Key #1: Focus
When we focus our business to serve a niche market we create a compact business strategy that knows the ‘ins and outs’ of our market’s needs. Our web page speaks to a select market from an expert point of view. Speaking from authority that respond to a familiar need with a focus is a powerful way to attract your niche market. It is called marketing by attraction, or pull marketing.

A niche market may include a million potential buyers, or ten million potential buyers. A small business web site would most likely be pleased with having 10 thousand potential buyers, and to get attention from a niche market of 10 thousand buyers we will need to focus.

You might be inclined to try and sell to a wider market than a specific niche. The broad approach is common and it most often fails because in trying to speak to everyone it speaks to no one. A broad message is lost on all aspects of your market when they have a specific problem to solve.

The majority of business web sites seem to have fallen for the false idea that a web site can sell to the world. The reality is that the web creates a one-to-one relationship. Our web sites need to be more specific to each aspect of our web market.

For instance, a web designer may develop a niche market for business owners that are new to the web. There is also a niche market for those business owners on their second or third web design and the changing needs of that niche. A niche exists for certain professions like a dentists or a realtor.

Of all the different kinds of businesses needing a web design it will be a specialist that can be found quickly and the business jargon speaks volumes to the client.

Key #2: Specialize
You will need your web site to speak about how you specialize in order to attract attention from an important niche that exists within your wider market. Your web site may sell picture frames but you specialize in wooden frames. This would be your primary market, but you can still sell other types of frames. The important thing is to capture your special niche market because it is obviously a big enough market for you to want to specialize in.

Creating a web page for a niche market is often referred to as building a landing page when you have more than one niche market to serve. When this happens then you pull one niche to a certain landing page and pull another niche to a different landing page. Keywords play a big part in which landing page is delivered.

Call them by name:
It helps if your web site can address your niche market by name. Something like “wooden picture frame lovers… ” should catch their attention and from there you can talk about the unique features of wooden picture frames.

Why does your business specialize in wooden picture frames and why do you love wood and like to work with wood? When you speak this way about why you truly appreciate wooden frames your web site is expressing your values as a knowledgeable business owner. Your niche market likes this and they identify with your business because they share the same values.

Key #3: Be of Service
As you build content for a niche market you help them to feel right at home. The jargon you use and the solutions you offer provide a unique experience for your niche market that otherwise have to guess if a web site really does offer a solution for their specific needs.

Your niche market becomes comfortable because you are serving their need to find trust, quality and respect for the values they share with you. This is an unspoken service because your web pages doesn’t say, “We are trying to make you feel comfortable and let you know that you belong here with us”, but this is what your market feels just the same.

When your web site provides insight and helpful information for choosing products and services you’re pulling your niche market in. Your market is not only made more comfortable they are educated in ways they never knew before. This is because their needs are unique to the special niche they are a part of. The market that loves wood probably wouldn’t know why a hardwood may suit some projects but not others. Members of your market may only want the appearance of wood and not care about its other qualities. There are so many things to talk about in providing good service.

Okay, you don’t sell wooden picture frames
Almost every business will have a lot to talk about that is informative for their niche market. As the market become more knowledgeable on the features and functions of a natural product (or your product) then you can educate them on being price wise so they don’t purchase the cheapest product and end up being dissatisfied.

Your service needs to extend beyond the price so your market can purchase in the price range and other considerations that is best for them. And this is true whether the final price is high or low. Good service provides all the important reasons for spending less or spending more so that the final purchase is without regret.

This is truly being of service and it is that old time value we loved about the local business owner that we could always trust to keep us safe while giving us their best information.

Key #4: Search Engine Placement
As you build quality content that covers all the bases in your niche market from beginning (curious) to end (sophisticated answers) you will also be completing your own page SEO. You used to pay big dollars to an SEO expert so the search engines would place your site high on the list for your search terms. Today, it is by providing the quality content that you also complete the SEO for your page.

Over the years Google has changed and the new requirements are that your web site needs quality and quantity when it comes to relevant web content. An SEO specialist cannot do this for you. They might be able to tweak your content slightly to perform better, but no one can support your market as well as you can.

These changes by Google fit perfectly for focusing on your niche market. In the process of providing insight and specialized knowledge for your niche market your web pages are sharing unique information of quality that search engines want. Search engines are in the business of listing the most relevant pages for a search. By giving your niche market the information that helps them the most you are also giving the search engines the pages they want to deliver. It is called symbiosis.

If you didn’t write content for a niche market you would be writing content to cover a broad market and then your business web site would read more like a department store than a specialty shop. But – and this is a BIG but – even a department store needs to have landing pages with a tight focus for a specific (niche) market.

Google will choose pages that provide a specific focus to match a keyword search. Those broad general market descriptions so many business web sites use to attract everyone in the world do not capture the interest of any particular market, and they do not attract the interest of search engines.

