Traveling

Last week was a busy one.

On Thursday I headed out to the airport for my weekly trip Las Vegas. When I got back the next evening, I checked my favorite weather Apps, Saturday looked good for a ride. I bundled myself up and headed out early Saturday morning for my last ride out to central Oregon for 2020.

If felt good to get out and blast around on my old GPZ, but the weather was getting cooler and the fall winds were starting to blow harder across the flat plains the farther east I rode.

My two hour trip turned into an eight hours ride as I raced around on all my favorite roads, when I pulled into my driveway later that day I had knocked out 400 miles!

It was still dark at 5am on Sunday morning when the Uber driver pulled up to take me the airport. I was heading out for my four hour flight to Chicago to see my daughter for a couple days. We covered a lot ground together. Sightseeing, visiting the museum and just hanging out with each other. But before I knew it was Tuesday, and I had to head back to Portland.

It was a whirlwind week, but it was all worth it.

Everywhere

Remember the call I got two months ago? I said yes to a fundraising auction that was to take place in a local Portland taproom. I got the call when the original auctioneer had backed out because she did not like the group's final selection of venue.

Well, it turned out really well! It actually turned out better than any one of us could have imagined. We ended up raising nearly double the net proceeds that they had in years past. They were so pleased with the results that they rebooked us right away for their next year's event.

I'm sure glad we said yes. It was a great group and a fun auction to work and we're looking forward to doing it all again next year. It just goes to show that success can be found anywhere and everywhere, as long as you open your mind and eyes to the possibilities.

Thirty Years

Thirty years ago, I started my career in the auction business. It was the evening of May 20, 1988 in my hometown of Spokane. It's easy for me to remember because it was my 27th birthday.

I was helping out my future employer, Mitch and his buddy Stuart at a fundraising event. Before that; I had never even attended an auction, let alone worked at an auction! My job that night was to simply help spot anyone's hand that shot up in the air, then let out a "Yep!" loud enough for the auctioneer to hear. It was a lot harder than it looked. Now turn the clock ahead thirty years and I have been the auctioneer of over 400 fundraising auctions. Who would have ever imagined what that one evening would lead to? This unexpected and rewarding career is what came of that night and I feel so lucky to be a part of it after all these years.

Arizona Bound

Last week marked my first return to Arizona for collector car week in over a decade. I went to work for my old boss, Mitch Silver, to help him sell some of the six hundred plus cars he was offering over his four day auction. It had been thirteen years since I had last worked at the Silver Auctions annual collector car auction in Fountain Hills, Arizona. It sure felt good to be back amongst old friends and on familiar ground.

If you're not familiar with what auction week is in Arizona, it's basically when the whole of the Scottsdale area gets turned into a huge week of collector car auctions. There were seven different auction companies in Scottsdale this year offering over two thousand collector cars for sale! It started on Monday, January 16th and continued the entire week right through to Sunday, January 22nd.

Our days would start at 10am. Each day would go on for about ten hours. That's what it would take to run two hundred collector cars across the auction block. I worked with three other auctioneers each day. We worked in shifts, each selling ten to fifteen cars before rotating out. When we weren't on the auction block, we would work in the auction ring to spot bids and to assist the auctioneer who was onstage selling. By the end of the three days, my feet and legs were killing me. I must be getting old!

The collector car business is forever changing. Cars go in and out of favor, depending on market conditions. But as always; the best quality, most rare and uniquely interesting ones, never have a problem finding a new owner.

Everyone has an opinion of the health of the collector car market. From my perspective, it looks pretty darn healthy. It was really great to work with my old mentor, Mitch, and to see all of my old friends who have been some of my best supporters throughout my career as an auctioneer.

This impressive 1960 Chevrolet Bubble Top, sold for $50,000.

This nice 1934 Ford Roadster sold for $34,500.

Who doesn't love an E-Type Jaguar?

Happy Holidays

With Thanksgiving turkey in the rearview mirror, it's a quick countdown to Christmas only three weeks down the road.

Waterwatch wrapped up this year's fundraising with a bang. Thanks to Nina Johnson for sharing her photography skills. Next year is already looking to be a Happy New Year filled with fun fundraisers. Good to have our loyal repeat customers back and a warm welcome to new clients joining our team. We look forward to starting the 2017 fundraising season right with a new-to srdorsey auctioneering not-for-profit group. Revving up in February and gearing down in November, there is still lots of availability remaining in the first and last months of next year's auction calendar. If you have a specific date in mind, best to get on the stick!

