If you’re planning a big auction, whether it’s for an estate sale or for a charity event, you stand to gain a lot by working with a professional auction service in Maryland. Sure, you could have a friend act as the auctioneer for the event, but the benefits of spending the money to bring in a team of professionals far outweigh that modest investment.
Here are just a few reasons to work with professional auction services for your next auction:
- Identify and achieve your goals: An auction service will work with you to identify your fundraising goals for the event and plan a strategy to help keep the donors and audience engaged and maintain high energy in the room.
- Experience: Professional auction services have run numerous auctions, which you likely cannot say about the friend or family member who you’d ask to handle the task for you. A whole lot of planning, time, money and energy go into running a fundraiser or auction, and even in a well-planned event, something’s bound to go wrong. Professional auction services have seen just about everything there is to see in the field and are capable of responding quickly and gracefully to these unexpected snafus, while also being able to plan for just about any occurrence ahead of time.
- Strong presentation: Professional auctioneers and auction services will elevate the overall presentation and professionalism of your event, providing your donors with a stronger overall experience. They understand how to engage with people and use the right balance of humor, humility, information and persuasion. This extra professionalism and better guest experience can result in significantly more revenue than you might have otherwise earned at the event.
- Professional relationships: Chances are, you don’t only need an auctioneer and auction planner for your event. You might need a good audio/visual vendor, an ideal venue, a videographer or photographer or other event support staff. Auction services have worked with numerous vendors and are able to provide you with some recommendations that fit the “feel” of your event, as well as your budget.
- Focus on your mission: Your professional auction service will help you to better emphasize your mission as an organization, using language and talking points specifically designed by you to appeal to your donors. During your pre-auction planning sessions, you’ll have plenty of time to sit down with the auction team to discuss your organization, your goals, your mission and your brand identity. All of this will help the auction service create a better experience on the day of the auction itself.
- More cash: When donors have more fun and a better overall experience, they’re much more likely to give and bid more at an auction. This is perhaps the biggest reason why working with a professional auction service can be a crucial investment for your event.
If you’re planning an auction for your estate, business or charity, we encourage you to contact Jane Campbell-Chambliss & Associates, LLC to learn more about our professional auction services in Maryland. We look forward to helping you!