The Professional Ringman’s objective is 3 fold:
Prior to the
Auction: Ringmen help “warm up” the
audience; answering questions and making sure everyone is comfortable with the
auction process; they do this with initiative, a genuine caring and a keen
sense of humor… a perfect balance.
During the
Auction: Ringmen become an
extra set of eyes and ears for the auctioneer during the live auction process.
Their communication link with the Auctioneer is solid and trusted. They are the
auctioneer’s “Right Hand”. Ringmen bring an energy to the room
that promotes excitement and fun; this increases the number of bids and ensures
everyone is having a great time at your event. A good Ringmen never pressures
your guests. They play a key role in bid spotting; are trained to spot bids in
a split second and react immediately. That trained split second reaction is
just one of the keys to a successful event. No missed bids, high energy. Sounds
simple and looks simple, but it really isn’t. But it is fun and exciting.
Post Auction: There is nothing quite like a
congratulatory handshake and a pat on the back for a job well done. The
Ringmen provide the subtle reassurance to every winning bidder they
significantly helped the cause. The Ringmen will also extend a sincere thank
you to the runner up bidder for their help along the way. This is really no
small matter; it is genuine, gracious and complimentary…. and this is huge.
Most Common
Objection:
“Ringmen will cost us too much money, besides we have volunteers for bid
spotters, we don’t need to spend the extra money.
Be careful where
you decide to “save money”, hiring a Ringmen or two is without question one of
the best investments you can make to increase your fundraising net profit. Just
1 additional bid at the $500.00 bid level will more than pay for the cost of a
Ringmen and you can realistically expect a 10% to 15% or more return on
your Ringmen investment.
Not using quality Ringmen during a live auction will probably cost you
money; trouble is you will never know how much…
The direct
involvement of a Ringmen can double, even triple a stalled low bid. I’ve seen
it and done it myself many times. It is something a volunteer just doesn’t know
how to do and that costs you money. Ringmen are trained to react very quickly,
literally in tenths of seconds. It is that difference in timing that will
increase your bottom line and they rarely ever miss a timely bid.
In addition,
hiring Ringmen frees your volunteers to attend to other important
responsibilities like helping to arrange and organize items for check out.
Anything that can be done to increase the efficiency at check out and decrease
the time your guests stand in line is always a big plus.
“How can I be
assured the Ringmen will be polite and courteous with our guests?”
Excellent
question, your Auctioneer will be your guiding resource on this. The Ringmen is
a direct reflection of the Auctioneer. Simply put, good solid Auctioneers do
not recommend bad Ringmen. Go with your Auctioneers direction and reputation.
Your Auctioneer knows your specific needs and they know the importance and
value of quality Ringmen.
“What does a
Ringmen cost?”
It varies upon
the type of auction, time and day of the auction, the number of items and
location. For a typical Benefit Auction you can expect to pay between $250.00 -
$500.00 per Ringmen.
