I showed livestock from the age of 9 until 18 at several county fairs and the
Ohio State Fair. I was always inspired by words of wisdom passed down to competitors about competing, winning and losing.
One such list provided me had 10 such points about showing livestock at the fair. It seemed to me with a bit of modification, this constituted 10 good points for those competing in auctioneer contests around the country.
Win or lose always show class
Teamwork is a must, don’t be afraid to help others
Nobody wants to hear how good you are — just show them
When things get tough stay positive
Practice like you’ve never won; compete like you’ve never lost
Understand that competition is what makes us all better
Never get outworked
Always show respect for our industry and your competition
Congratulate all the winners
Dedicate yourself to compete again
I have watched dozens of auctioneer contests in person as a spectator or judge … and have seen competitors who met all the above criteria eventually succeed — in a contest or otherwise.
Likewise, I’ve seen competitors not necessarily prosper as an competitor, auctioneer — or in life — ignore one or more of the above criteria. It’s not an exact science, but there’s certainly a pattern.
I’ve italicized one particular point (#3) above as I feel it may be the most important. Those who feel the need to tell me how good (great) you are will fare much better by showing me and others how good or great you are — and there’s ample opportunity to do just that.
Lastly, competing in any contest is a lot like competing in life. Want to be more successful in life? I suspect these ten above points apply equally well to performing better every single day of your tenure here on earth.
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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