Auctioneer Vs. Benefit Auctioneer

Great! You are here! Welcome to California Coast Auctions. My name is Zachary Krone and I am a benefit auctioneer. The fact that you are here means that you are thinking about making the most wise and profitable investment for your fundraiser for this year and years to come. If you are based in Southern California like me you know that there are a lot of causes out there competing for attention and funds. Not only do you need your event to absolutely spectacular. But you need your event to raise as much money as possible all while being entertaining and successful enough to keep your guests coming back year after year and in greater numbers.

Your reputation is at stake! Your fiscal budget is at stake but ultimately we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that if your event is not a success someone may be left out in the cold. Someone may not receive the meal, the treatment, the care, the education or the shelter they need. Like you I have dedicated my life to ensuring that those who need our help will receive it. That the defenseless are defended and that something as simple as a blanket, a coat, a caring teacher, the right medicine, clean water, or an empowered and guided child can make this world a little bit better.

I want nothing more than to entertain and inspire your guests into doing what is fundamentally decent. That is why I am a full time benefit auctioneer. I focus 100% of my time and energy towards charity, nonprofit and educational based fundraisers which means I don’t just show up on the night of the event. I am with you every step of the way creating a strategy and consulting how to streamline your pre-production process; where to focus your energy and ultimately design a fundraiser that is conducive towards inspired and willing participation.

 You wouldn’t hire a DJ with one speaker who only likes to play world jazz fusion? You wouldn’t hire a caterer whose specialty dish is dry chicken with a side of indigestion. So you wouldn’t hire just any one to conduct your event and be responsible for 60-80% of your generated revenue? You may already know or have seen the difference between a volunteer and an auctioneer. But did you know there is a difference between an auctioneer and a benefit auctioneer? I am a benefit auctioneer.

California Coast Auctions is a full time benefit auction company dedicated solely to the specific needs of a school or charity and their benefit auction fundraiser. Your event is so much more than just an auction and I am much more than just an auctioneer. I want to help you prioritize your procurement process. I want to introduce you to new fundraising ideas that you have never seen before. I want you to raise more money than you ever thought possible. While utilizing the skills of a trained professional auctioneer, a full time benefit auctioneer will have more energy, excitement, passion, showmanship and charisma than anyone else. Plus I take the time. From 6-12 months before your event I am with you planning and executing proven strategy designed to keep your guests comfortable, inspired and excited about your cause.

Allow me to start with this:

There are so many things that can make or break the success of your event. First and foremost is your benefit auction timeline.

 The success of your fundraiser is contingent on your timeline. In order to have a successful fundraiser with attentive and comfortable guests that have been motivated, inspired and energized to give; a succinct timeline with a well orchestrated series of events must occur in a proven sequence. That is where a professional benefit auctioneer comes in. California Coast Auctions doesn’t just conduct your event we help build your event and your timeline which is the foundation and skeletal structure of your success. So many factors go into a successful timeline and only a certain amount of time should be dedicated to each entity before you lose your audience.

Your timeline is dependent on two very important key factors: The type of event you have and the goals you wish to achieve.

You must first ask yourself a goal orientated question: Am I throwing a party with a fundraiser or am I throwing a fundraiser with a party???????????????

Of course you want your guests to have a great time. A great time will ensure that they bid right? Yes and No. If they have a great time during the reception between 6 and 7pm they will bid on the silent auction right? It all depends. How many guests? How many silent auction items? How many bar stations? How long is the line at valet and registration? How many people were on time? Heck it may be 6:45 by the time a guest has arrived, checks in, gets a drink, shakes some hands, eats an Hors d’oeuvre and then they will look at your silent auction items. Looks like we should have budgeted for more time in our silent auction huh?

The guests loved their filet mignon during dinner and they were dazzled by the dancers and singers. They applauded for the award recipients. And now that it is 9:55 we can start they auction right? Sadly we let them expel all of their energy and enthusiasm on non-fundraising entities. They are tired, sober and ready to go home before we even attempt to ask them to raise a bid card.  So they either get up and want to beat the rush to the valet line, they’ll stand and chat in the back of the ballroom, or they will sit silently in polite resentment for a show they wished was over a while ago.

It is that type of experience and attention to detail your timeline and your event as a whole require.

There are several types of events. Galas, sit down dinners, corporate gathering, chef station events, casino nights, golf tournaments, school events, mixers and the list goes on. It could be a playful casual attired Sunday afternoon brunch fundraiser or a 700 person black tie socialite gala with celebrities galore. Each event requires a different timeline and has specific needs. What I can promise you is that your event with all of its working parts (venue, the items, the attendance, the food, the entertainment and the cause itself) will all factor into how to construct your timeline. Every event is different with its own specific needs.

Share with me your goals. Share with me your details. Simply bounce your ideas off someone who does this as a full time profession. Whether you hire me or not I live and breathe for charities and schools and I believe in the importance of their success. The world is only what we make of it and you took your position for the same reason I did. We both want to do something righteous with our time and energy and we will be the change we wish to see.

You didn’t lack the courage of your conviction and I want to share that with you. I want I need to understand what makes your organization tick. What drives your mission so I can tap into the collective consciousness of your audience to inspire them to raise their bid card. I must share that passion you have for your cause so that I can relate to your crowd and act as a catalyst for action. I want to learn, absorb and listen. I want to create the best event you have ever had. I want to brainstorm and work as a team. I am not just a vendor. I am not just a hired hand. For one night I am the face of your organization and the tip of the spear for your goals. I owe it to you to do everything in my power to make your event a success.

Thank you for reading and I cannot wait to work with you.

Sincerely,

Zachary Krone

California Coast Auctions