Consider these five tips for meeting via phone.

1. Use a free teleconference service

With free teleconference services available, why not use them?

Having the same number to dial into for each auction committee meeting adds professionalism and order to your planning.  And trust me, volunteers are more likely to stay involved in your auction planning if you emit a sense of professionalism and order!

Two services I like are No Cost Conference and Free Conference Call.   All your auction committee will dial the same number and — using an access code unique to you — be on the call with others.

Note:  These services are long-distance calls, but my experience is that this doesn’t stop others from participating.  I suspect callers either have unlimited calling plans or don’t pay for long-distance.

2. Send out a reminder

The day before your meeting (and maybe the morning of), send out a meeting reminder.  Include the phone number and access code.

3. Record the call

The beauty of using a teleconference service is that you can record the call for free.  After each meeting, email your entire committee the link to the recording.  Those who missed the call can get caught up to speed on their own time.

4. Establish courtesy rules

Teleconferences are more convenient than in-person meetings, but trickier to run. To avoid problems, establish some rules and announce them at the beginning of each call.

For example, participants might be at home washing dishes, stuck in traffic, or attending a child’s soccer game while dialing into the call.   Background noise can become an issue, so as the meeting begins, you might remind everyone to mute themselves out by pressing *7 (or whatever the directions are), unless they have a question.

Additionally, social norms about politeness are harder to sense on a teleconference.  I’ve been on calls of almost 20 people when three people started talking at once.  It wasn’t easy for the organizer to just “get louder” and take back control of the meeting!  On a phone call, you don’t have visual cues to tell you to “be quiet.”

If it seems workable, you might suggest that no one ask questions or make comments until a designated time.  “During Julie’s committee report,” you might say, “please hold off asking questions until she opens it up for discussion.”

Another option is to “go around the room” to seek input.  This is usually best for smaller committees. When Julie is finished with her report, she might say, ‘OK.  That’s it.  Any input / questions from you Ann?  No?  Ok.  Becky, any input / questions from you?  Nope?  Ok.  What about you, Helen?  Any input / questions from you?”  It’s tedious, but it gives everyone a chance to weigh in.

5. Stick to the agenda

Whether you meet in person or on the phone, use an agenda.  Make notations about how much time each committee chair or each subject will be given for discussion … and stick to it.  Blame it on the schedule.  “Jodi, perhaps in the interest of time,” you could say, “Could you meet with Deb and confirm the check-out process offline of this call?”

Remember, volunteers are much more likely to participate if they know you are valuing their time.

Got your own ideas?  Write them below.

The bike had been stored inside a trailer secured by chains in the organization’s parking lot.  When employees returned to the office after the weekend, they noticed it was gone.

Sad.

The bike sounds irreplaceable, but I hope at least they had some insurance.

From my event management days, here are some types of event-specific insurance you can consider as you plan your benefit auction.

Property Damage Insurance

Covers the damage or loss of the property of the policy owner.  For instance, if you have your auction set-up the night before and a thief slips in during the night and steals a registration laptop and some items, the typical Property Damage Insurance policy would cover those items.

Commercial General Liability (CGL) or Comprehensive General Liability

This is a basic business policy and covers major risks, including property damage and injury to people.  Usually higher-risk activities (serving alcohol comes to mind) require an additional policy or rider.

Fire Legal Liability

I once worked at a benefit auction where a centerpiece started to burn.  Thankfully, it was only starting to smoke when it was extinguished by the startled guests!  A fire legal liability insurance policy is for such instances.  Assume your auction volunteers accidentally bump a table and cause a can of sterno to ignite nearby curtains and burn down the venue.  This is the policy to have on hand.

Event Cancellation

If you are holding a benefit auction outdoors and fear bad weather might cause the cancellation of the event, this policy protects against unforeseen circumstances such as that.  It may also cover labor disputes or damage to the event facility or venue.  (Imagine if you’d scheduled to hold your benefit auction in the Opryland Hotel in Nashville in late May 2010.  The flood waters of May 3 would have prohibited you from holding the gala.)

I bought a pair of fierce shoes at Shoe Woo and got a marketing message AFTER I got home.

I bet you’ve got a great story about poor customer service.  (Don’t we all?)

But have you noticed how some companies are getting creative in making their customer’s feel extra-special, after they purchase the product?  It’s a step beyond service designed to leave a positive, lasting impression.

I want to share one tip with you that falls into this realm.

This is a clever corporate marketing technique that can be adapted to your charity auction to ensure your gala leaves a warm, lasting impression in the minds of your auction guests.

To set this up, here are two examples from my old stomping grounds of corporate marketing.

