Silent auctions are among the most effective fundraising ideas that charitable institutions and other groups use to collect funds. However, the outcome of this helping hand activity heavily depends on the way it is organised. So, when planning to conduct a silent auction, make sure to have careful planning and comprehensive preparation. Aside from that, it is also best that you have a solid understanding of the following.

What Is a Silent Auction?

A silent auction is a type of auction conducted by allowing the bidders to submit their offers privately. This helping hand activity does not involve an auctioneer, and the buyers are allowed to make direct bids. Due to this setup, all the bidders don’t know each other. Also, the secrecy practised on the submission of the offers increases the chances of getting the higher price for the items offered.

How to Conduct a Silent Auction

Conducting a silent auction can be overwhelming, so consider the following steps when preparing for one.

Step 1: Set up an auction committee

Setting an auction committee is the first thing you should accomplish when planning to conduct a silent auction. By doing this, you will be able to create a team that will handle the essential aspects of this helping hand activity. This includes managing the tasks like venue setup, securing of items that will be auctioned, ticketing and marketing.

Step 2: Select the best venue

Selecting a good venue is an essential aspect of preparing for a silent auction. Doing this right will most likely boost the event’s chances of getting favourable results. When doing the selection, make sure to take into consideration a few crucial factors like the expected number of attendees, the availability of amenities that will be needed during the auction and more.

Step 3: Secure the items to sell

Secure all the items that you intend to sell at your event earlier. This will allow you to determine the quantity of goods that will be sold. Also, knowing the number of items that will be sold can help you develop a more effective strategy to sell them during the event.

In case there are a lot of items to sell, make sure to group these into packages. This ensures that the number of items that will be sold is not more than the number of bidders. The technique is also helpful in boosting the level of competition among bidders. Thus, your event will most likely earn higher bids.

Step 4: Pricing of items for auction

Have all the items up for auction properly priced. For best results, try to create a bid sheet for every item that will be auctioned. Make sure that the sheet includes the name and a brief description of the item, and the name of its donor. Don’t forget to include a few lines that the bidders could use to write their bids.

Step 5: Set up the registration process

Set up your helping hand event’s registration prior to its actual schedule. To do this, you can allow the attendees to register using some of the silent auction software, such as Silent Auction Pro, ClickBid, Xcira and more. You can also allow them to register a payment card to make the bidding process simpler.

Step 6: Set up the venue

Make sure to proceed to your helping hand event’s chosen venue earlier. The technique will allow you to check on the setup and implement the needed last-minute changes when needed. Also, coming in earlier gives you more time to fix some issues on the venue that might hinder the event’s success.

Step 7: Close the silent auction

Closing your silent auction well will help you establish a good reputation in the industry. Typically, you can spontaneously close the event. Doing so can encourage the bidders to keep on bidding for the items since they will not know when the auction will be closed.

Aside from that, you can also set a pre-planned end time to close your helping hand silent auction. To encourage the bidders to make more last-minute bids, make use of a countdown timer.

Why Conduct a Silent Auction

A silent auction is a must-have helping hand or charitable event for groups that want to raise funds. Many of them consider this as their preferred auction type because of the following.

• • • A silent auction allows the selling of more items.
    • A silent auction can increase the retention rate of a donor.
    • A silent auction makes some of the attendees become organisation supporters.
    • A silent auction helps in extending the organisation’s donor base.
    • A silent auction is proven to boost the event’s revenue.
    • A silent auction is a great way to entertain guests.

How to Increase Your Bids?

A silent auction is a good way to raise money. However, the revenue obtained from doing the event depends on the bids that the bidders are offering in exchange for getting the items offered for sale. That’s why you need to learn how to increase the bids during the auction by doing extensive research on how it’s done. You can also consider the following tips.

1. Identify the items that will excite the donor

Given that a silent auction derives its revenues from the proceeds of the items sold to the attendees, you should ensure that these would excite them. To accomplish this, study and know your audience. Look for ways to identify the items that appeal to them. By doing this, they will most likely place higher bids on every item that will be offered during the auction.

2. Make use of mobile bidding

The use of mobile bidding apps available out there is an effective way to increase your silent auction’s bids. These apps allow you to put the bidding on the hand of every donor. In addition, this makes participating in the auction more convenient for you and the donors.

3. Seek help from experts

Seeking help from experts has always been the most effective way to increase your auction’s bids and make the event successful. Many fundraisers consider this technique their most preferred option. This is because hiring reputable service providers, such as Helping Hand, allows you to sit back and relax. Once hired, they will handle all the procedures needed to make your silent auction a success.

Helping Hand Auction Services

For years, Helping Hand has helped hundreds of clients get the best out of their fund-raising activities. Our years of experience in handling this kind of event make us highly successful every time.

