Spotters vs. Ringman at your fundraising gala. How to 10X the difference.
She had me at $600 for a wooden gavel before I was aware of what I was doing. I was winning with an adrenaline rush to boot. Jo Lockhardt is a ringman and auctioneer. Her loud, enthusiastic calls to the auctioneer signaled another higher bid meaning more money for the cause. Excitement for the bidder, and a rush for the audience. On this day about 10 years ago, this nonprofit executive got the biggest awakening ever as a fundraiser in a whole new world. A great ringman will get every penny in the room while leaving a joyful audience behind.
Spotters on the other hand are usually volunteers from the nonprofit organization. Their job is to wave a wand, scarf, Star Wars light saber, flashlight or the like to draw the auctioneer’s attention so the auctioneer can include the bidder in the conversation (sale). If you pick the wrong volunteers and your take is exactly the price you paid.
Ringmen invest in professional training and learn the very difficult skills of reading and building rapport with the audience at lightening speed. Carefully orchestrated hand signals and proper tonality and smiles welcome generosity and always in a competitive way that includes FOMO. (Sorry Gen Z, Fear of Missing Out has been around since auctions started in BC times.)
So, for your next gala, you may want a professionally trained ringman to invite tens of thousands of extra dollars to your bottom line.
Below: Brian Rigby with his Professional Ringman’s Institute and auctioneer/ringman Kylee Kiesow in training.
