Grant Your Start Up Wish Wednesday: How Auctioneers Find Clients

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On our 1st Birthday we announced that we would grant *5* women entrepreneur’s wishes… the interest and response was great! We had many wishes submitted and we’ll we’re going to start a series on Wednesdays called, “Grant Your Start Up Wish Wednesday” where we will feature a different woman entrepreneur’s wish each week. Wish requests ranged from “how do I get more traffic on my site?” to “how do I sell my self-published book?” to “what do I need to do to launch a non-profit?”

The first woman entrepreneur we’ll feature is new member, Start Up Princess Sway Hodges who has recently earned her Auctioneer license in Orlando, Florida in June 2007 and requested mentoring in the industry…while I’m not an Auctioneer… I have a friend, Kevin Gallagher owner of Utah Auto Sales whom is an Auctioneer and I was able to learn some tips that may be beneficial to Sway as she launches her career.

Kevin & his wife, Annetta Gallagher recommend young Auctioneers like Sway Hodges start NETWORKING:

• Introduce yourself to every charity, school church, boy scout group in your area, offer to auction their event for free or a flat fee of $50 to get your name out, have your cards available at the event
• Talk to the auction houses and see if you can apprentice, learn, fill in, help out, etc.
• Go to estate sales and introduce yourself to the organizing group, volunteer to do an estate sale for a lower rate
• Organize an event where you can practice your skills with your family reunions, friends, etc…demonstrate to everyone you know what you can do so that they will think of you when they need an auctioneer
• You may even talk to the livestock and county fairs if you want to auction animals…
• Join Business Groups, Associations, Networking Clubs to get your name out in the community
• Recognize that it will take time to work your way into the industry, but then your jobs will start to come by referrals

More Ideas from Start Up Princess for Marketing/PR Sway’s new business as an Auctioneer:

• Get a simple website on the web with a video clip of you auctioning or at least put up a video on You Tube and link to it on your website
• Start an email list of anyone who expresses interest in your skill, send out a newsletter quarterly with photos of you auctioning at different events
• Send out a Press Release locally in your area that you have launched your new career, pitch a story to the journalist about being a “mom auctioneer” and how you’re unique

More about Start Up Princess Sway Hodges, Auctioneer:

Previously to choosing a career as an Auctioneer, Sway Hodges owned and directed a Pilates studio for a five years. After having children she decided to find a different business that offered more flexibility than her studio did. In getting to know Sway I’ve found her to be a very uplifting, inspiring person. I love her cheery emails and kind nature. She said she hopes she can help non-profits raise funds for their benefit auctions…I hope she can too! Sounds great!

She writes:

Auctioneering became my secret desire when I saw my first male auctioneer at a local auction house in Memphis about 10 years ago. I loved the energy, the mesmerizing vocal speed and the fun auctioneering style the auctioneer used to command the sale. I left with such an impression that I had to find out how someone becomes an auctioneer. I looked it up, but felt I could not pursue another career where I had to leave town to study. It was a dream.

Zoom forward to April of 2007 when I discovered that here in Orlando existed a well known and NAA, (National Association of Auctioneers) respected Academy for becoming an auctioneer. I was finally able to pursue my dream and I went for it. Strange as it may sound the first time in class we had to bid call in front of everyone, I stood up and deep inside I was overwhelmed with a feeling of; you were meant to do this, go for it.

As a woman in the auctioneer field I also feel a great sense of responsibility to be the best that I can be, so that I can inspire other women. I am so excited about my future business; in need of a mentor and hoping that with practice and persistence I will one day mesmerize the audience, too.

***If you live in the Orlando, Florida area and would like to contact Sway Hodges regarding her auctioneering business, please contact her via Start Up Princess.

Are you a woman entrepreneur in need of a Fairy Godmother? Please contact us for mentoring and brainstorming for your start up.

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