These same opportunities exist for Auctioneers – it’s just a matter of taking advantage of them to grow your business, he said.
The current boom of the beer industry makes it an industry worthy of
emulation, Jay said, citing data showing the number of breweries in
America has recently topped 4,000, just shy of the historical high 4,131
breweries recorded in 1873.
He boils down the brewery-like road to auction success to three key takeaways:
Beer Tip 1: Brand development is crucial.
Jay stressed that to attract a following, you must create an identify to
follow. To start, ask yourself some questions: Who are you? What do you
want to be? How do you help customers? From there, hone in on two,
maybe one, answer. The answers, he said, may be strikingly similar to
those of beer brands.
“Will your brand focus on mass appeal? Low cost? Premium? Trusted? Better than others?” he asked.
He also stressed to always circle back to authenticity and consistency.
“Brand your business and express your own personal brand through networking interactions,” he said.
Beer Tip 2: Claim your digital space now.
Don’t waste time in setting up your social media pages and other online presence.
“This will help grow your online search results and establish you as a modern enterprise,” Jay said.
The research, he said, speaks volumes. For instance, he highlighted two
crucial facts: 1) Next to referrals, the most likely way prospective
customers and clients will find you is online; and 2) Consistent brand
message and online identify will help drive search results.
Even if you aren’t active on social media, go ahead and nab your space so it’s there when you’re ready, he said.
Tie in your branding, and make sure your logo, general information,
images and colors are consistent with other materials and messaging.
Beer Tip 3: Partnerships can add value to what you deliver to clients/customers.
By definition, a promotional partnership, Jay said, is an opportunity
for two or more entities to come together to enhance each individual
organization’s position by offering more combined value than any one
individual organization may be able to deliver. The ideal partnership
should benefit the client or customer as well as each party
participating in the partnership.
To begin, Jay recommended brainstorming partner prospects. Then, ask
yourself, What do they do really well? And then, think about how that
may benefit you and what you could offer in return.
As you explore partnerships, don’t get too caught up in what’s in it for you, he cautioned.
“Think about what is in it for the other half of partnerships,” he said. “Remember – helping others will help you grow.”
This article was an excerpt from a presentation given at the 2017 NAA
International Auctioneers Conference and Show. Want even more tips on
this topic? Full audio of the presentation is available in the
NAA Knowledge Center.