Silent auction bid sheets are the most important ingredient that helps to raise more funds. A bid sheet should contain the logo of your charitable organization, catalog number, description of the items to be auctioned, starting bid etc. You need to mention the minimum bid increment, which can help to avoid confusions. It is better to opt for the printed sheets, instead of using the hand written ones. You can use numbers, instead of using the names to make the competition sociable.
Creating bid sheets carefully can encourage great bidding and maximize your income. It is therefore worth to follow some simple rules to design a sheet properly.
o Item description:
Auction sheet need to include the title of the item gift basket ideas for silent auction at the top. You should also give a number representing the auction category and individual number for bidders, which helps to trace the winning bidder easily. The description of the item should be brief and should include all the details that the bidder wants to know, before making a bid. If the details of the item are not clearly known, you can include the information like expiration dates, resale restrictions, price caps or any details included in the letter of the donor.
o Item pricing:
The actual value of the item, the starting bid and the minimum increment should be clearly specified in the Auction sheets. The price of the item should be high enough to maximize the value and the starting bid should be low enough to hinder the interest of the potential bidders. It is wise to specify the starting bid on the top line of the sheet. You need to give a grid for the donors in the bid sheet, so that they can write their names.
o Enforce the cause of auction:
It is imperative to enforce the cause of the auction in the bid sheets. You need to put the name of your organization or the name of the event on the top of the bid sheets.
o Give space to include the details of the bidders:
Silent auction bid sheets must have space for the bidder’s name, amount they bid and their contact details. A sheet is the most important tool of communication, which the bidders can use to make the bid they like.
Silent auction sheets can also include a definite purchase price, which gives the bidder a confidence to win an item. It is important to fix the purchase price at least 150% of the original value of the item. If you have multiple items to be auctioned, you can use labels or small blank stickers to list the items. This helps the bidder to keep track of the items easily. You can create multiple bid sheets, which include small grids. This helps to ensure what an individual bidder would actually receive. Multiple winners can cause great confusions, but they can be reduced by creating multiple sheets. You can make use of silent auction software to create bid sheets easily.