A couple of notable upcoming events is auction week in Arizona, January 18 to 22. You will see a record number of cars consigned this week in 2017, with seven auctions competing for your business. Even I have been eyeing a few auctions I may head down to. There are some worthwhile cars to bid on. Of course, don't forget to check out the first motorcycle auction of the year too.  Mecum returns to Las Vegas January 27 to 29. I'm planning to make it down there for at least one of those days.

So happy holidays to you and your families. Thanks for a tremendous 2016! I wish you all the best in the new year and am excited to see what 2017 has in-store for us all.

Thanks for a Great Year!

This past weekend, the srdorsey auction team finished up another successful fundraising auction season. In 2016, I'm proud to say that we helped over 20 non-profit societies, public and private schools, and charitable foundations reach their fundraising goals! Overall giving was up this year; but the auctions that took place during the uncertainty of election week, may have suffered a bit of pull-back. Despite 2016's being an election year, each and every one of our returning clients saw an increase in what they had raised from the year before.

I'm very excited to welcome four new clients who will be joining the srdorsey auctioneering team in 2017! I'm really looking forward to 2017's turning into another great fundraising year too. Please also join me in welcoming Dave Colson to our team. You may have already seen him around on the ballroom floor. In the new year, he will be making regular appearances as ringman and lending his hand as auctioneer too.

Our 2017 event calendar is filling up fast! If you're looking to bringing us back again in the coming year or considering holding your very first fundraising auction; the srdorsey auctioneering team would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thanks everybody, for a great year!

Bigger Is Not Always Better

At the end of November, we will be finishing up our final fundraising auctions for the year. The last one on our roster is slated for the Soul River Foundation. Chad Brown is in charge of this not-for-profit aimed at helping inner city kids and veterans who suffer from PTSD. To learn more about the good work he is doing, you can check him out at www.soulriverrunsdeep.com.

This year has already been a big year for growth. All-told, eight new clients joined the srdorsey fundraising team. A couple were very large auctions with over 300 people in attendance and more than a $150K raised in one night! Though the majority came to us as grassroot groups starting up with their first fundraising auctions. Most had limited to no experience in organizing a fundraiser. So we were able to guide and coach them into holding their first auctions, which turned out to be better events than they had imagined possible.

On average, we managed to raise between $20,000 and $50,000 on auction night, which was enough to cover their expenses and provide much needed revenue for these kickstart non-profits. Our success didn't surprise me; but what did, was how difficult it was for these small groups with limited resources, to find an auctioneer who was willing to be paid less to work a smaller auction.

In my experience and opinion; it is even more crucial to hire a professional auctioneer for a smaller and newer auction, than it is for a well-established auction that has been running year upon year. Most auctions take at least three years to establish themselves. Usually in year one, we establish a baseline of funds raised. The next year, we improve a bit more by raising more than we did at the inaugural event. Then by the third year, the tendancy is for the amount of money raised to plateau. But not to worry; because by year three, we have typically tripled the amount we have raised from the first auction!

So whether you are considering your first ever auction or you need to spice up your tenth annual one, we are glad to help you out!

Chad Brown. Photo compliments of www.soulriverrunsdeep.com

The Magic Moment

We all know when we're having a great conversation, either in-person or on the phone - everything is flowing and you're both engaged. But sometimes, there is a point that is reached - a magic moment.  A moment when the conversation should naturally come to an end, but doesn't? It keeps dragging on and on... By this point, it has become a one-sided conversation. So imagine instead of having this one-on-one conversation with somebody, now you're having it with an audience of two to three hundred people who would like it to end too.

This scenario can turn your fundraising auction from a place of excitement and laughter to a place where you can hear the audible groaning and shuffling of chairs and the buzzing of text messaging in the audience. It can be one of the most expensive mistakes your organization can make. Why? Because you and your inexperienced auctioneer have let the moment pass. The audience is no longer engaged with the speaker or the cause. Your guests and patrons have literally heard enough.

We all suffer from shortened attention spans today. So it is crucial to make sure everyone who is speaking on stage be scripted, the auction portion of the evening included.

