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How Important Is the Fundraising Auctioneer to the Success of Your Event?

I want you to think about the term “Fundraising Auction”.

A “Fundraising Auction” is an event where items of value are gathered, and then sold in a competitive bidding situation, either in a Silent Auction format, or in a Live Auction format by a Live Auctioneer. And since typically the best items are saved for the Live Auction, arguably it is the Live Auction that should generate a significant portion of the proceeds in any Fundraising Auction.

So why do so many non-profit groups consider the Fundraising Auctioneer to be the least valuable component in a Fundraising Auction?

The Hosting Facility gets paid.
The Printer gets paid.
The Caterer gets paid.
The Liquor Store gets paid.
The DJ gets paid.
The Florist gets paid.
But the Auctioneer … the individual who is expected to raise the lion’s share of the event’s proceeds… is expected to work for Free. And is usually under-appreciated for the professional services he/she provides.

I’m not trying to underscore the value of the invitations & programs, food, booze, music, and decorations. All are important in their own way. But each of these are “Expenses”. It is the Auctioneer who is going to bring “Revenue”… and thus, the “Profits”… into any event. Which is the ultimate objective of any Fundraising Auction.

Here is a real-life example of how under-appreciated the Auctioneer can be. In two comparable events we worked last year, during the dinner portion of the event one non-profit group sat the Auctioneer (me) at a table with the DJ, the Interns, the Volunteer Staff, and other event “Help”. The 2nd non-profit group sat the Auctioneer (me) directly next to the CEO of their organization, where we chatted about how important the pending revenue would be to their organization. Which group do you think valued the services of the Fundraising Auctioneer more?

Don’t ever under-estimate the value that a professional Fundraising Auctioneer can bring to your event. The Auctioneer adds value as a pre-event consultant. And the Auctioneer can change an event from a moderate to a huge success.

A Case Study Once I was scheduled to call an Auction for a major local non-profit group. They represented a very good cause and they had a strong and dedicated following. Their event was sold out, quality Live & Silent Auction items had been solicited, and the Special Pledge Appeal had been choreographed and was ready to go. The facility was first class, the appropriate caterer was booked, and the food was ready to cook.

But quite unexpectedly, some unseasonably inclement weather forced the event’s cancellation. Despite all of the committee’s hard work, cancelling the event was the proper decision considering the circumstances.

So the Event Committee scrambled to re-schedule the event for the following weekend.

They confirmed with the Hosting Facility.
They confirmed with the Caterer.
They confirmed with the Liquor Store.
They confirmed with the DJ.
They confirmed with the Florist.
Since they already had the Mailing List of those scheduled to attend, no new invitations had to be printed as all were contacted by email or telephone. So with everything in place, the group went ahead and re-scheduled the event for the following weekend.

But guess who they failed to confirm? You got it… the Professional Auctioneer. They thought so little of the Auctioneer’s contribution that they “assumed” that the Auctioneer would be available and at their beck and call.

But the Auctioneer already had another Fundraising Auction booked for that date with another non-profit group. It was only hour away from the re-scheduled event, and things could have been easily worked out. All Group #1 had to do was start their event one hour earlier, or one hour later, than the Group #2, and the Auctioneer could have helped both groups on the same day.

But because Group #1 failed to anticipate a possible Auctioneer conflict, because they failed to confirm with the Auctioneer before re-scheduling their event, their preferred Auctioneer had to bow out and they had to scramble to locate substitute “Volunteer” Auctioneer only days before their event.

And it cost them.

Learning Points

The Live Auction is usually where the profits are made at any Fundraising Auction.
A Professional Fundraising Auctioneer can be vital to the success of any Fundraising Auction.
The better Fundraising Auctioneers usually get booked quickly.
You need to recognize the important contributions that a good Auctioneer can make to your event.
Michael Ivankovich is a Bucks County Fundraising Auctioneer based in Doylestown PA, and serves the Great Philadelphia PA area. He has been a professionally licensed and bonded Auctioneer in Pennsylvania for nearly 20 years, has been named Pennsylvania’s Auctioneer of the Year, and has considerable experience in conducting Fundraising Auctions. Michael loves helping groups raise needed funds for good causes and one of his specialties is the “Special Pledge Appeal” or “Fund-A-Cause Appeal” which usually enables clients to double their revenue in a single evening.

