Benefit Auctioneer Qualities – #1 Speaker

If you are looking for an auctioneer to sell at your next benefit auction, you have probably been in attendance at a fundraising auction before. We can probably all imagine the unfortunate Cub Scout parent or soccer team mom thrown out on stage to auction off a cake at the next bake sale. They do their best, of course, and they cannot be blamed for the result. Hopefully, you can all picture another bake sale with a professional auctioneer. What makes the difference? One of the most essential qualities is that he is a smooth speaker.

Whether he admits it or not, an auctioneer is a performer. He must love to speak to an audience. This characteristic is pretty rare in itself. Most statistics list the fear of public speaking as the number one fear, even over the fear of death! A confident charity auctioneer can work “on the fly”, feeling out his audience, and adjusting his techniques to fit the occasion. He takes control of the crowd and directs the proceedings with ease. Some organizations even use the auctioneer as the master of ceremonies. Why not? He is a natural at the job anyway and many charity volunteers are not. The product of a great benefit auctioneer is a happy, excited crowd and you cannot get unless he is a dynamic speaker. (more…)