Cars Yeah: Podcast 345

This past summer, I recorded my first podcast. It was fun and a really good experience.

Basically it started as a connection that I had made through LinkedIn. I noticed a guy named Mark Greene, also from the Pacific Northwest. We had some contacts in common. They were mainly collectors of vintage cars and guys in the business. So I reached out to him. We emailed back and forth. Then he asked, "Would you be interested in joining me to do a podcast?" I wasn't sure what I had to offer compared to all the well-known car guys that he had interviewed and recorded in the past. I felt pretty honored to be invited to do that. I thought to myself, I'm just another car guy!

So we went through the process. Mark did his magic on the editing side. Then early this fall, my first ever podcast hit the internet. Check it out here for yourself at Cars Yeah:

http://carsyeah.com/ourportfolio/345-steve-dorsey/.

Graphic by carsyeah.com.

Fall Fundraising

Fall fundraising season is already right around the corner.

Even as kids are getting back into the classroom, fundraising season preparations have already been underway. This year, I have auctions booked from September that continue into December. Despite twenty-five years in the business, this is a first for me.

I have always felt that there were more advantages of having your auction in the fall, as opposed to waiting till spring to hold your traditional auction. One of the main advantages is that there is less competition with other non-profits who are trying to attract the same patrons. I also prefer fall auctions, as the fundraisers tend to have a more relaxed feel to them. It's a nice escape from the wind and rain outside, where you can enjoy warm conversation with some friends over a couple glasses of your favorite Oregon Pinot. All of that, while raising your bid card in support of a worthy cause.

Just as the days get shorter in the fall, so do the auctions. The trend of having only a few select items for auction followed by a special appeal is fast becoming the norm. While not technically the fall, I auctioneered at a late summer fundraising event. We auctioned off three items and then we did a special appeal. With just over a hundred people in attendance, the organization netted close to $40K. Not bad for a 30-minute gig.

See you next at the Big Green Benefit or the Governors' Gold Awards.

Planes and trains

My usual travel schedule is not as crazy as it used to be. But this week is chalking up for me to rack up a few more miles than usual. This week sort of looks like this... In the car headed out of Portland but still in Oregon, to meet and consult with some new clients. By the same afternoon, headed to the airport to catch a flight to California for an auction the next day that I'm doing for the first time. Back home that night so I can drive to an auction in Oregon the next day, then back to the airport that same night to return to California for a different auction! It's a good thing I like driving and don't mind flying. I've included a few shots I've taken from airplanes. So today's is more a photo blog than anything. A bit of a change but I hope you enjoy.

A Crazy Week

The week is gearing up to be a crazy one but I wanted to keep in touch. So I dug an old blog out of All Things Real Estate that helps to explain buyer's fees. I hope you'll take a look and get something out of it. See you back here soon. I have to go now; to plan and host a graduation, a big birthday and a wedding anniversary!

Strike the match

Too many organizations look at the paddle raise or special appeal as a separate item of the auction. I prefer to look at the paddle raise as the central part of the evening. Typically, no single auction item will ever sell for as much as you could raise through the appeal. Using your pre-committed dollars as a match creates an exciting and interactive way for donors, patrons and the auctioneer to grow the appeal by as little as 25% from the year before to a whopping 100%.

These kind of increases are entirely possible to obtain. With some good preplanning, this could be a reality at your next auction.  It's what I call the Magic of the Match.  What is more exciting than announcing to your audience that you have a $10,000 gift waiting in the wings? Maybe challenging everyone in the room to try matching it his own donation? I think most would agree that the second scenario is just a little or a lot more exciting. Instead of a simple ask, we have created a bit of excitement by whipping up a little bit of a competitive frenzy. There's nothing wrong in a little bit of friendly competition in a crowd that's working together towards a common goal.

While corporate and personal matches at the higher levels grab most of the headlines, it is the donors in the room who are giving at the $250, $100 and $50 dollar levels who we really want to engage in the matching process. Recently, at a smaller event, we used a $1,000 donation as a match at the $100 level and ended up raising another $3,000. We did the same with a $500 gift which brought in another $1,500 via 30 separate donors at $50 a piece.

Raise more of those bid cards high up in the air at your next auction!

