Why hire a professional for the fundraising (it’s so much cheaper to do it on our own)!?
Hey – valid question. What a lot of people don’t realize is that auctioneers need to be licensed in many states – like Georgia, North Carolina and Alabama. There are legalities around selling items, even for charity, and you need to be covered. Make sure you know the rules for your state.
What’s even more important for your nonprofit, though, is that a professional auctioneer can maximize the revenue you generate at your event. After all, why put in all the time and effort of hosting a gala NOT to generate the most money you possibly can to support your mission?
And if you ARE hiring a professional, check out Chapter 7 of Dean’s book to learn how to hire a benefit auctioneer for your event. You’ll want to know some important details like…
- How much experience do they have being a profit consultant?
- How much funds have they helped raise?
- Who else have they worked with (and were their clients happy)?
An auctioneer can boost the price of your auction items and (hopefully) keep your audience entertained, but are they holistically looking at your whole event and identifying ways to increase funds and revenue?
It’s the favorite part of what Dean does!. As a Profit Consultant he looks for all areas and opportunities to cover your event costs, increase the amount people give and new ways to create more revenue even before or after the event is over. Then, at your event, he auction-tains your donors from stage to open their wallets and give generously!
To take it one step further, there is also a difference between a regular auctioneer and a benefit auctioneer! A benefit auctioneer is your partner all year long to consult on fundraising and make you the biggest raise from your event possible. It’s not about sales volume on the night of the event – it’s about building trust with your audience. The goal of your event isn’t just engagement the night of – it’s about building ongoing interest in your nonprofit. You want to find someone who is more than a ‘gun for hire’ – someone who specializes in auctions.
