Volunteer Bidspotter vs. Professional Ringman

What Will A Professional Ringman Do For Your Charity Auction Event?

With a few hundred bidders at your charity auction, even the best auctioneer simply can’t see everyone from the stage at once. Having help on the floor is a must.

But why pay a Professional Austin Ringman for the job when you have plenty of volunteers who would be happy to be bid spotters? Here are nine reasons.

1. Ringmen pay for themselves. If a Professional Texas Ringman gets just one extra $500 bid from one bidder all night long, he has more than paid for his services. Since his entire focus is on getting extra bids at your fundraising auction, you can expect that he’ll pay for himself many times over.
2. Ringmen are auction industry professionals, and are usually licensed Texas auctioneers, themselves. What a comfort to know that, if the auctioneer gets ill or has an accident, there is already another auctioneer scheduled to be there!
3. Communication with bidders. While the auctioneer can’t see every bidder at the same time, he can’t have a one-on-one conversation with each bidder, either. The Ringman’s job is to talk to the bidder, find out what objections they have to bidding again, how high they’re willing to bid, and to get their attention when the party around them has gotten too fun!
4. Communication with Auctioneer. Using hand signals, a Professional Ringman can quickly communicate all kinds of useful information to the auctioneer. Does the bidder need more time to talk to her spouse? Is she done bidding? What is her bid number?
5. Use of Microphone. At a big Dallas/Fort Worth gala auction with lots of guests, sometimes a mic is necessary for those helping on the floor. A Professional ringman knows exactly how and when to use the mic, but handing a mic to a volunteer is just too big a risk. (How many drinks have they had so far?)
6. Negotiation power. Ringmen can negotiate with bidders on behalf of your organization. If the auctioneer is asking for a bid of $1000 and a bidder indicates that he’s not interested at that price, a Ringman can offer the bidder a half-bid, instead. Volunteers don’t know auctions well enough to be comfortable engaging in such negotiations. A Ringman’s job is to always know the current bid and to get that bid from someone in her section.
7. Pace. Professional Ringmen know that momentum means everything to a successful charity auction. Part of their job is to keep things moving quickly.
8. Most Ringmen have trained at the Professional Ringmen’s Institute, achieving a high level of knowledge and experience.
9. Excitement! When there’s a Ringman in your section of the audience, you know it! Ringmen clap and cheer, keeping the energy high and encouraging bidders to act.

Do your volunteer spotters do all that?

The Ringmen who partner with Andrew Bost Benefit Auctions have worked together many times and operate as a cohesive and effective team. Let us show you how much we can raise for you!