Re-ignite the fire

Have you been watching as the attendance to your annual benefit drops year after year? Are you resorting to comping tickets just to put bums in chairs? Does anyone laugh at your MC's jokes anymore? Is the crowd tired of listening to the live auction drag on and on?

Maybe your event is suffering from BAS, the boring auction syndrome. Typically, the first call to action is to get rid of the MC and the auctioneer you've been using forever and replace them with professionals who have proven results. You will notice the difference immediately on the stage, in your event revenues, and even on your invoice from your auctioneer. As they say, "You get what you pay for." Someone who can turn your event around or grow your fundraising revenues year after year is worth his weight in gold. I've been on both ends of the stick and typically; if you've done your homework, you'll notice improvements in your event right away, whether big or small. Though if the core components of your benefit remain unchanged, so will your results. Auction prizes are typically the same at most fundraising events: art, wine, trips, special dinner and hotel packages or maybe even a one-on-one meeting with a B-list celebrity. While auction prizes make up some of the building blocks of your benefit, they are never going to be the components that bring your special event to that next level.

So how do you make the leap? While not a new concept, it's the people who make the event. Whether it's the tireless dynamos who sit on your fundraising board, or the generous patrons in the audience, or even the best audio-visual techs in town; it all comes down to the people. Brainstorming, event-planning, ticket-selling - every component it takes to put together a successful event, requires the person who best fits the job! Have you ever been successful at putting a square peg into a round hole? Shaking things up on your planning committee and on your stage may be just the changes your event needs. Heck, move the stage and change the venue while you're at it! This may be just what it takes to get your auction rocking again. Ask the members of your board, the loyal guests people who have been coming to your event year in and year out, maybe even some of your event volunteers. A cross-group brainstorming session may reveal the answer or answers you need to reconnect with your audience or to re-energize your planning committee. There is no end to the resources or ideas that can re-ignite your auction's fire. Give one or all of these ideas a try as you begin planning for your next benefit auction.

Reinvent and resize

In my last blog post, I talked about rethinking how to go about planning your next fundraising auction. One of the main points I covered was the size of the event. It really comes down to the ROI, return on investment. What if I told you that in the following year, you should only invite half the people AND double your ticket price? Your first thought would probably be an emphatic NO. I'll let you in on a not-so-secret secret. As with most other sales transactions, the 80/20 rule applies. This is true for most things in the world of business, auctions included. What is the 80/20 rule? Also known as the Pareto Principle, it is the rule of thumb that 80% of your output is determined by 20% of your input. For example, in business it works out that 20% of your customers represent 80% of your sales. Or in our case, 20% of your event's patrons are bidding for your auction items 80% of the time. That means, in a crowd of 300, there are really only 30 actual serious bidders!

Let's do the math: starting with 300 people, divide that by 2 because most people come as part of a couple, apply the Pareto Principle by calculating 20% of 150, you are then left with only 30 true bidders in the room. What if, instead of trying to accommodate a lukewarm crowd of 300 at $250 a head, you double the ticket price and halve the number of guests? That translates into $75,000 in ticket sales right off the bat! Plus your fundraiser is left with only your most committed of patrons. Isn't it likely that the guy/gal who already spent $1,000 to attend your fundraiser with his wife/her husband, be the same guy/gal who takes home the grand auction prize?

Do your own little study at your next fundraising event and then give me a call.

Size doesn't matter. Really

We live in a world where if it's bigger, it must be better.

In the fundraising world, that axiom is not always true. Sure, it's exciting to be in a room filled with hundreds of other well-dressed and like-minded people thrown together to raise money for a shared cause, while also being entertained by the theatrics of the auctioneer. But the reality of large fundraising events is that only a small portion of those in attendance are actually active participants in the live auction. In my experience, I would venture to guess that only about 20% of the room is doing 80% of the bidding and buying. Yes, it does seem that more people tend to join in on the bidding for a special appeal. Though often, that may be the single occasion of the evening when that specific bid card saw any action.

So my question to event planners out there is, "How much thought and effort do you put into the process of guest selection?" Like most not-for-profit organizations, do you simply send out invites to the masses hoping to fill the huge ballroom that you have rented for the night? Or do you pick and choose those patrons who have potential in their pocketbooks and the ones with proven buying power to contribute to your night's cause? What if you could cut the cost of producing your event in half and at the same time, double your audience participation? Wouldn't you be interested in knowing how? Stay tuned for some hints in my next blog. 

