICE x QUANTITY = MONEY RAISED
3. In the example you found, “3-$5 and 6-$10” are the same odds, so there’s no incentive to spend $10 rather than $5.
4. The PURPOSE of unequal odds (increased chances for paying more) is to wildly slant the odds in favor of those more generous. We want to encourage folks to donate more. In Florida (and other states-check your state gaming statutes*) all chances to win do not have to be equal.
5. So, I like
3 – $10, 8 for $20, or fingertip-to-fingertip for $40.
That way the focus is just on selling $40 worth, and if someone is considering $20, have them grab a friend and get tons more chances by splitting the fingertip-to-fingertip (which might be 40-ish tickets)
If the prize(s) are smaller, you could go with 2-$5, 7-$10, fingertips for $20
*A reminder to always know and follow your state regulations on raffles, which often fall under gambling policies. In some states, nonprofits are limited to one per year or need a special license. In Florida (and other states) drawings are required to have a “no purpose necessary to be entered” option, which is why setting any pricing for a chance drawing must be disclosed as a “suggested donation” See the Florida statute here, and happy fundraising!
Comments are closed - Categories: Better Buyers, Charity, Consulting, Event Logistics, Other Money Makers, Raffles/Chance Drawings, Templates
Try to avoid this at your non-profit, says GALA GAL Jenelle Taylor
A client called today for advice. They’ve planned to feature a safari trip as one of the live auction items for their event in a few weeks. When I read the description a few days ago, I realized with some surprise that this was not a typical sightseeing safari trip – this was a hunting safari!
I’ve seen and sold a number of safari trips, but they’ve always been photo safaris, or – said another way – photo shoots, not actual shoots.
My dad was a hunter, though I am not. Even though I would greatly prefer to only shoot things with a camera, I understand that a portion of the population worldwide shoots for sport and challenge. I’m comfortable promoting this item during the live auction alongside the other trips and experiences.
However, some of this organization’s supporters called to complain today, with the expectation that the trip will be pulled from the auction.
What should you do if some people feel an auction item is controversial?
Whether it’s selling a puppy, dinner with the embattled mayor, a hunting safari or countless other potential hot buttons, how should your committee proceed?
There’s no one right answer, of course. While you may not want to bend to a few disgruntled voices, you also don’t want those voices to complain even more loudly on Facebook or the nightly news if they feel dismissed.
Ask yourself, what could possibly go wrong if we auction this item?
As your committee tries to “think outside the box” for atypical auction items, if you don’t have these conversations early on, you may find yourself – like my client – scrambling to find a solution 1 day before the catalog goes to print.
Comments are closed - Categories: Consulting, Event Logistics, GALA GAL Case Study, Live Auctions
Don’t let those “bid blockers” and “sheet stealers” ruin your auction!
If you’ve never seen one at your event, you’re lucky! While it’s great to have fast and furious bidding on your silent auction items, and it’s fun to watch that competition, too many times I’ve heard (or seen) heated bidders try to bend or break the rules of fair play.
I’ve seen Bid Blockers who square their shoulders and won’t let anyone else get to the bid sheet to bid against them, or Sheet Stealers who actually pick up or hide the bid sheet and try to sneak it back on the table right before closing time! I’ve actually seen someone rip up a bid sheet…twice! The same guy!
Anyway, if every year a few of your classroom projects or priceless opportunities create more bad blood than goodwill among your bidders, you’ve got a few options: either move those items to the main Live Auction, where peer pressure and encouragement will spur on the bidding, or post signs and make announcements reminding people that if your auctioneer sees a bidding war heat up, she plans to step over there and see who really wants it the most with an on-the-spot, mini live auction. It’s fun, it’s fast, and it’s fair.
But make sure to warn people first. And, of course, if you use mobile bidding for your silent auction, you’ll never have this issue again 🙂
What are your auctions most highly contested items year after year? How have you solved it?
Comments are closed - Categories: Better Buyers, Consulting, Event Logistics, Silent auctions
Draw attention to a row of Can’t Miss items
What to do when you have so many great auction items that you can’t even fit them all in to the time slotted for the Live Auction?
Most live auctions at charity events are 30-45 minutes, and with an industry average of 3-4 minutes per live auction sale, that means only 10-15 items make the Live Auction cut for many events.
What if you have 20 awesome items that you need to get in front of bidders? I suggest blowing up the bid sheets to 20″ x 30″ mounted on foam board, place them on easels in a very high traffic area, add signage, place 1-2 full-time volunteers who never leave and can answer all questions about the items, and then get into the mindset of a county fair carnival barker, “Ladies and Gentlemen, don’t miss this awesome opportunity right here. Step right up to bid on ….” You get the idea.
Sometimes, I place these easel items in a semi-circle directly in front of the ballroom doors, and I let the crowd know that these items -while available for normal bidding during the silent auction – will be closed by on-the-spot, mini live auction between 7:40-7:45, immediately before the doors open for dinner. All interested in bidding need to gather here at 7:40 to get a last chance to be the winning bidder.
By doing this, we get as close as we can to the energy, excitement and ego of a live auction even though there wasn’t time in the program. As guests gather, I gets everyone’s attention in the vicinity and say, “Ladies and Gentlemen, we’re now going to close these 5 SUPER silent auction items by mini live auction. They are such great items that we didn’t want anyone to miss the opportunity, so whether you’ve already bid or not, everyone is welcome to bid right now as we close these awesome items. First up, you’ve been bidding on Item 901, 1 week RCI Timeshare anywhere in the world, valued up to $1800. The current bid is $1200, but who’ll go $1300, do I hear $1300, yes and now $1400…” Each item will take just seconds to close, and inevitably we’ll raise several hundred more dollars, remind folks that a professional auctioneer will entertain them later, and generate auction closing excitement right before releasing the guests to dinner.
