Auctioneer’s Corner

Clarity of Chant/Voice Quality: Rhythm

 I want to delve a little deeper into clarity of one’s chant and voice quality and talk about rhythm.  As I have mentioned before I learned to sell long before I went to auction school.  I learned from my dad and by listening and watching other auctioneers.  My dad instilled in me the importance of clarity and rhythm.  I believe these two aspects are the core of a chant and work towards building a chant that creates the urgency to bid without being light-speed fast. –Be sure to read the previous post about speed.

 In my personal opinion, I have found the most pleasant auctioneers to listen to are those who have excellent rhythm, not necessarily speed. 

 The following audio clips are of past World Livestock Auctioneer Champions.  Listen to each of them and follow their rhythm.  Make a note of how each one is able to keep up the pace of their chant while not breaking away from their rhythmic consistency.

Ken Troutt  Paul C Behr   Lanny Ireland    Max Olvera

After much thought and discussion, I have decided to approach the first segment of the Auctioneer’s Corner by breaking out the basic aspects of auctioneering through the WLAC Sale Day Judge’s Score Sheet.  The judges must rate each contestant on the following categories:

• Would this auctioneer make a good spokesperson?
• Clarity of Chant/Voice Quality
• Bid Catching
• Execution of Sale
• Would you hire this auctioneer?

 Clarity of Chant/Voice Quality

 Months like November, where I sell at a variety of different types of auctions reminds me of how important it is for me to be a versatile auctioneer.  I enjoy selling cattle, but the bottom line is, I make my living behind the microphone.  No matter what is up for sale, I have to be able to bring it the most money possible so that I can take home the bacon. 

 Just like all things, versatility on the auction block comes from experience.  Through my time on the block I have learned to structure my chant for each different setting.  No matter the setting, I have found that clarity of my chant is most important.  The ladies purchasing dishes at an estate sale will not be able to keep with a fast pace like the buyers at the weekly livestock sale.  However neither will be able to bid if they can’t understand the auctioneer.  If the buyers can understand me-the auctioneer-everyone wins in the end.

When it comes to breaking down clarity of chant and voice quality, I think the first place to start is with speed.  A common misconception is that bid-calling is about speed.  Thinking that bid-calling is all about speed is a trap I have fallen into time and time again.  Just like all of the budding auctioneers that tell me about how they want to sell fast, I have found myself forgetting about the objective of making the big sale when at the microphone and get caught up in the speed of my chant.

What needs to be understood is that auctioneers are responsible for conducting the sale in a manner that creates the urgency to bid; to expedite the sale so that bidders bid when they are asked to; and to move merchandise across the block in a timely fashion.  So in a sense, AUCTIONEERING is about speed…BID CALLING is not.  Understanding the difference is key. 

Auctioneer’s Corner Objective

This page is intended to be a guide to aspiring auctioneers.  It will be feature tips and tricks of the trade as well as advice on how to get started, competing in contests, perfecting your skill and anything else you ask to know more about.  The information will be a collaboration between me and my auctioneer colleagues and mentors.  My goal is to make it informative and useful for all auctioneers!  Please be sure to let me know of any questions you may have about the industry.