The common search terms used to attract traffic are not specific enough to capture the interest of a niche market. What really happens is that the common search terms act as the default. When there is nothing else to choose then common terms will have to do.

Your web site, written for a niche market you are familiar with, is far from common and a niche market will close in on your site with the keywords that identify their need for information.

Ah, the old-fashioned country auction! The idea of a country auction conjures up certain images for people. The image of a fast-talking auctioneer offering up an antique table or chair is a popular example.

People who are buying household goods or collectibles are looking to get their items at the lowest price possible. However, the people who are selling their items at auction are hoping for the highest price!

Unless a person is in the business of buying and selling antiques or other items, not a lot of thought goes into how goods are prepared for sale via the auction process. However, if you are one of the growing number of people using auction venues to sell your collectibles or other inventory, there are a few things to learn first about how to sell at auction before you bring a truckload of stuff over to the next event.

Tip 1: Make sure the things you want to sell are a good “fit” for the auction house you’ll be using.

Never bring a load to an auction house without actually having been to one of the previous auctions. It’s important to get a feel for the type of goods that the house sells. For example, at one very rural country auction it was common for the owners to sell live chickens, pots and pans, car parts, and farm equipment.

After close investigation, this would not be the right venue for selling your daughter’s “Hello Kitty” collection. On the other hand, the spare John Deere parts that you bought at last week’s yard sale might be just the right thing for the buying crowd at this auction.

Tip 2: Be sure you clearly understand the terms and policies of the auction house.

Visit with the auctioneer ahead of time. Call to find out what the best days and times are to visit. One of the worst possible times to drop in for an informational visit with an auctioneer is the day of the auction. Call ahead and ask. While you’re at it, find out what are the best days and times to drop your stuff off.

Once you have a little time with the auctioneer, you’ll be able to find out what type of commission he or she takes from consigners (which is you), and what type of paperwork might be needed. Some auction houses send out Form 1099 tax forms at the end of the year. An auctioneer may need to see your identification and have you fill out a W-9. Be prepared.

Find out what happens to your items if they don’t sell. For example, some auctioneers may have a minimum starting bid. If, for some reason, one of your items does not sell, it may be grouped with another one of your pieces. Know the auctioneer’s strategy beforehand so that you aren’t surprised on pay day.

Tip 3: Make sure the auctioneer knows what you’re selling.

It might be perfectly obvious to you that the signed print you are consigning is a rare and valuable piece of art. However, the auctioneer may not know this particular artist. Make a note of anything particularly special about your items, and leave the note with the piece. Be sure to tell the auctioneer about it as well. He or she might determine that this is something to highlight on the company website or in the newspaper listing.

Tip 4: Present your items neatly.

No one likes to have to dig through a box full of grimy and greasy car parts to see what treasures might be in there. Separate the parts and lay them out on a flat, or use more than one box to de-clutter the lot.

There is no need to buy fancy display boxes. It’s easy enough to go to the local convenience store or supermarket and ask if you can have the emptied boxes or flats that they are discarding.

While it’s good to present clean items, take care not to ruin the value of anything by over cleaning. For example, if you find some old cast iron cookware, clean the obvious dirt and grime, but don’t scrub it to its original finish. For many people, this ruins the value of the item. So, clean and tidy and organized is the key here.

Tip 5: Don’t complain to the auctioneer if your stuff doesn’t sell for as much as you’d like.

The phrase to remember here is, “You win some; you lose some.” That’s just the way it is. There are some days where an auction house is loaded with people who all seem to want what you’re selling. There will be other days where the crowd is sparse, and the bidding is simply not competitive.

Remember that it’s in the auctioneer’s best interest to sell your things for the highest possible hammer price. But sometimes, it’s just not going to be a stellar sale. The auctioneer is only human, and is also disappointed if a sale doesn’t go as well as planned.

If you notice that every time you bring a bunch of goods to sell that you’re not realizing as much as you think you honestly should, try another auction venue and compare apples to apples. That is, bring the same types of items to the new auctioneer and compare the results.

Unless the auctioneer is particularly disagreeable or inconsiderate to you or buyers, there is no reason to confront him or her about a sale. If you find you just don’t care for an auctioneer’s style or methods, find another one. Believe me, there are plenty of them out there!

The primary thing to remember as you learn how to sell at auction is that the business is unpredictable at best. You will have good days, some not-so-good days, some great days. The more you sell, the more experience you will gain, and the more enjoyable the business will be.

Fundraising Auction Tip: You should always provide potential bidders with a printed Auction Listing of both your Live and Silent Auction items at any Fundraising Auction. A printed Auction Listing is vital for several reasons:

An Auction Listing informs bidders of the order of sale, and what is coming up next. If you keep your bidders guessing, they will simply not bid.

If bidders are not 100% certain of what they are bidding on, they will not bid. A printed Auction Listing should answer any and all questions about what is being sold in order to encourage bidders to bid as much as possible.

