Qualities of a Great Charity Auctioneer

Many people may ask what qualities they should look for in a good charity auctioneer. In my over 30 years of experience, I’ve identified a few key qualities you should look for when hiring a charity auctioneer for your benefit auction.

They Need to be an Educator

The benefit auctioneer needs to be very well versed about your organization, including understanding your mission and goals so that they're able to communicate that to the audience the night of the event. A great benefit auctioneer should do more than just sell items, they should be teaching your attendees about your organization and helping them believe in your story.

They Need to be a Salesman

The auctioneer needs to be able to encourage giving while having the skills to truly excite the audience and sell the product that they're trying to convert to dollars for your organization. Though they are more than just a salesman, these skills are critical to be able to connect with your audience and drive results for your business.

They Need to be a Wonderful Motivational Speaker

As a benefit auctioneer, the individual needs to be able to clearly articulate, educate, motivate the audience, to elicit the response the nonprofit is looking for, that is to have more money come out of someone's pockets to donate at the event. To do this, the auctioneer needs to be able to communicate in an impactful way with each individual attending your event while speaking to the group as a whole.

They Need to be a World-Class Entertainer

This element blends the motivational speaker, the salesman, and the educator together under one hat to create the ultimate experience for the guests. A great benefit auctioneer may sell 10 items to a room of 500, but by touching those 490 other guests, he or she will ensure that they have a good time and will create Goodwill for next year's event, 364 days later.