Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I hire Alman Benefit Auctions for our event?
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Mark is a full time, professional auctioneer. Not a part time hobbyist or amateur. He perfects the art of auctioneering and fundraising on a weekly basis and has been doing it for over 30 years. Simply put he is the best at raising money for charitable causes.
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Can we afford to hire a professional auctioneer?
Alman Benefit Auctions will work with any reasonable budget. In the end, hiring Mark will not cost you a dime. A poor auctioneer can end up costing you a fortune. Mark has a 100% record of beating expectations for the thousands of beneift auctions he has conducted. His guidance and support is invaluable to anyone planning a fundraising event.
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In years past, the auction always seems to drag on and take forever. Is this how all Live Auctions are?
No, one of the most important ingredients to a successful benefit fundraising event is the choice of auctioneer. Ideally, he or she must posess charm, wit, energy, confidence, enthusiasm, timing skills, stage prescence and the ability to connect with the audience and hold thier attention. Mark is a highly motivated individual who over the years has developed his craft of auctioneering to move along in an entertaining and exciting manner. Mark's engaging and energetic style will maximze your window of opportunity to raise money. It is always his goal that your guests leave your benefit event happy to have attended and are therefore, looking forward to next year's event. Amateur auctioneers, parent volunteers or celebrity auctioneers just don't understand these factors. An inexperienced auctioneer can turn a wonderful event into a disaster.
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We have a celebrity emcee that is willing to be our auctioneer for free. Why should we pay for an auctioneer?
Celebrity emcees bring their own special talents to an event. However, most celebrity emcees are NOT auctioneers and simply don't have the skills to be productive at fundraising. In the end, most celebrity emcee/auctioneers end up costing the event a large amount of money. Marks experience of over 30 years as a professional charity benefit auctioneer has provided him the opportunity to cultivate the unique skills necessary to create the invaluable magical energy that must exist in order for your event to reach its highest potential.
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Our auctioneer last year showed up prior to the auction. We had very little time to discuss important information and as a result the auctioneer seemed unorganized. What can you do to avoid this?
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Mark will arrive no less than one hour before the doors open. You will have direct contact with Mark months before your event. You will build a relationship with him of trust, confidence and support. In addition, Mark is always available to answer phone calls and emails from the moment you book his services. Mark will also meet with your committee in person or by on-line meeting prior to your event.
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Besides auctioneering, can Alman Benefit Auctions help us in other areas of our event?
Yes. Mark encourages you to consult with him on everything from advertising, procurement of auction items, alternative fundraising ideas, theme development, stage/room layout and a host of other valuable services. In his 30 years of benefit auctioneering he has seen what works and what doesn't work and he is happy to pass this information on to you in order to ensure that your event is a huge success!
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I notice that you are based in California. Our auction is in another state. Shouldn't we look for someone closer?
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Mark's benefit, charity and fundraising auctioneer experience has raised millions of dollars through live auction events. While based in Northern California, Mark enjoys traveling throughout the United States to conduct benefit auctions. He is always available for consulting with out of state events via phone, email and on-line meetings and will arrive many hours before your event to finalize the details of your Live & Silent Auctions.
