Bid Assistants, Who need’s em!

I attended a friends auction the other day. He was selling 240 acres of farm land that he was dividing into four tracts through a Multi-Par method.  I went mainly because he was using a buyer’s premium which is becoming more & more accepted in the area but not completely accepted. So I wanted to see what the buyer reaction might be to the BP. You can read about my views on the BP in my "Smoke and Mirrors" post.

The BP seemed to be a none issue, but what surprised me was that he was conducting a real estate auction without using bid assistants or ringmen.  Not only was it a RE auction but a Multi-Par real estate auction to boot.( Multi-Par auction formats allow the bidders to pick and choose which parcels or combinations of parcels to bid upon. It’s a wide open format and may take up to 6 hours to complete.)

I’m just astonished at the number of auctioneers who do not use ringmen. And the number of auctioneers that hire  bid assistants who in reality are bid spotters. A bid spotter is a person who spots a hand or bid card in the air, they are NOT a bid assistant.  In my opinion, I have no need for a bid spotter, I can scan a crowd of people and see who is or wants to bid. If that were all my ringmen did during the auction, I would not ask them back. And some that have worked for me in the past have not been asked back. That is why I don’t invite inexperienced auctioneers to work as ringmen at my auctions. (They can attend any of my auctions and I’ll help them as much as possible, but auction day is not a class room. I’m employed by my seller or her broker to obtain the highest bid possible.)

Maybe it’s my background working at the auto auctions, where ringmen sell as many cars as the auctioneer, that has influenced my feelings concerning bid assistants. I have worked in both situations and a good, WELL TRAINED, bid assistant is vital to the success of any auction and especially that of a real estate auction. I’ve had a well known real estate auctioneer in Kansas City tell me that he never uses his ringmen. Maybe that’s why his closing rate was below 50% or why he had to have a strong drink before every auction to “calm his nerves”. If your not going to train them and use them then they become a distraction.

I’ve got to give props to my ringmen, Ed and Dennis Behr. They definitely are not wall flowers, they are engaged every second and every minute we are “on” during the auction. They can build rapport with anyone, any gender, age or ethic group. They make people feel comfortable and safe while working with them at the auction. They are NOT employed to “trick” people into bidding when in fact they did not want to bid. They are employed to HELP potential buyers bid on the item they want to buy. And BTW a bid assistant is NOT employed to be an interpreter for the auctioneer. The auctioneers chant should be clear and understandable to all in attendance. They become my eyes and ears. They know when there’s more money on the floor and when it’s all gone. And I trust them. When I wasn’t using professionally trained bid assistants, I’d get really keyed up before the auction. I’d worry when no one showed up 15 minutes before the auction. That doesn’t happen anymore, I’m confident in my TEAM. They know their job and they love what they do.

Hire really personable people to be your bid assistants, train them very well (and pay them well) and auction day will be much more pleasant and profitable for you and your clients.

Comments

[Scott Gillespie]

Wow Marty, after attending WWCA in feb of this year i practiced bid calling a lot and was pretty confident. Then I went to work at a nearby succesful auction companys consignment sale and they put me to work as a ringman. What an eyeopener that was. I did a terrible job of communicating with the auctioneer when I first started and was singlhandedly responsible for a tie bid and a upset bidder and auctioneer. That being said I wemt back and worked their next sale and was at least 150% better. You are right on with what you say though about being able to carry on a 5 second conversation with someone you have never met and having them feel comfortable. that is the one thing I felt I left school being unprepard about and feel I still have a lot to learn about. Very interesting and I will keep checking back for more. Sincerly, Scott

[Joe Stogrin]

I read your blog today and like what you had to say. Couldn't agree with you anymore then I do now. I am glad you appreciate the job I have been doing for the past 2.5 years. I have been called a lot of things. Most of them good but the funniest is the one my wife called me. "Joe the Bid Bugger." This because I am bugging the bidders to bid. I use that when the auction has yet to have started and I am out talking to the potential bidders. Everyone there with a bid number is there for the same reason; to buy something. I get talking with them asking in general what they are looking for. Some are shy though and figure I am there to fix prices, make fake bids to bid them up, etc etc. But that is where I get a laugh out of them and let them feel some ease. I let them know I am there to help them. If they tell me what they are looking for now (car ,truck, van, etc.)then I won't have to live up to the title my Wife gave me. That is where I get the laugh when I tell them I could be a bid bugger all day, or I could help them with that one or two vehicles they were looking for. I show everyone were the black books are that we have up for vehicles. The preasure on them is no longer. These are a few of the many things I have learnt being a ring man, and now auctioneer. Since graduating from WWCA my boss lets me sell a few vehicles too.I have also opened my own business, www.littlejoesauctions.com. I am glad that you appreciate the work that is done by the RING MAN! I hope this is noted by many others now too. Thanks again, Joe Stogrin.

[Jason Smith]

Hi Marty- Just stopped by to check your blog. I'm curious who you might think makes a better bid assistant- you mentioned Ed and Dennis Behr. I know of Ed and personally know know Dennis Behr. Dennis is a very good, experienced auctioneer and know Ed is also an auctioneer. Do you think experienced auctioneers make better bid assistants? Would you prefer to have an experienced auctioneer out there working the crowd for you?

[Alan Armstrong]

Marty- AMEN brother....I've been saying this for years.

We have lots of guys that want to help us and say they have tons of experience but they are very poor at working the ring. I am now blessed that my son and wife have been working side by side with me for years and are excellent ringmen.

Great post Marty.