Silent Auction Observations from this Season and how you can profit from them:

So a few more Auctions before the Holidays are upon us and we finish another great Charity Benefit Auction year! We have conducted or been a part of about 30 Auctions in 2012 and once again we have seen the best (An Apple Pie sold for $1,350)  and the worst ( Let’s open the Casino Gaming tables in the other room at the same time we do the Live Auction) ideas you can imagine. But we have observed a lot of Silent Auctions this year and have put together some ideas that may help you maximize your profits in 2013. Feel free to copy and paste these and send them on to your colleagues. (Just mention where you got them!)

Observation # 1. A confused mind does not bid so make sure you have proper lighting & sound as well as short terse descriptions. Your silent Auction is not a Pulitzer Prize contest.  Tell the bidders what it is, when it is available and why they should purchase it and keep it clear and simple.

Observation # 2. Close Your Auction during the Live and reopen for 15 minutes after.  It may be tempting to keep the auction open all the time or close it before the Live, but all evidence suggests that all the spirited bidding takes place in the last 10 minutes. The heavy bidding doesn’t start until you tell the guests that it is about to close and people in general tend to follow instructions when in big groups. If your Professional Licensed Auctioneer (You knew I’d throw that in somewhere yes?) gives you a 10 minute, 5 minute, 2 minute and 1 minute countdown you have in effect created another Live Auction with competitive bidding.

Observation # 3.  Traffic Flow and ease of bidding is imperative.  Guests must be able to circulate throughout the room without any dead ends or road blocks and they have to be able to get to the Bid sheets. Don’t stack them on top of each other. People will not pick them up and if they can’t find the bid sheet they become confused. (See Observation #1)    Walk around the room and make sure traffic flows easily.  Also show All Bid Increments on Bid Sheet: Don’t leave it to the guests to decide what to bid because this requires them to think. Set your increments so that the value of the item is reached in as few levels as possible. 4-6 is best.

Observation # 4.  Don’t ask for a lot of information on the bid sheet. Ask for Bid Numbers only, no telephone numbers and names on the bid sheet.  It only wastes time and effort and in most cases can’t be read properly. (Ever tried to write with a drink I your hand?)  Make sure you have a complete database before the event and use a reputable Charity Auction Software with pre-printed stickers or smart phone bidding if you need to.  Do not depend on the bid sheet for information on your guests.  This is about bidding and fun. 

Observation # 5.  Proper Displays of items are essential. Images for almost everything can be downloaded from the web (Google) and a picture is worth a thousand words. Use short to the point descriptions. As we said before, your silent Auction is not a Pulitzer Prize contest or your chance to write the great American novel.  Tell the bidders what it is, when it is available and why they should purchase it and keep it clear and simple. If it cannot be described accurately in 3 sentences or less then it belongs somewhere else. In the Live or Super Silent perhaps.

Observation  # 6- Silent Auction Consignment companies are not Satan. There are several companies that provide charity auction products and services for charitable organizations. Pick one that works exclusively with 501(c)(3) organizations. Autographed and signed sports and entertainment memorabilia adds an extra level of excitement to your event that your guests will enjoy and appreciate. These companies can supply all the items for your entire auction or supplement the items you already have and save your committee valuable time that they can use obtaining High Level Sponsorships or selling tables for $5,000.

The events they work with include: galas, golf tournaments, benefits and concerts. They can provide memorabilia for the auction, event decorating, sponsorships and PGA golf prizes for long drive. Explore the companies out there and see what they have to offer. Maybe it’s a good fit and maybe it’s not. How will you know if you reject the idea out of hand?

Hopefully these have been some ideas you can use. Share them with your Professional Licensed Charity Benefit Auctioneer, your Gala Committee or your Development Director. See what they think. Have a Great Fundraising Auction in 2013!