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Differences in the Types of Auctions That Take Place Around the World

Auctions are those events where properties or goods are sold to the highest bidder. Auctions are mostly public events, where bidders make a series of bids and purchase a particular item for a high price. During auctions, bidders decide the price of an item rather than the seller. It depends on bidders to decide the amount they would want to pay for a specific item. During an auction, a bid is a proof of a legal binding. Bidders agree to pay the amount that they have bid. In a high profile auction, bidders may have to pay a deposit in escrow accounts or give a proof that they can pay for those items.

Types of Auctions:

Different types of auctions take place around the world. Below mentioned are some types of auctions:

1. English auction:
This is a basic type of auction. In this type, people can see the item and then start bidding. Bidders slowly raise the value of their bid until everyone gives up. The highest bidder is the winner. An auctioneer manages an auction, keeps records of the on going bid and decides the winner. Sometimes, the seller will quote a minimum amount for an item to the auctioneer, below which the auctioneer cannot sell that item.

2. Dutch auction:
In this type, the auctioneer sets a particular price and then gradually lowers the price. People in public will start bidding and later decide which prices are suitable for the item. A seller may use this type of auction to sell large quantities of same products to the public. For instance, a seller may want to sell a large amount of hay and will thus, decide to sell this hay to people for the same amount, once a reasonable price is decided.

3. Silent auction:
In this type, the bidders in public will present their bids in a sealed format. These sealed bids open at the same time and bidder with the highest bid wins. There could be a modification in this type of auction. The bidders are allotted a specific period to bid. They can roam in a room displaying the items, and write their bids on an associated sheet of paper. The bidders are allowed to see bids of other bidders and can choose a higher price for an item. At the end of the allotted time, bidder with the highest bid is the winner.

Examples of Auctions:

Auctions can be of two types either public or private. Sellers may trade any kind of items in both types of auctions. Some areas where auctions take place are:

1. Antique auction: An antique auction consists of a trade opportunity as well as provides entertainment.

2. Collectable auction: In a collectable auction, the seller may put up collectables like coins, vintage cars, luxury, stamps, real estate, and luxury for sale.

3. Wine auction: In wine auction, bidders can bid for rare wine, which may not be available in retail wine shops.

4. Horse auction: Bidders can bid for young horses of the best breed.

5. Livestock auction: In livestock auction, bidders can buy pigs, sheep, cattle, and other livestock.

The other examples of auctions may not be public. These auctions are for bidders from corporate levels. Some examples of private auctions are:

1. Timber auction
2. Spectrum auction
3. Electricity auction
4. Debit auction
5. Environmental auction
6. Auto auction
7. Electronic market auction
8. Sales of business auction

Bidders in an auction need to examine the items displayed and decide an appropriate price for an item. Thus, auctions help buyers in getting the best deals and in gaining better profits for sellers.

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MLM Home Based Business – Why There’s No Better Time Frame Than Today To Jump In

With the current economic crisis opting the long path to recovery, quite a few folks are considering an MLM home based business to restore a lost source of income, or supplement their current pay check. And yet, if you’re smart, now is the time to explore an MLM home based business to create a fortune, not just make a few extra bucks.

Now don’t get me wrong, the network marketing industry didn’t go unscathed during this financial crisis. Nonetheless, if you stumble upon the ideal MLM home based business program, you are going to be perched on a gold mine. I mean let’s be honest, folks are eager to better their financial situation. Today, folks are going to be open to opportunities, as long as it is a good fit for them. Hence, let’s go over what is an MLM home based business and in what ways do you cash in on possible opportunities.

MLM, which is short for multi-level marketing, is also commonly known as network marketing. The appeal of an MLM home based business is really quite simple. No other business model empowers an ordinary person to create wealth and prosperity like network marketing. This is true despite age, race, technical background or business knowledge (more on that and a few caveats in a bit).

The reason an MLM home based business can be huge for anyone is because companies that employ this distribution model trade marketing dollars in exchange of your word of mouth advertising. In other words, instead of having to pay huge amounts of money every year to the advertising industry, they count on their customers to spread the word instead. And trust me. I built a great little advertising career during the last 10 years. I’ve worked with clients who invest well over $100 million per year on advertising. Hence, these network marketing companies are saving some pretty good coin.

