I have written about the speed of an auction, the faster you sell them … the better the prices are, and most recently the time between auction items and too many filler words in regard to saving time.
Today, we explore if an auctioneer can be using too few filler words. In other words, other than the current bid (the have) and the desired next bid (the want), can an auctioneer be using too few other words between these two numbers?
The answer to this question is — yes, absolutely.
As Executive Director of The Ohio Auction School, I am one of our instructors who teaches bid calling technique.
Without exception, there is a student periodically who isn’t using enough filler words. Such bid calling technique is usually something like, “$25? $25? $30?, $30?, $30?, $35?, $35?, $35?, $35?, $40?, $40?, $40? …”
Of course, it isn’t that this style of bid calling is incorrect from a communication standpoint. The number being stated is the “want” and if a bidder bids the want, that want becomes the “have” and the new want is then stated.
The issue here is that this style of bid calling is terribly difficult to listen to for any prolonged period of time, and because of that, bidders who are agitated and/or distracted bid less — or not at all.
As we asked, “Can auctions be hypnotizing?”, and the positive aspects of such, a bid calling technique lacking sufficient other sounds or words would hardly be hypnotizing, or otherwise mesmerizing.
Correct bid calling technique demands both not too many filler words, but also not too few.
Mike Brandly, Auctioneer, CAI, AARE has been an auctioneer and certified appraiser for over 30 years. His company’s auctions are located at: Mike Brandly, Auctioneer, Keller Williams Auctions and Goodwill Columbus Car Auction. His Facebook page is: www.facebook.com/mbauctioneer. He serves as Adjunct Faculty at Columbus State Community College and is Executive Director of The Ohio Auction School.
Comments