Being an auctioneer

I’m one of the lucky people out here in the working world who really enjoys what he's doing for a living.

Being an auctioneer is a unique profession. I have been lucky enough to make it my career for the past twenty plus years. I’ve been involved in auctioning everything from real estate, both wholesale and collector cars, as well as art and wine at fundraisers.

In each of these different scenarios of the auction, the same theme repeats itself. That similarity is competition. Finding value or just establishing something's worth is best done via the auction method.

Then why haven’t auctions become a more mainstream method for selling? There are a couple of reasons. First, I think there still lacks information and understanding about how this selling process works. For instance, if you scratch your nose or accidently raise your hand during the bidding process, you don't necessarily have to buy the item that's being auctioned. We’re looking at everyone in the room and to some degree, watching your non-verbal clues as to whether you’re truly a potential bidder. An auctioneer with experience will always ask whether you’re bidding or simply waving to your friend across the room. Secondly, an auction can be a intimidating for some. It puts most people, especially bidders, outside their comfort zone. You either have the resources to purchase what’s for sale or you don’t. When you bid, you may take a bit of ownership for the item up for sale. So being outbid can lead to some very intense stares between bidders around the room. All in good spirits, of course!

Factors are constantly changing. Nowadays, change happens frequently and quickly. Setting a defined date for an item to be sold, allowing only those qualified to participate in the buying process, and informing both buyers and sellers the terms and conditions of the sale - all of these factors combined level the playing field for all involved. So as more buyers and sellers look for more transparency in their business dealings; we will see auctions, becoming more often, the preferred method of conducting these types of transactions.

Estate sales

How would you like someone, anyone to take off your hands, a dearly departed family member's house filled to the rafters with stuff? In return, you've saved a ton of time and still end up with money in the bank.

A real estate auctioneer can do that for you.

Instead of you and your siblings having to coordinate a time to meet, in order to sort through an entire household of remnants from the past and take carloads of used clothing to goodwill. Then empty, clean, stage and list that old house in wait of the right buyer to make an offer acceptable to you. Why not hand that task over to a licensed broker slash auctioneer to liquidate your shared family home and its entire contents? Even that old car that hasn't been started for years, collecting dust in the garage, can be taken care of in one fell swoop.

I happen to be one of a very few professionally-trained auctioneers in Portland, who is also a licensed real estate broker in the state of Oregon. If an estate sale auction peaks your interest or sounds like it might work well for you and your family, ask away. I will try to answer any questions you might have or be able to point you in the right direction.

School fundraisers

School fundraising auctions are some of my favorites amongst the variety of events that I do. They give parents and teachers an opportunity to socialize outside of the school environment. You have a highly motivated captive audience. Everyone in attendance has a student who benefits from the proceeds of the evening. It's a winning combination.

With smaller budgets and fewer subsidies, more and more schools are required to do their own fundraising - from kindergarten to high school, private and public school. Academic institutions are raising money for sports fields and equipment, international exchange trips, scholarships. The list goes on.

I'm a part of the fundraising team at a local private school's annual gala. For the past few years, a table of desserts made with love by the school's teachers goes to auction after the dinner portion of the night. The parents get pretty competitive. Little Lisa wants to hear how her dad made the highest bid for everyone's favorite teacher's triple-layered chocolate cake. I've seen bids go as high as $1,000 for a homemade cake. This year, the dessert auction raised $7,500 for the school's foundation!

Something to think about as yet another school year comes to a close. Have a fun and safe summer out there.

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Auctioneers: There is a difference

Auctioneering is one of those jobs where it's not unusual for someone in the crowd to think, "How hard could it be to do that? It looks pretty easy. If that guy on stage can do it, why couldn't I?" If you have been part of an audience during a fundraising event, you can tell the difference between a professionally trained auctioneer with experience and someone who is just trying to wing it. There is nothing worse than to watch someone struggling on stage. It's like the feeling you get when you're at an amateur comedy show where nobody is laughing. It is painful to watch and can be incredibly embarrassing for the person on stage.

Once the audience's interest or the bidding momentum is lost, it's game over. What do you do then? Not much you can do, except to wait till next year to do it better.