Five years ago, we wrote about the Certified Auctioneer Institute. That story is here: https://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/the-certified-auctioneer-institute/ Today, we look at what it is like to be a speaker (instructor, teacher, presenter) at the Certified Auctioneer Institute (CAI.)
Last week, a first-year auctioneer attendee saw me walking down a hallway and stopped to talk. He asked me if I was teaching here and for my opinion of the CAI program; he asked about how CAI has changed my life. It indeed has.
He had more questions … he wanted to know when I attended CAI, when I began teaching, what I was teaching, and when he would see me as his instructor in a classroom. I could certainly sense his excitement as he began his CAI experience.
My own story is that I graduated from the Certified Auctioneer Institute in 1999 and first taught there in 2010. In 2013 I was asked to develop and teach a class on “Disaster Prevention & Recovery” and teach this class for the “Class II” group Sunday afternoons from 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
As I drove into Bloomington, Indiana on Saturday, March 19, 2016 and saw this sign as I approached the Indiana Memorial Union on Indiana University’s main campus, the words that came to mind included, “Amazed, Proud, Honored and Humbled.” I suspect other speakers arriving that week felt the same.
Regarding these four words:Amazed … I’m a small part of the effort to put on this program originally developed in the 1970’s which continues today to serve more and more auctioneers with the latest in technology, trends and practices.Proud … of the National Auctioneers Association and all the auctioneers and others who give tirelessly to improve the industry — and that clearly auctioneers believe that “A rising tide lifts all boats.” The better the auctioneering industry, the better all auctioneers are.Honored … to be chosen to give these attendees my perspective on the auction industry. Honored to be one of a select group of auctioneers in the United States who is provided this stage to lead auctioneers in discussions about their trade.Humbled … and profoundly moved that I get to participate as a presenter in what is considered the ultimate in auctioneer education, fellowship and networking.
Those of us who teach at the CAI are surrounded by an attentive, supportive and giving NAA staff, Education Institute Trustees and Certified Auctioneer Institute Committee members. All speakers have had great success in and around the auction industry and are anxious to share. The attendees at the Certified Auctioneer Institute are respectful, inquisitive and eager to learn.
The great thing about speaking (instructing, teaching, presenting) at CAI is that instructors can make a difference — in the lives of those attending and the auction industry overall. And for us instructors to earn these rewards from teaching, our presentations and other interactions with attendees need to be at “12-o’clock,” meaning it has to be the absolute best it can be.
If you are an auctioneer who has graduated from CAI, you have reason to be immensely proud; and if you haven’t taken a class at CAI in a while, you are invited to stop back in. If you are an auctioneer who hasn’t attended the CAI program yet, you should consider attending. One way for sure to be the best you can be is surround yourself with the best — and typically many of those folks are in Bloomington, Indiana in March.
Mike Brandly, Auctioneer, CAI, AARE has been an auctioneer and certified appraiser for over 30 years. His company’s auctions are located at: Mike Brandly, Auctioneer, Keller Williams Auctions and Goodwill Columbus Car Auction. He serves as Distinguished Faculty at Hondros College of Business, Executive Director of The Ohio Auction School and Faculty at the Certified Auctioneers Institute held at Indiana University.
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