I bought a pair of shoes at Shoe Woo.  When I got a home and took the shoes out of the bag, a marketing message greeted me on the bottom of the bag:  “You’ve been WOOed!”

I didn’t expect that at the bottom of the bag.  It was clever, and I couldn’t help but smile.

While attending a sales-related conference, I heard Suzanne Falter-Barnes speak.  She told about a similar experience.  She had purchased a jacket from an outdoor apparel company.

The first time she wore the jacket, she put her hand inside the pocket and felt a small piece of paper.  She pulled it out, fully expecting the slip of paper to read, “INSPECTED BY 342576.”

Instead it said, “You are a goddess!”

Well shucks, a …a … a goddess. (Betcha like the sound of that! )

She didn’t expect it, and thought it was clever.

Key point #1: Both of these ideas were inexpensive.

Shoe Woo has to print bags anyway.  The outdoor apparel company has to package those coats for shipping anyway.  Adding a message to the bag, or slipping in a piece of paper in the pocket, are minor tasks.

But they leave a cool impression.

Key point #2:  It was a surprise.

Instead of giving guests your auction gift bag in a predictable way at the end of the night, what if the contents of that gift bag were delivered in a different way?

And this leads me to my charity auction point.

Although I am not a big fan of gift bags per se, I do understand why some groups have them.

As I think about my some of my recent charity auctions which gave gift bags to guests, each auction gala was held in a hotel which required guests to valet their vehicle.

• Guests at a Four Seasons gala received a gift bag with make-up and coupons.
• Guests at the Ritz Carlton gala received a farmer-type cap.
• Guests at the Intercontinental Hotel received a holiday tree ornament.

To carry this corporate marketing concept through to your charity auction gala, why not put the gift bag in the car?

The valet has the responsibility of leaving the gift bag in the car, one per vehicle.  That’s easy.

Although I’ve not seen this idea used at a benefit auction, I personally have been the recipient of the tactic.

A few years ago when I was still working in corporate marketing, I attended the opening of Fairmont’s Gold level in Washington, D.C.  At the end of the night, the valet brought me my car.

As I was driving away, I noticed the valet had left a lovely wine opener with a bow sitting in my cup holder.

I was so excited to get home!  I wanted to take a closer look.  The experience of the evening lingered with me beyond me leaving the party.

What can you do to ensure your charity auction lingers in your guest’s minds?

I refer to auction games, raffles, and activities as the “bells and whistles” of benefit auctions.  Some call them revenue generators, but that’s an understatement because they do more than make you money.

These are the fun add-ons designed to address specific problems, involve the crowd, trigger fun, attract press, and (yes) make you money.

This post addresses the “attract press” piece.

Many groups seem decent at securing post-gala publicity.  But its pre-event recognition which will help sell your tickets.

Here are two ideas to help you secure elusive pre-event publicity for your charity auction:

Consider Headwaters Foundation, a public school foundation about two hours south of D.C.  The Foundation is located in what has traditionally been one of the poorer counties of Virginia.  The Foundation provides support for the public school system by increasing community involvement in education.

Pitching two angles, a savvy Executive Director managed to score sought-after pre-event publicity in both her local paper and The Georgetowner.

The latter publication, as you might imagine from the name, caters to that trendy zip code in Washington, D.C.  Although I haven’t researched it, I sense it also has a more affluent readership than the local paper.

Think about it:  Of all of the thousands of charities in the D.C. area, The Georgetowner wrote a coveted 8.5″ story on a charity hosting an auction gala two hours south of Washington, D.C.

What gives?

I wasn’t on the call between the Executive Director and the reporter, so I can only glean information from the article.

In the third sentence, the Executive Director states, “We’ve hired Red Apple Auctions of Alexandria to help us with both the silent and live auctions, and they have some great new ideas that we are implementing.”

Did you catch it?

That single sentence had two tips to help you secure publicity.

1. First, she said she hired someone.  That ups the ante.

It’s like a baseball team announcing that they’ve hired a new coach.  You’re expecting something better.

So as you think about your nonprofit … who have you hired that brings with them an expectation of improvement?

Most organizations focus on announcing their band or some headline entertainment.  Although headline entertainment might help you sell tickets, you don’t have to go to that extreme.  This group succeeded in securing publicity even with a fairly straightforward dinner and auction.

2. Second, she talked “new ideas.” That’s change.

She’s saying, “Hey, we’re different.”  I don’t know if she shared the new ideas (auction bells and whistles) with the reporter.  If she did, they didn’t make it into the story.

