Top 5 Reasons to Hire a Professional Auctioneer

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5You know Benefit Bidding can help you with all your auction needs, including online and live events.  Did you know they also offer helpful advice to make your auction amazing?  Benefit Bidding has a monthly newsletter sent directly to your email inbox that can help you plan your next fundraising event.  When you sign-up for the newsletter, you will automatically receive the document: “31 Tips to Achieving Record Breaking Auctions.”  This document is very helpful in helping you make the most money for your organization or cause.  Here are the top 5 tips for you to enjoy:

1. Hire a benefit auctioneer.  You may think anyone can stand in front of a group of people and call out numbers.  Using someone such as a local celebrity or a friend can be less of cost, but you will lose revenue.  Isn’t the point of doing the auction to raise the most money you can for your cause?  Hiring a professional auctioneer with experience working with organizations just like yours is the best possible way to ensure you are getting the most out of your auction.

2. Integrate an online auction into your plans.  Online auctions are a great way to start getting attendees excited for your event!  They provide a way to generate revenue before the live auction and provide a wonderful way to provide a greater value to your sponsors.  Benefit Bidding can help you plan and implement an online auction, even if you have little to no experience.

3. Use a benefit auction quality sound system.  All sound systems are not the same.  Most venues and DJs will have sound systems that are meant to play music, not allow people hear and bid on items.  This is a must if you want to generate the most money.  Benefit Bidding has their own and can set it up properly to maximize your revenue.

4.Keep the lights bright.  You want people to see what they are bidding on and it helps the auctioneer see who is bidding.  Don’t miss a great money making bid because the auctioneer couldn’t see it!

5.Timing is everything!  When planning your event, make sure to plan enough time to complete the auction.  A good rule of thumb is 2 minutes per item.  You don’t want your audience (and potential bidders) leaving in the middle of the auction.

Be sure to sign-up for our monthly newsletter here.  Remember, Benefit Bidding can help you plan a great and profitable auction for your organization.

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Ask and they just might give!

Ask and they might GIVE!

Ask and they might GIVE!

If you’re having a fundraising event for your school, consider adding a teacher’s wish list.

Ask each teacher to create a list of items, typically ranging in price from $25 to $50, that they would like for their classroom. If ”big ticket” items such as computers, printers, etc. are needed, split them into multiple requests of $50 to $100 towards the purchase of the item.

Next, create an attractive list for each classroom. The teacher’s name and classroom should be easily visible. Each list should have an area for bidders to place their bid number next to the item they want to make a donation for.

Display all the wish lists in an area which is easily accessible to everyone attending your event.

At the end of the evening, the donations from the teacher’s wish list are added to the bidder’s auction purchases. The money raised is placed in a fund for the purchase of those items “purchased.”

Bidumup,

Lloyd

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Add Mobile Bidding To Your Event!

Online Auctions and Mobile Bidding

Mobile Bidding At Your Event

Since logistical constraints limit the number of items which can be included in your live auction, increase your revenue by adding an online auction with mobile bidding to your event’s fundraising strategy. This easy to use technology provides valuable opportunities to:

Increase awareness of your organization’s purpose
Raise more revenue

Consider these advantages:

1. Your online auction site provides an additional avenue for sharing your organization’s story.

2. Create excitement about your live event, promote awareness of your organization, and ultimately increase revenue when you begin your online auction 10 to 14 days prior to your live event.

3. Participation in your auction is not limited to event guests only. You can choose to open your auction to all of your supporters – who can invite family and friends…who can invite family and friends…who can invite family and friends…The potential bidding pool is unlimited! Your online auction provider should include social media “share” links on your auction site to make it easy for bidders to invite others to join the auction fun. Increased number of bidders = increased bidding = increased revenue.

4. Bidders can bid ANYTIME 24/7 and ANYWHERE from their computer, tablet, or smart phone.

5. Your auction item donors receive greater marketing value. Donors are more willing to give – and donate items of greater value – when they are offered the opportunity to reach out to a larger audience. Your online auction provider should include clickable links to the auction item donor websites. More auction items – and auction items of greater value – result in increased revenue.

6. Offer online auction sponsorships as an additional revenue source. Your online auction provider should include clickable links from your auction site to sponsor websites.

7. Your online auction can be easily integrated into your live event using mobile bidding.

a. Event guests can bid using their own smart phones.

b. Volunteers, equipped with tablets, can assist guests who may have forgotten their phones.

c. Guests can easily bid throughout the evening. Bidding is often more frequent because guests don’t have to waste time returning to auction tables to check on the status of their bids.

d. If a guest has to leave early, she can continue to bid.

e. Bidders who are not able to attend can continue to bid throughout the event.

In addition to integrating an online auction into your live event, consider adding mini online auctions on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly) as a follow up to your annual live auction. Just as newsletters, email, and social media posts are part of your donor outreach, regular online auctions are an excellent way to strengthen relationships with your supporters. These auctions don’t need to be big (scarcity promotes higher revenue). Plan a year’s worth of online auctions when organizing your live event. Be sure to tell your auction item donors aware because they just might donate more than one item: one for the event and another for a mini auction!

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