On behalf of the Royal Melbourne Hospital Neuroscience Foundation I do want to thankyou for your considerable efforts at the dinner last, Friday night. As you certainly would realise the auction was an extraordinary success and this was largely due to your efforts
Professor Andrew Kaye
Royal Melbourne Hospital
I have had many phone calls and letters following the event from our guests stating they have never been to such an event where they were part of a worldwide auction bid. Everyone felt involved both on the floor and overseas.
Robyn Hollands
Fmr Director of D'ment, MSO now Director RICH Communications
Tips for Virtual Auctioneers
Friday, 3 April 2020
Having watched a number of online auctions over the past weeks, here are some tips that may help you with greater engagement at your virtual or online auctions.
- Contact registered bidders the day prior to introduce yourself and explain the process. If you are doing multiple lot auctions, contact your key buyers.
- Make contact with the registered bidders just prior to the start of the auction to tell them what you are going to do. Provide any last minute instructions and any stipulations regarding the process.
- Make sure you are not too far away from the camera. It should be at a comfortable height. Not too high or too low. Ideally, the auctioneer should only be seen from about the naval up. If you can’t keep count get an electronic bid recorder.
- Make sure you can see all your bidders and converse with them by name. If they turn their video off explain to them they can’t bid. If the system doesn’t have video facility, make sure someone is conversing with the bidders.
- Review and trim your delivery content and make sure the introduction is not too long. You must do what is required by law. You are in control but make sure you engage.
- Don’t read it, deliver it! If you can’t memorise it, get a teleprompter. Maintain good eye content with the barrel of the camera.
- Slow down, give bidders time within reason.
- Some patter of numbers is ok but don’t shout or waffle. Make sure what you say between bids, adds value and maintains the urgency.
- Keep confirming that the connections are ok. Some bidders’ systems maybe faster than others.
- Don’t rush the close. ie Knock Down or Passin. For real estate auctions, I suggest the 5 Point Close.
- Don’t assume. For most auctioneers this is a new process and for most bidders they will never have done this before. Make sure you pre-empt any of your actions first.
- Pray – that the connection holds and system doesn’t go down.
I hope this helps, please leave a comment or for further information go to www.defegely.com. Happy calling and good luck!
