I made it to Denver safe and sound. After settling in and unpacking my 9 days of gear, I took a tour of the hallways here at our hotel where the school takes place. As I walked down the hallway I was impressed to see rows and rows of photos of past alumni who've achieved amazing milestones in their auction career. Past International Auctioner Champions. NAA Hall of Fame members. World Auto Auctioneer Champions. Etc. Impressive to say the least.
I'm amazed by the distances people travel to attend auction school. Fellow classmates have traveled as far as Canada and the east coast to attend auction school. Each has an interesting background. Some have experience with auctions and have worked in auto and heavy machinery auctions. Others...law enforcement, banker, real estate broker. I'm looking forward to getting to know more about them as the week progresses. Actually I plan to get a few on camera to talk about why the chose to come to auction school. Stay tuned for that video.
After a detailed orientation, the "fun" began. All I can say is thank goodness for iPods. If my school hadn't sent me a CD with practice tongue twisters and some initial bid calling training for me to listen to before I left for school, I would have been in trouble. I've been in front of audiences since I was a kid and have never considered myself someone who is afraid of public speaking. That being said, today when we had to get in front of the audience and do basic number/filler word combinations, I felt as if I was going to lose my lunch. Not the best feeling in the world. After a few trips up to the mic, my nerves started to relax and it actually kind of became fun.
I've been counting since I was a child. Why is it so hard to say "I'm bid one dollar now, would you bid two, I'm bid two dollar now, would you bid three...." in the proper order without screwing up! Trust me, its harder then you think. Oh yeah...don't forget to add the group of perfect strangers watching you. Its gonna take some practice.
The day ended with an exceptional lecture from Denver auctioneer, James Baker, CAI, GPPA on owning and operating an auction house. Not sure its for me, but it was interesting to hear about how he got his start in the business and how he has grown his business.
Off to bed so I can get up early and continue practicing.
.jpg)
About Me
- National Auctioneers Association
- Overland Park, Kansas, United States
- Headquartered in Overland Park, Kan., the National Auctioneers Association (NAA) represents the interests of thousands of auction professionals in the United States, Canada, and across the world. Founded in 1949, the mission of the NAA is to promote the auction method of marketing and enhancing the professionalism of its members through education and technology. To learn more about Auctioneers or to find an auctioneer, visit: auctioneers.org. Follow the NAA on Twitter @naaauctioneers.