I have had the honor to be asked to judge dozens of auctioneer contests around the United States. Additionally, we have written about auctioneer contests numerous times including here:
Why enter an auctioneer contest https://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2015/01/01/why-enter-an-auctioneer-contest/
How to win an auctioneer contest https://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/how-to-win-a-bid-calling-contest/
Is it better to lose an auctioneer contest? https://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2015/12/15/is-it-better-to-lose-an-auctioneer-contest/
Who should judge auctioneer contests https://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2013/08/10/who-should-judge-auctioneer-contests/
State auctioneer bid calling contests https://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/state-auctioneer-bid-calling-contests/
NAA International Auctioneer Championship Scoring https://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/naa-international-auctioneer-championship-scoring/
Further, we have written our answers to the National Auctioneers Association International Auctioneer Championship interview questions since 2010. Those articles can be found by searching this platform from the home page with “IAC Final Round” in the search box.
Today’s article concerns a particular issue that I’ve witnessed at many contests. Except possibly for car auction contests, the auctioneer should look at the above picture (which we borrowed from our friend Forres Meadows) to note that holding the handheld microphone below the top of the microphone is proper — and that grip should be near your chest more or less parallel to your body.
Holding the microphone any other way blocks the face/smile of the auctioneer which is highly undesirable in most all contests. We wrote otherwise about proper positioning of the microphone here: https://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/auctioneers-and-handheld-microphones/.
Most auctioneers who hold the microphone “too close” do it to shield outside noise from being picked up and/or out of habit because “they have always done it (or seen it done) that way …” Here’s information on contemporary microphones including the preferable unidirectional cardioid model: https://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2012/09/04/handheld-microphones-directionality/.
Lastly, holding the microphone incorrectly doesn’t disqualify you from winning a contest, but it does make it difficult to place you above those using/holding it properly.
Mike Brandly, Auctioneer, CAI, CAS, AARE has been an auctioneer and certified appraiser for over 30 years. His company’s auctions are located at: Mike Brandly, Auctioneer, RES Auction Services and Goodwill Columbus Car Auction. He serves as Distinguished Faculty at Hondros College, Executive Director of The Ohio Auction School, an Instructor at the National Auctioneers Association’s Designation Academy and America’s Auction Academy. He is faculty at the Certified Auctioneers Institute held at Indiana University and is approved by the The Supreme Court of Ohio for attorney education.
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