Remember:  “new” = story

For instance, last fall, I spoke about using electronic bidding devices in your silent auction.  If you were one of the first groups in your area to use that technology, that’s a story.  You’d be using “the latest” technology.  It’s a new angle. The reporter could cover that as a technology story or a public interest story, as they did for this benefit auction in Colorado Springs.

When you use auction bells and whistles in your event, pitch that.

P.S. Headwaters enjoyed some solid post-auction publicity, too.

[Photo from Flickr by Dayland]

And what should you expect to see more of in 2011?

Trends in benefit auctions do exist, though it takes longer for some ideas to gain ground.  But having attended ~50 benefit auctions this year and consulted for dozens more, I’m noticing some ideas growing in popularity.  Some trends are related to raising money; others aren’t. So with that, let’s cover the top five benefit auction trends for 2011.

1. Cocktails

Whether selling cocktails or serving them, the concept is a hot commodity. Some groups opt to sell a signature drink tied to a raffle. Guests can buy a $20 drink and not only receive the specialty cocktail, but have a chance at winning a beautiful bracelet. Other organizations greet guests in the registration line with the specialty drink of the night. Some groups will sell mixology classes in the live or silent auction.

2. “Green” considerations

Environmentally conscious auction chairs incorporate green ideas in different ways, but it most often takes one of two forms. It tends to be either a centerpiece with live plants which can be planted and enjoyed at home later, or it’s the foregoing of printed invitations and auction catalogs in favor of digital versions. Less paper = more environmentally friendly.

3. Electronic bidding devices in silent auctions

For auction galas with bigger budgets, incorporating electronic bidding devices into the silent auction and appeal is drawing traction. Every company offering these types of systems is using a slightly different approach, but the similarity among all is that auction guests are given a device to use when bidding on items.   This eliminates the need for written bid sheets in the silent auction.

4. Edibles as gifts

With a nod to the economy, chunky gift bags filled with freebies is no longer the norm. But many benefit auction organizers are still handing out gifts; the ‘thank you’ item is just downsized.   The trend has been to give edible gifts, like cupcakes, chocolates, or even (at two benefit auctions) a bottle of champagne. Bon appétit!

5. Square tables

For a visual embellishment in the ballroom, square tables are intermingled with traditional circles. This trend doesn’t raise more money in the auction, but for gala chairs with a design-eye, it’s a refreshing break from tradition.

And lastly, what’s the one trend that has not caught on in benefit auctions, and I don’t exactly know why?

Facebook…

I’m beginning to think it’s an administrative issue.  A number of groups with whom I speak talk tell me that until their Board / attorney / school superintendent formulates a policy on Facebook and other social media, their school/nonprofit/foundation can’t do anything with those tools.

Darn it.  Maybe Facebook will hit the benefit auction trends to watch in 2012.

In the course of conversation, I talked about how a dip in the economy actually spurs some companies to new heights, and I cited one such example.

A few weeks later, the Executive Director used that example in his newsletter. Although it was a jolt to see my name in the first sentence on the cover of the letter, I was excited to see that SFLUM was directly addressing the issue with its supporters. He reminded them about the good work SFLUM was doing in the community, he talked about some immediate needs, and he set the tone that it’s time for everyone to band together to help each other. Kudos!

Are you wondering about what to do in these times? Or about that company I mentioned? Read on for some auction ideas related to mindset.

I talked about how many millionaires have been made in down economies. Our current recession is a natural cycle. Some businesses will fade away for failing to remain competitive, but others will thrive. I’d even suggest that this is a wonderful time for many people to birth their own businesses. Sometimes all we need is a kick in the pants (like a job layoff) to make us take the initiative to make the change we’ve been wanting to make for a long time.

I also mentioned a company that leaped to the top during the Great Depression. Harry and David, the mail-order company which makes those yummy gourmet gift baskets, was facing economic ruin when they could no longer export their Oregon-grown pears to Europe’s affluent market. In dire straits, they thought creatively. They realized that they could start shipping their product by mail.

In 1934, the brothers traveled to San Francisco and New York to pitch their product to industry leaders. They suggested that their pears would make the perfect business gift.

Their idea worked. Orders flooded the store and the pears found a new fan base all over the United States. Harry and David became a direct marketer of fruit and food gifts.  The mail-order catalog industry was born. (You can read their full story here)

Just as Harry and David sought out new customers, you might need to seek new donors. The traditional places you have farmed for donations and sponsorships might be less able to give. This might be the time for you to seek fertile ground elsewhere.

