Benefit Auction Ideas: Four Strategies For Working With A Loud Crowd
When I visit with some organizations about their auction
, they insist that their event is unusually loud. "Our crowd likes to party," one will say, or "We can't ever get them to pay attention." Truth is, I've yet to see an auction which really is louder than I imagined.
Let's be honest: Your attendees view the fundraising auction as a party.
It's a celebratory event ... a chance to honor volunteers ... a roast to tease a community leader ... a chance to see friends ... and -- by the way -- an auction. It's no surprise they are loud. Your guests want to have fun, and I want them to have fun, too. The key point is to plan for it.
1. Invest in the proper sound system.
If we assume that 10% - 20% of the crowd are bidding in the live auction, it means the other 80% - 90% of the audience are chatting with friends. The sound system needs to cut over the din of the audience and allow the auctioneer to be heard with clarity and distinction. Guests won't bid or follow directions if they can't hear.
2. A dynamic auctioneer
If you want to have a prayer at keeping your audience's attention, put someone on stage who has some personality. Benefit auctioneers should not simply be "calling the numbers," but must have good rapport with the crowd.
If the auctioneer has poor rapport, the crowd will get louder and louder as they talk to their neighbor and try to be heard over the sound system. As a charity auctioneer, I don't mind if the guests are chatting while I'm on stage selling. Personally, I know that if I have a good sound system, I can engage the bidders who want to be bid.
3. Stick to the timeline
Guests will be less likely to pay attention when the schedule spirals out of control. They'll start talking to their friends, "What time do you have?" they'll ask, "Weren't we supposed to be eating by now?" Stay on task. When it's time to start the program, start the program. If the Board Chair has 3 minutes to speak, ensure he really only speaks for three minutes. Keep the program moving on time.
4. Change the layout; change the experience
The loudest auctions I conduct are when guests are seated around a table. The quietest auctions are those in which the guests are seated theatre-style. If your auction committee is concerned about the noise level, consider moving guests into a theater-style seating arrangement. This lowers the sound level because guests cannot as easily talk.
Copyright (c) 2009 Red Apple Auctions LLC
by: Sherry Truhlar
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