a professional charity auctioneer for your fundraiser, schedule an introductory call to help ensure that the individual or company you’re considering is the best fit for your organization and your event. This simple 15 minute call between a Director of Development or event chair person and the auctioneer can set you up for success and potentially save you a lot of heartache and donor frustration in the long-run. These nine interview questions can serve as the framework for a productive conversation.

Some fundraising auctioneers charge a flat fee while others charge a commission, others still employ a combination of the two. A flat fee is often most helpful for budgeting purposes, though a commission structure puts the auctioneer and the fundraising organization on the same team. Either way, it’s important to be very clear on what the fee structure is, when that fee is due, and what services are included.

Each organization has a unique cross-section of donors, so a once-size-fits-all approach is rarely effective. What tricks does your auctioneer have for involving the entire audience in the process to build excitement and friendly competition?

Wisdom comes from experience, so it makes sense that you’ll want a professional who has made their rounds with different organizations, events, and crowds. Remember, too, an auctioneer is different than an emcee or a public speaker — and vice versa. The objective is to hire someone who is not only good in front of a crowd, but who understands donor psychology.

This is such a key question, and it’s a point that every well-versed auctioneer will bring up even if you don’t. Discussing logistical aspects such as audio/visual equipment and set-up, bid recording, auction timeline, and lot development are all essential items that demand collaboration between the fundraising organization and their auctioneer.

The live auction method is a truly time-tested tool with a history that extends thousands of years. But technologies such as have OneCause work to make donor bidding more convenient and more engaging for fundraising events. Even if you don’t plan to use mobile bidding at your event, assessing your auctioneer’s understanding of such contemporary solutions will help give you a sense for how up-to-date they are.

Asking for referrals is one way to check up on your auctioneer’s past work, but it won’t give you the same feel for your auctioneer’s unique style. Even informal videos can provide insight into their chant (how easy is it to understand?) and the way they engage donors (do they instill friendly competition or harangue bidders?).

Some professional fundraising auctioneers book 12-24 months out and their role at your event will likely include travel, so it’s vital to schedule your introductory call well in advance of your event. To give yourself space for due diligence and optimize the chance of getting onto your favorite auctioneer’s schedule, we recommend interviewing your professional fundraising auctioneer nine months out from your selected date.