So what do network marketing companies do with those savings? They pass them on to you, the customer-turned-business-associate. When you refer customers to your MLM home based business, you get paid commissions and bonuses for helping the company market and distribute its product. In essence, you are part of their marketing arm. The more customers and company associates you recruit, the larger your commissions, the greater your bonuses and incentives, and the bigger your paycheck.

What really makes an MLM home based business worth a strong look

Nonetheless the real appeal of an MLM home based business can be defined in two words: residual income. This is also known as passive income or leveraged income. Basically, what this means is that as you recruit individuals into your MLM home based business, you eventually begin to earn income from their efforts. In time, your revenue will be completely independent of your own personal efforts. This is the allure of the business opportunity. The ability for absolutely anyone to create a considerable walk-away residual income and retire rich in quite a short period of time.

Of course, if it sounds too good to be true, then it must be, right? Well, not really the situation here. And yet, 97% of network marketers fall short with their MLM home based business. Though not because the network marketing industry is a sham. Rather, this is because the MLM industry promotes a marketing and prospecting model that did the trick well in the 1970′s and 1990′s, but is not relevant in the internet age. Allow me to explain.

The secret to MLM home based business success

Rewards in any MLM home based business is without question a direct result of a specific thing, and one thing only: your skill to brand and market yourself as a leader. Now, a few of you are thinking “I’m no leadership material.” But you would be inaccurate in that evaluation. Becoming a leader is easier than you think and you don’t have to be an extraordinary speaker, or a business expert to accomplish that status. Not in the modern day of the internet. The thing you do need is a solid wish to become familiar with a few simple tools and skills, plus a strong resolve to take significant action.

The internet now enables anyone to learn how to market their MLM home based business the correct way. Gone are the days of needing to chase close friends and family simply to plead with them to view your sales presentation. Gone are the days of walking around the malls to hand out brochures.

Today, you can leverage any number of incredibly effective, cheap–if not free–internet marketing tools to promote your business. Generating countless prospects each week is dead simple if you have even a small budget for advertisements. And if cash is tight, you can still produce tons of free targeted leads for your MLM home based business using free tools and strategies. It will just take longer. Definitely not for that lazy or make money fast opportunity seeker.

One important thing that has not changed in the MLM home based business environment is the incredible importance of aligning yourself with a capable counselor. The internet is beginning to change lives literally overnight for people who aren’t shy and dive in. But it’s just like a sea, never still and always churning and changing. If you do not recognize how to interpret the scientifically and time-tested formula that helps average people make six-and-seven-figure incomes overnight, you will end up lost at sea. This is truly critical.

If you would like to generate extra money or just flat out get filthy rich, do what I did. Find an MLM home based business opportunity which has a one-of-a-kind and high-demand product. For me, it was gold and silver. Not a bad idea in this dreadful economic climate.

Keep away from products that could possibly be considered a luxury. Nothing against the fantastic health beverages and super-vitamin MLM home based businesses in the industry, but you are going to have trouble marketing $40 fruit juice nowadays. Stick to goods and services that folks need to have and already use, and you’ll probably experience an easier time of it.

What to do when you find the right MLM home based business opportunity

Once you have selected a really good MLM home based business opportunity, meet with folks in that company who understand how to market via the internet. Traditional marketing is still valid and effective, however, your rewards ratio drastically improves when you can find out how to market on the internet. Learn all you can regarding attraction marketing as explained by Mike Dillard in Magnetic Sponsoring. Assess if this is a path you are comfortable with and be aware that you have the innate power to obtain anything you set out to do. Then get busy. Real busy.

Make use of your mentor. Ask him for a blueprint. He or she should have one if they understand what they are doing. They will give you the insider tips and instruments of the business. They will teach you how to use them. And when you stay disciplined, you simply will not fall short. Half a year ago, I did not know the very first thing on how to rank well on the very first page of Google. I can do it with my eyes closed today thanks to the golden nuggets handed down by my mentors. I generate 85% of my personal leads completely for free. And I Also generate money from my principal MLM home based business in addition to 12 other streams of affiliate income. So in case I have not been clear, allow me to stress yet again: the time has come to get involved with the right MLM home based business–believe me. Decide today that you will make the investment in time to learn some new skills and you will succeed.

After almost a decade working as an accomplished advertising professional, Camilo Machado became fascinated with internet marketing and attraction marketing. He now works from home and enjoys coaching others how to leverage technology to build thriving home-based businesses online.

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