Keep reminding yourself that there is still money being made and there is still money being spent, but you might have to seek it in a different corner of your world. Here’s a statistic to keep in mind:  A May 27, 2010 report from the Chronicle of Philanthropy showed that giving dropped a bit in 2009, but it still amounted to over $595,000,000 being donated each day.  That’s some money you can tap into!

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Start procurement earlier than usual. You might get more “no’s” this year, and that’s OK. They have a right to say, “No.” But you also have a right to keep asking the next person, and the next…
• Throw a wider net. Reach out to more potential donors to ensure you procure enough of the right items
• Reach out to more people (call them to personally invite them) to keep your audience numbers up
• Be creative in thinking about what types of items you want to sell. Items that cannot be purchased elsewhere (e.g. lunch with a well-liked mayor; a day with the fireman, etc.) will always draw bidders, regardless of the economy
• Conduct an aggressive pre-auction marketing campaign for your items
• Stay mission focused. It’s important to remind your supporters about what you do
• Subscribe to Entrepreneur magazine (one of my favorites) and see which companies are growing. Target them!
• Maintain your upbeat, positive outlook.  Enthusiasm sells!  You’ll attract more donations for your benefit auction when you personally are convinced that a donor should give

Do YOU have any suggestions/tips in executing a successful auction? Let’s hear them!

A rose … er, an appeal by any other name is still an appeal

A prospective client called me a few days ago.  “We conduct a silent auction, a live auction, and a reverse auction,” she said.

A reverse auction?

I had to smile.  Perhaps more than any other activity during an auction fundraiser, cash appeals are called a variety of names.

Let’s describe it so we all understand the activity:  An appeal is a direct request of the audience, asking them to make a cash donation to fund the organization.

During an appeal, the crowd is – in effect – giving a group gift to the charity.  “Here’s our money,” the audience cries in unison to the organization, “Live long and prosper!”

So what are the names I hear for appeals?

I’ve heard at least 17 different names:

• Cash appeal / Appeal
• Paddle Raisers / Raise the Paddle
• Gift from the Heart
• Dutch Auction
• Mission Call / Mission Moment
• Fund in Need / Fund an Item / Fund a Program
• The Challenge
• Love Offering / Love Gift
• A Bid Down
• The Shakedown (a tongue-in-cheek reference, and my personal favorite)
• And now … The Reverse Auction

Which sounds good to you?  Perhaps regional differences play a role here.

Generally speaking, what you call an appeal isn’t a problem, unless you are calling it a different name all of the time.

Select a name, and stick with it.  You and your auction committee should always refer to it by that name so you, other committee members, and your guests do not become confused.

If you conduct an appeal, what do you call it?

In almost every charity silent auction my team conducts, we are spending time researching the items to find out details.  Critical information will be missing from descriptions.  Until that information is known to the guests, they won’t bid.

Here are some tips on what seem to be common omissions.

In any metropolitan area, guests need to know the suburb, town, or general location of the business.

Washington, D.C. commuters, like many California commuters, have some of the worst traffic congestion in the nation.  You better believe we want to know *where* something is located before we buy!

Nobody wants to buy a $40 gift card only to find out the business is a 50-minute commute.  I might be interested in buying that gift certificate for bird seed from The Wren’s Nest, but only if I know *where* The Wren’s Nest is located.  Is it within 20 minutes of my home or office?  Great!  If it’s located 60 minutes away, I might still be interested in buying, but I’ll give it as a gift to my sister-in-law, who lives in that area.

Guests need to know if delivery is included.

“Our daughter would love that playhouse,” your guest is thinking, “But my husband would never haul it to our house.” No worries – delivery is INCLUDED!

This is most commonly heard when the item being sold is large, like a piano, playhouse, or holiday tree. And between school auctions and non-profit gala auctions, I hear it more often at school silent auctions where these large, more awkward types of items are more frequently donated.

If delivery is included — or is available for a modest fee — be sure to mention that in the description. Delivery could be the make-it-or-break-it reason as to why a guest bids.

Guests must understand if the business service is coming to them, or if they are going to the business service.

I might be interested in signing up for a massage session, but only if that massage is available to me in my home, or within a 10-minute drive of my home or office.  Outside of that, I’m not bidding.

So if the description says, “Jen Smith is a certified massage therapist,” but fails to tell me if Jen Smith is providing these services to me in my home or at her studio, I won’t bid.

Some services are vague.  Like what about those services with the home designer?  Am I taking my pillow cushions to her at her retail outlet, or is she coming to me?

And what about the seamstress who is going to create my one-of-a-kind fitted suit?  Am I going to her, or is she coming to me?  If she’s are coming to me, I’m likely ready to bid a little more.

