They Don’t Make ‘Em
Like They Use To

The Northwest Fundraising Auctioneer talks about Weft and Weave,
why every Auctioneer should have a chant, and PTA Moms.

If you were to ask anyone to conjure up an image of what an Auctioneer looks and sounds like, you certainly do not fit the bill. Growing up in the Midwest, around Farm and Antique Auctions, I’m used to some older man mumbling something that sounds interesting, but most times indistinguishable.
A very small percentage of us are women and only a slightly higher percent really understand the purpose of the auction chant and it’s importance. It isn’t as important for you to understand the ‘filler words’ at it is for you to understand where I’ve been and where I’m going with money, literally. I’m at $50, looking for $60 and what goes on in between is a matter of style and measure. I’m a big believer in the Auction Chant and any Auctioneer that says you don’t need a chant is simply an Auctioneer without a Chant.

What do you mean Chant? 
The Chant is like the weft and the dollar amounts  I’m asking for is the weave. The Chant is something you choose to develop and requires a lot of practice. Auctioneer’s chants each sound distinctly different, though a lot of us use some of the same tools to get there. Whatever filler words roll simply and melodically off your tongue, that also keeps the audience engaged and provides the most clarity, is the key to your chant’s success. My Chant has developed greatly since I first started auctioneering, thankfully. I continue to try different filler words, but to get there, you have to have your number work down. Eventually calling numbers is second nature and you can get super creative with your weft, so to speak.

So are there certain things you say in your Chant that help a sale or is it just ‘filler’?
I’d like to think that what I say helps the sale. That’s part of the “art of auctioneering” that I talked about earlier in this series. It is in everyone’s best interest for me to be as engaging and creative and sincere as possible, and one of the ways I do that is by what I say and do during the chanting part of the sale. I love the chant; it is old-timey and should be as important as singing a song well. As far as I’m concerned it’s what distinguishes you from being someone who sells versus a great Auctioneer who sells well.

I recently met an Auction Mom, I believe a former PTA president, who said that the school would hire another Auctioneer, other than you, over her dead body. She apparently thinks highly of you.
PTA Moms and moms who volunteer on the Auction Committees I work with are remarkable. If I can be only half the woman that these women are, I’d be lucky. You know, they are very intense and driven and deeply committed to the goodness of things and what you heard was loyalty. Loyalty is a big part of any business success and typically, women, whom I primarily work with, love to see other women succeed.