How To Achieve Jaw-Dropping Live Auction Success
Want to know how to have jaw-dropping live auction success? Keep reading. This blog will show you how. We will explore how nonprofit Project Beacon Texas hiring professional charity auctioneer Louis Murad of Murad Auctions led to jaw-dropping live auction moments that exceeded expectations. “We exceeded our goals by a significant margin. Louis was a big part of that,” said Kevin Gerrity, president and co-founder of the organization.
Project Beacon Texas’ mission is to serve adults with Autism and other neurodiversities by building a residential community and offering vocational, social, and educational programs.
The success of an auction depends on strategy, execution, and professional guidance. A common mistake many nonprofits make is assuming that a volunteer or a charismatic person can successfully run an auction.
Kevin quickly discovered that while enthusiasm is essential, experience and technique are crucial in maximizing donations. This relatively new nonprofit decided to forgo the services of a professional auctioneer for its first live auction. “Our first auction, we had some volunteers do it. We thought about cost control and used some individuals with commercial backgrounds who were comfortable selling.”
The nonprofit hired Louis for its second and third auctions. “Every year, we increased our revenue, so it’s been on a nice trajectory,” Kevin said. “When you have a professional, you can clearly see the difference.”
Watch this blog in video format.
The Role of Professional Auctioneers
The following are the benefits of a professional auctioneer that led to Project Beacon Texas having a live auction that was filled with unforgettable, jaw-dropping moments:
Audience Engagement
The ability to maintain a steady rhythm ensures audience engagement. Kevin noticed immediately that Louis Murad was highly experienced with the cadence, approach, timing, and rhythm needed to start and keep the auction running smoothly. “One of the things Louis brings is cadence–the approach and the rhythm,” he said. “There’s a lot of technique that goes into it.”
Kelly Bowman, executive director and co-founder of Project Beacon Texas, agrees wholeheartedly. She said Louis’s energy level, dynamics, ability to motivate bidders, engagement of the audience, and the professionalism he brought to the table made him a great choice and the right one. “He was the right guy in the room with us for that event. His interaction with the audience was so good.”
Check out our video playlist to see Louis and other professional auctioneers in action.
Live Auction Success Strategies
Kevin and Kelly were impressed with Louis’ live auction strategies. During the pre-event planning meetings, he candidly shared his knowledge about which items should be placed in the silent auction, which should be in the live auction, and how many auction items to include. He also emphasized that it’s not just about selling items. It’s about knowing where they fit in the overall event strategy to ensure better financial outcomes. “He’s got real-world experience about what sells, what doesn’t, and what can be repeat sales.” said Kevin. “Getting in line with his guidance, makes it more impactful. It works. No doubt. It works.”
Louis is also an expert at getting top dollar for auction items. He uses his skills to engage the audience, keep bids going, create emotional connections, and weave the organization’s mission into the auction narrative. “Louis is great about maximizing the dollars from items in the live auction,” said Kevin.
Collaboration And Flexibility
Louis’ collaboration and flexibility as an auctioneer were evident when Project Beacon Texas presented him with a $5,000 live auction item to sell out of the blue. “The collaboration and flexibility to pull all that together with high energy was outstanding,” said Kevin.
Call-To-Action Expertise
During the event’s call-to-action, Louis used his skills to maximize donations, which led to several jaw-dropping moments, according to Kevin and Kelly. He inspired high-dollar spontaneous giving during this important part of the fundraiser. In the call-to-action, Kelly said Louis “knew the right tone and the seriousness of what we were trying to do, but still was able to motivate and compel the audience to get involved.”
Louis made a savvy move based on his knowledge about live auctions that exceeded Kevin and Kelly’s expectations and it was the event’s highlight. When he started the call-to-action at $50,000, Kevin said he and his team thought there was no way anyone would donate that much money.
But to their surprise, it worked and led to another jaw-dropping moment. “Having someone jump on the $50,000 donation was huge. It triggered a whole second wave of giving,” said Kevin.
“He motivated other givers in the audience who, I’m not sure had planned to do what they did during that call-to-action portion of the event. It was pretty incredible. I think we were all left with a jaw-drop kind of moment,” Kelly said.
Other Benefits Of Hiring Professionals To Manage Fundraisers
Project Beacon Texas also benefited from several other services that Murad Auctions provides to help nonprofits achieve fundraiser success. “The software, all the bid spotters, and all the other services Murad Auctions offers are absolutely of high value,” said Kelly
The complete list of services includes:
- Live Auction Services
- Auction And Event Services
- Silent Auction Services
- No-Risk Live Auction Packages For Fundraisers
- Virtual Auction Services
The Return on Investment For Hiring a Professional Auctioneer
Hiring an auctioneer is an investment that pays off through increased revenue. As this blog revealed, Project Beacon Texas experienced the benefits and significantly improved its auction success by switching from volunteer-led auctions to a professional charity auctioneer. “You will have a return on investment when you have professionals in the room,” said Kelly.
If you need assistance or have questions about planning a successful live auction, contact Murad Auctions or schedule a free consultation.