On the positive side, at least these guests were asking questions. Often guests won’t even bother to ask … they just won’t bid. This is why complete descriptions are important.

What about you? Any tips or techniques you’re willing to share?  Please comment in the section below.

Here are some advantages of wrapping a school or charity auction basket in clear plastic or cellophane.

1) prevents the contents from falling out. Sometimes items are dropped. Sometimes items get tipped over. Sometimes it happens.

2) prevents auction items from being swapped between baskets. Who’s to stop sneaky Sidra from slyly exchanging the $50 Shell gift card with a $50 Best Buy gift card from a nearby unwrapped basket?

3) prevents theft. If your silent auction is in a large hotel where hotel guests — or anyone — could meander by, theft can become a concern. It’s easy to pocket something small from a basket; it’s trickier to walk out with the entire auction basket. An example of a valuable and easily portable as well as concealable basket item is gift cards. In an unwrapped basket, gift cards would be very easy to swipe.

4) allows you to “freeze” the basket contents in place so the auction items don’t move. This has two sub-advantages. First, the items are more stable. They don’t move easily. Breakable items become less so.

Second, you can make the auction basket look more attractive. You can display it in such a way that it appears that there is more stuff in the container than there really is.

This is the same concept professional photographers use when they shoot the contents of, say, a fruit basket or popcorn bucket. The container is filled with filler, and the good stuff — the stuff you are interested in buying — is bursting from the top. It looks tempting. “Wow,” you think, “Mom will get all that for $50?! That looks impressive. I’ve just found her gift.”

5) keeps the contents clean. Some items are as squeezable as Charmin. I worked a school auction with a basket that had an adorable stuffed hippo with a squeezable nose. I admit it. I grabbed and squeezed this hippo’s adorable nose every single time I walked by. Keep germy hands from squeezing the plush toy or smearing a white t-shirt when you wrap the basket.

6) makes the basket more portable for pick-up and carry-out. In the rush of pick-up, you’ll appreciate the “grab-and-go” convenience of a shrink-wrapped auction item.

Incidentally, shrink-wrapping auction baskets or putting baskets into cellophane bags is usually an activity reserved for the decor committee overseeing the silent auction. The committee can organize a “basket making party” during which all volunteers can attend and complete the task. If the committee doesn’t have the capabilities for doing the wrapping themselves, some gift basket companies will donate their time to wrap and/or make bows to help the cause.

Image courtesy Cranberry Corners.

While on the train traveling back from New York to Washington, D.C., I read Amtrak’s magazine, Arrive. It had a feature covering the farm-to-table movement. Several restaurants known for their work in this area were mentioned.

What is the farm-to-table movement? In essence, it’s about sourcing ingredients locally.

Imagine the chef’s in your town all heading to the neighborhood farmer’s market and planning their menus for the day or week around the seasonal vegetables, fruits, and meats bought at the market. It’s fresh, often organic, and seasonal.

I recently dined at one of these restaurants and wanted to give you four fundraising auction ideas on how you can incorporate this hot farm-to-table trend into your own charity auction.

Seek a donation from a local restaurant promoting the concept.

In your auction marketing and subsequent write-ups, advertise the farm-to-table meal. Explain it — just as I’m doing for you right now. Your audience needs to understand it.

Some farmers are jumping on the trend and offering meals on their own farms. Check in with them.

Ask for a backstage farm tour and two seats at a place like this one in Illinois or this one in Colorado.

Contact one of the several companies who are in business to organize meals “on the farm” at various farms.

Try Outstanding in the Field (which travels around the USA), Dinners at the Farm (which focuses on Connecticut locations), or Plate and Pitchfork (which focuses on Portland, OR locations).

Can’t find anything locally? Create your own dinner for the charity auction!

Talk to a progressive, fun-loving farmer, or someone with a really big yard. Explain the concept. Show him pictures. Give her a vision.

Then ask your local “hostess with the most-est” to coordinate a dinner. Give her ideas. Show her Web links. Convince her this will be the biggest thing happening in your community of 1000 people since Old Farmer Gray’s barn exploded when those troubled kids accidentally blew up their meth lab. (I was raised in a small Kansas farming town and I have stories to tell…)

She could even contact local gardeners. They could each donate a dish made with their own backyard produce.  At your auction, sell tickets to the dinner for $30 each, or $50 each, or whatever price point makes sense for your community.

Depending on your auction, these donations could be sold in the silent auction or the live auction.

Mmmm good. I can taste that delish’ meal now. And folks – once you get those dinners together — remember it’s polite to invite your auctioneer.