We provide our services at no cost to our clients! We offer auction items on a consignment-type basis, and we cover the costs through the sale of the auction items that we provide. We set up the items at your event, manage the auctions, as well as the payments, removal and shipping. That’s how we help. For more details, contact us today.

A growing number of nonprofit organisations are now adding online auctions to their fundraising strategies because of how effective they are at reaching their target audience. Now that everyone is adjusting to the new normal, looking for alternative ways to raise funds is necessary.

Typically, fundraising campaigns and initiatives provide nonprofit organisations with great help in raising money for their programs. But with so many aspects to consider, doing an in-person event can sometimes feel overwhelming. So, where do you start in hosting an online auction?

How do you organise an online auction?

#1 – Create a team

Handling everything by yourself is a considerable challenge. That’s why it’s best to create a team to help you with virtual auction execution. Having people to back you up can help you manage everything and designate particular tasks that you need to get done immediately.

#2 – Set realistic goals

Next, you need to determine your goals to help you stay focused throughout the project. You can start by establishing your budget, including the system or tools that you need. It’s also best to include the particular revenues you need to achieve and the engagement level so that you can plan the event effectively. A few of the goals you need to complete are getting new sponsors, promotions, stewarding your current sponsors and engagement.

#3 – Review your software

 

You wouldn’t want to have something go amiss during the live event. So, it’s best to check your system to get yourself familiarised with it. When looking for a software application for your event, it’s highly advisable to invest in a software application that you know will help you execute your plans. You might also want to take your time reviewing your toolkit to fill any of your knowledge gaps.

#4 – Create an item wish list

Any auction can only be as triumphant as the quality of your auction items. While there’s no surefire way of getting the best auction items your guests will want, it’s always helpful if you know where to start. One way to do it is by looking at your past auction event’s performance. Check your previous events and see what you did well and what you could have done better. Also, don’t be afraid to get creative when it comes to your auction items. They need to be interesting enough to draw attention to the event and encourage a bit of competition with everyone.

#5 – Create effective marketing strategies

You need to formulate effective marketing strategies for your plan to succeed. A few promotional techniques that you can consider include invitations, early registration promos and a couple of advertisements that can help you generate excitement from the crowd. Given that you’ll be holding online auctions, you should create compelling digital promos that encourage competition among the audience.

#6 – Create your online auction website

Once you’ve established your marketing strategies, it’s now time to set up your website for the fundraising campaign. You need to ensure that you can customise each page based on your event and the project’s mission. You can also put your donation appeal, auction catalogue and fixed-priced items, such as raffles and merchandise.

#7 – Plan the entire program

It’s best to create a virtual program that’ll complement the auction to capture your target market’s attention. The same with how you’d plan for a typical in-person party, you need to start planning a program that’ll give it the same vibes. You can begin with an introduction from your speakers, followed by an inspiration video. Then, start the live auctions for the first two items before having a break. You can then resume with the auction and end it with a special musical guest.

How do online auctions work in Australia?

Registration Process

When attending online auctions, you need to register first before you become a part of the event. That’s because online registration makes it easier for the organisers to track the items you’re bidding or selling. It also allows them to keep up with the bids and determine who’s winning. Additionally, online registration is an excellent way to build a database that contains both the bidder’s and the seller’s feedback.

When registering for an online auction in Australia, it’s highly advisable to set up a different online email account to your primary account to help you track the auction’s progress. Even more, setting up a separate email prevents you from getting spam messages into your primary account.

Winning bids

Every bid for the auction closes precisely at the time that the organisers scheduled it. If you’re planning to put up a few sales of multiple lots, then those with the highest bids at the end of each auction need to buy the item at the agreed price. Meanwhile, if no one bids above the set price or even meets it, the organisers will close the auction without any winner.

Once the virtual bids end, the buyer and the seller will communicate via email to make the payment arrangements. They can also discuss the delivery and other queries there.

How do you run a successful auction?

Get quality auction items

If you want to get your participants excited, it’s best to get auction items that capture their interests. The more quality items you’ll get, the more successful your fundraising project will be.

Captivating imagery

Another factor that you need to consider is the images and marketing copies that you’ll use for the event. Your marketing strategy will play a massive role in your event’s success. So, ensure that the images and copies will captivate your target market’s attention.

Use social media

You can use social media algorithms to know which content is best for your audience. Every platform has its unique idiosyncrasy. So, you need to understand what type of media will work well on each social media platform that you’ll use.

There’s no such thing as a can’t-miss formula when it comes to online auction marketing techniques. That’s why you need to find the one that’ll suit your project best.

If you need assistance with your live online auctions in Australia, send us a message at Helping Hand. We’ll be more than happy to lend a hand.