Win. Win. Win!
Comments are closed - Categories: Better Buyers, Consulting, Event Logistics, Live Auctions, Silent auctions
Great way to make sure everyone sees your best silent auction items!
How do you make sure that the more significant, valuable or noteworthy items in your silent auction don’t get lost among the smaller items and packages?
Sure, you can make a small section of silent auction with somewhat larger displays, or target spot lighting (or both). For just a few dollars, you can really make a statement and get bidders’ attention.
Sometimes I call these “Almost Live” items, meaning that they were good enough for the live auction, but either we already had the live auction spots all filled, or this event doesn’t have a live auction.
Simply save the ready-to-print bid sheet as a PDF and have FedEx/Kinko’s blow it up to 20″ x 30″ for $4 (black and white). Whether it’s one item or 10, having a super-sized bid sheet will help ensure you get the eyeballs (and bids) you want.
Since color displays of this size would be crazy expensive (like $20-40 each), we just printed the color photos, slid into clear slip sleeves from Office Depot, and attached via O-ring and ribbon. Guests still bid just like a normal bid sheet, though we did have Sharpies on hand to make bids easier to see.
Which items will be SUPER at your next auction?
Comments are closed - Categories: Better Buyers, Consulting, Event Logistics, Silent auctions
Think ahead to plan how you will display jewelry donations
Isn’t it a tiny bit sad when you see jewelry at auctions just lying flat on the table? Surely that isn’t the best way to showcase that donor’s contribution, or encourage the most bids?
Some options, from easiest to most elaborate:
1. Drape necklace over a corner of the plexi sign holder or description frame
2. Cut a length of pretty ribbon and attach earrings or bracelets to the ribbon
3. Gift-wrap (in a solid or metallic paper) a small flat box (perhaps 6″ x 8″ x 1″ high) to place the jewelry on
4. Buy stand up jewelry displays from Michael’s or from a Dollar Store
5. Arrange to borrow jewelry displays from the donor (but make sure to label so your donor gets them back)
6. Use lighted clear plexi boxes for luxury jewelry items to mimic the actual jewelry retailer effect.
By the way, an easy way to remember that you’ll need specialty display items before you get to the venue to set up is to add a column or field in your auction item database called “Needed for Display.” Here you can make months weeks or months in advance about how many easels, jewelry displays, gift-wrapped boxes, clip-on lighting, props or other display enhancements you’ll need to bring.
Here’s to better auction displays. Cheers!
Comments are closed - Categories: Better Buyers, Consulting, Event Logistics, Silent auctions
Post Silent Auction closing times for each section
Don’t you get this question ALL the time?
“What time does the silent auction close?”
Or worse yet, you have patrons complaining after a section has already closed that they didn’t know.
You can put auction closing times in the program, but we all know hardly anyone reads the program, and especially not while they are shopping, holding a cocktail and an appetizer plate.
So put signs on each table or row, at least 2 per section. If you use 4″ x 6″ signage, put 6 or more on each row of tables. What’s the harm?
If there’s a chance (due to traffic, slow registration, or a quirky chairperson) that your silent auction closing times might change, here’s a secret: print several options for each section and just hide them behind the front one. For instance, you can have signage display “This section closes at 7:30” but also have a 7:40 and a 7:45 printed out and hidden behind, so if you have to change the rules on the fly, you can. Keep in mind, though, you need to do this in conjunction with big, bold, loud announcements to keep the crowd up to date. You don’t want to upset any bidders, so you can say over the microphone, “Folks, due to some heavy traffic we have guests just now arriving, so you’ll notice that this section will NOW close at 7:45. Please see the signs on each table.”
Make it easy for people to spend money – by being clear about the closing times!
(Note that with handheld (text) bidding, you won’t have this issue. Alerts about closing are sent to bidders’ devices, assuming they still have battery life!)
Comments are closed - Categories: Better Buyers, Consulting, Event Logistics, Silent auctions
Make it clear which Bid Sheet matches which plexiglass or framed display
Let’s face it: at most silent auctions, there are a lot of items and bid sheets on the table. When you’re on the auction committee, it’s easy for you to know at a glance that the basket on the left with the blue ribbon is the “Family Fun Night” basket and the one on the right with the red ribbon is the “Italian Fest” basket (duh!). But to your guests, it’s all just a mash up of colors, fluff, and paperwork.
Make it easier for people to spend money by clearly labeling and numbering each package up for bid. I like to place each bid sheet directly in front of its plexi display, and I make sure the auction section and number on each are clearly visible.
Or you can invest in mobile (text) bidding and folks will see the image you’ve uploaded with each auction item 🙂
Comments are closed - Categories: Better Buyers, Consulting, Event Logistics, Silent auctions
Don’t want to take a photo of each basket? Find a funny image
When I attend other auctions, I often see groups that don’t make a stand-up display for baskets or physical items, thinking that the item “sells itself.” I don’t agree.
I like the continuity that every auction lot, whether physical item or certificate-not-on-display, gets a standardized written description, displayed either in a frame, an acrylic slanted sign holder, or a foamboard with attached easel back. This makes the tables organized, balanced, consistent, and polished.
So, what do you put as a visual for a basket that’s right next to it on display? Sure, you could take a picture of the basket, but to me that doesn’t add anything, so I try to find an image (Google Images) that’s cute, funny, or will make the viewer chuckle with recognition. That wine basket gets the “I love wine” graphic, and the coffee basket gets the cutesy, “Life is short. Enjoy your coffee.”
OH, and make sure that a list of what’s in the basket is either in the typed description or attached by a nicely typed card attached to the actual basket.
Will your next auction have better basket descriptions?
Comments are closed - Categories: Better Buyers, Consulting, Event Logistics, Silent auctions