Bidders often need time to plan their bidding strategies, especially on multiple and/or larger value items. A printed Auction Listing helps them to do that.

Couples often need time to consult with each other about what they are willing to spend on something. A printed Auction Listing helps them to do that.

Potential bidders need to know the specifics, the benefits, and the restrictions on any item they are going to bid on, especially on travel and/or other higher value items. A printed Auction Listing should answer all of their questions, in writing.

After bidders see that they have lost an item to another bidder, a printed Auction Listing makes it easier for them to re-strategize on what else they can bid on.
Printed Auction Listings generally come in 3 forms:

Printed in the Event Program or Auction Catalog.

Printed on loose sheets of paper and hand-inserted into the Event Program or Auction Catalog.

Printed on loose sheets of paper and hand-delivered to all attendees, or left on each dinner table in the room.
Auction Listings cost practically nothing to produce and they can make the difference between the success and failure of a Live and Silent Auction. You should never conduct a Fundraising Auction without one.

A Case Study

Let me share a real-life experience with you. Once I was hired to conduct a Fundraising Auction for a nationally renowned organization. The event was held in a major hotel, in one of the country’s largest cities, with several hundred “black tie” participants attending. It was an extremely professional event, with the music, singing, lighting, speeches, and awards all perfectly timed and choreographed. Everything was done to perfection… exception the Fundraising Auction.

Although I had signed an agreement to serve as their Auctioneer nearly one year in advance of the event, no one bothered to contact me for any advice or help. Approximately one week prior to the Auction date, I contacted the group to see if they had replaced me with another Auctioneer. But they said that I was still their man.

Upon arriving at the event I asked for a copy of the Auction Listing. I was told that there were none. I’m not sure whether they felt that the Auction Listing wasn’t necessary, or whether someone forgot to have them printed. This was never made clear. When I asked what I was to use at the podium, I was told to copy the list of Live Auction items from a committee member’s computer. It took me about 30 minutes to copy three pages of hand-written notes in order to prepare for my role as their Auctioneer.

I knew that they had created a PowerPoint program showing the various Live Auction items. When I asked whether the PowerPoint slide order corresponded to the order of sale I had copied from the committee member’s computer, I was met with a blank stare. The committee member left to check the slide order, and returned to let me know that the slide order did not correspond my notes, and he provided me with the correct slide order… hand-written on a paper napkin. This forced me to re-arrange my three pages of hand-written notes before taking the podium.

There was a Live Auction Table with descriptions of the Live Auction items that were to be sold, but the table was not clearly marked, and it received significantly less attention than the Silent Auction Tables, which were clearly identified. Since the Live Auction Table was located adjacent to the “Raffle Table”, it appeared that most people thought it was part of the raffle and therefore paid very little attention to it.

According to the event program (which did not include an Auction Listing), I knew approximately when I was to begin the Live Auction. At the designated time the Master of Ceremonies announced the start of the Live Auction to the several hundred people in attendance, and introduced me as Auctioneer. As I approached the podium I realized that photographs of award winners were still being taken… directly in front of the podium where I was to stand… which required me to stand aside for several minutes until the photographers were done. Can we say “awkward moment”?

As the photographers cleared, I approached the podium and began my Live Auction introduction. Approximately one minute into my introduction, the “Raffle Committee” approached the podium and stopped my Live Auction Introduction in order to pull the 8 or 9 Raffle Winners. These drawings lasted about 5 minutes. Upon it’s conclusion I was allowed to resume the start of the Live Auction.

When standing at the podium two intense and extremely bright spotlights were pointed directly at the podium. The lights were so bright that I literally could not see the center 1/3 of the room. I could see the tables on the right, and on the left, but was totally blinded when looking straight ahead. It took perhaps five minutes before the spotlights were turned off.

While at the podium and describing Lot #1, I had to ask someone to start the Lot #1 PowerPoint Slide… because apparently no one was assigned that job.

So with only the Auctioneer’s verbal description, and a PowerPoint slide, it appeared that few people in the room had any idea about what we were selling… or when we were selling it… until it was announced by the Auctioneer. As a result, bidding was extremely light and the final results fell several thousands of dollars short of where they should have been
The learning experience is this:

The Live Auction is where you place your better items, and where the real money should be made at any Fundraising Auction. Let bidders know as far in advance as possible what you will be selling, and the order of sale, so they can get excited about the Auction, and plan their bidding strategy accordingly.

Auction Listings are absolutely vital to the success of both Live & Silent Auctions. In my opinion, revenues at this Auction fell thousands of dollars short of where they should have been, because no Auction Listing was provided to the guests.

If bidders are not perfectly clear on what is being sold, including both the item’s specifics, benefits, and restrictions, they will not bid.

When you have a committee of volunteers, especially volunteers having full time jobs and/or very busy schedules, the services of a professional Fundraising Auctioneer can help to keep the committee on track.

And once you retain the services of a professional Fundraising Auctioneer… use the services that you are paying for.