The C King Advantage
Award Winning Auctioneers – Ms. King is a highly-trained, award-winning, sought-after speaker and benefit auctioneer. C King Benefits works in conjunction with other internationally acclaimed auctioneers within the industry.
Individualized Programs of Service – We gladly meet with you to assess the needs of your organization and determine the level of service that best suits your goals. We listen, we care, and we pride ourselves on being easy to work with.
Partnership – Imagine someone willing to partner with you as you formulate your committees, delegate tasks, and expedite all of the pre-auction tasks necessary to host a successful fund-raising gala.
Tools - We provide tools to you and your committee chairs to assist them in better understanding the tasks and requirements of their position such as a timeline to keep everyone focused, forms for before, during, and after the event, guest-list, and donation formula.
Staffing – An Auction Coordinator to work directly with your Auction Chairperson, Professional Auctioneer Assistants to work the night of your event to encourage bidding and assist the Auctioneer, and if necessary, additional staff to assist with your event.
Extra Revenue Generators – We bring extra revenue-producing ideas and items to offset the cost bringing C King Benefits on board with your organization
To learn more about our levels of service and schedule your event with C King Benefit Auctions, contact us today.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve never conducted a fundraising auction but understand it is the best way to generate money for our organization. Where do I start and what do we need?
First of all, you must have a real desire to conduct an auction. There is a lot of hard work that goes into planning an auction event. A professional Benefit Auctioneer Specialist can guide you through the entire process. At CKBA we provide your Auction Committee Chairperson with a complete Event Planner. You will find everything from how to formulate and choose your committee chairs, form templates to use for your silent and live auctions, game sales, cashiering, advertising and sponsorship sales, timeline to keep you on track and focused, theme ideas, an exhaustive list of money making items, and much more.
We are a small organization and can’t afford a professional auctioneer. Can we pull it off ourselves?
Yes, you can “pull it off,” my question to you is: Why would you want to just “pull it off”? Many times an auction event is the main revenue resource for an organization. A benefit auctioneer specialist, like CKBA, knows how to assist your organization in making every moment a revenue generating moment, by bringing additional revenue generating ideas to your event, over and above the live or silent auction. If you choose not to use a professional benefit auctioneer, the money that is left “on the table” afterwards is immeasurable.
What is a Benefit Auctioneer Specialist?
A benefit auctioneer specialist is a highly-trained fund raising auctioneer who holds the BAS designation from the National Auctioneers Association. The BAS Auctioneer can guide you each step of the way to ensure no stone has been unturned in getting the most revenue for your organization. Less than 1% of auctioneers in the country hold this designation.
When do I need to contact a benefit auctioneer specialist?
You should hire a benefit auctioneer specialist eight to nine months in advance of your event. This will enable you to get the full benefit of their knowledge and planning tools. The further out from the event you start planning, the more successful and less stressful your gala will be.
Appetizers vs. Sit-Down Dinner - Isn’t it cheaper just to have finger foods than an actual catered dinner?
This is a great question and one we come across very often. We like to answer this question with a question: What is the most important thing about hosting a benefit fund raising event? The answer, of course, is raising the most money possible. We have seen time and again that guests in a buffet line are not bidding. One of the benefits to having a sit-down dinner is that your guests become more of a captive audience. You can time the delivery of your courses with the live auction and keep them present and wanting more.
Shouldn’t we just be thankful for any donations we can get?
Of course you should be thankful. The most important issue about getting donations is going in with a plan. Match up your target audience with the type items you know they will buy and solicit those types of items. CKBA has an exhaustive list of some of the very hottest items selling at benefit auctions.
Our organization has conducted auctions for many years. Do we need to hire a benefit auctioneer specialist?
Your event can become “stale” if you do the same things and sell the same items year after year. A benefit auctioneer specialist will have an arsenal of tools they can offer to keep your event fresh, fun, and profitable for you. It is also not a bad idea to swap auctioneers up every few years to keep your event fresh. CKBA has several auctioneers that can be utilized.
Can I afford a Professional Benefit Auctioneer?
Auctioneers charge in various manors. Some charge flat fees while others charge a percentage. It depends on the services provided. Most fees can be underwritten where there is little to no charge to the organization. At CKBA we bring ideas and items that offset the expense of hiring a professional. When thinking about the aspects of your event — the band, the caterer, the venue — the auctioneer is the only aspect that actually makes money for your organization. You can’t afford not to hire a professional Benefit Auctioneer.
When interviewing Auctioneers, consider; what are the most important questions I should ask?
Do they specialize in benefit auctions?
Fundraising auctions are conducted differently than commercial auctions. The Auctioneer’s chant is different, and an experienced benefit auctioneer will bring the best of the best experiences to your event.
Have they conducted several benefit auctions? (What is their experience?)
This is not a time for a new Auctioneer getting into the business to practice their bid-calling techniques. Your event can be the main revenue source for your organization. You need someone who is experienced in raising money and can consult with you through the entire process.
What are the main services I should expect from the Auctioneer?
The auctioneer must be an entertainer as well as an auctioneer guests can understand. People who attend fundraising functions want to enjoy themselves while giving money. Ensure the auctioneer is fun, energetic and can keep the auction aspect moving quickly and smoothly. Make sure the auctioneer is someone the guests can understand when selling or chanting. You don’t want your guest to say, “The auctioneer was selling so fast, I couldn’t understand a word they were saying!” In this case, money is left on the table.
Provide guidance with the silent and live auction. The auctioneer should provide you with guidance on the best layout of the silent auction sections. This will ensure items are strategically placed in the proper order and easily viewed for competitive bidding. The live auction should have the proper items for the guest in attendance. You want the highest dollar and most desirable items in the live auction. Place them properly throughout the live auction to keep the bidding momentum and competition flowing.