Auctioneer

Job overview
Auctioneers sell goods and fixed property by auction to the highest bidder.

?They mediate between seller and buyer.

?What do people do in this job?
?Almost anything can be sold by auction - fixed property, cattle, furniture, antiques, books, documents, works of art, vehicles etc.

?Often the goods are from bereaved estates, bankrupt properties or liquidated companies, but anyone can have items put up to auction.

?Auctioneers undertake to sell an owner's articles to the purchaser who makes the highest financial bid.

?The articles are numbered and put on display before the auction.

?Leaflets with information on the articles to be sold are made available.

?Usually someone who wants to bid must register on the day and get a number to bid with.

?The auctioneers introduce each item individually to the buyers, during which they may make comments on the qualities of each piece.

?A sales clerk, who is responsible for entering all sales in a register and receiving all cash payments, assists the auctioneers.

?After the auction the register is balanced and the profit for the sales, less the auctioneers' percentage commission, is paid out to the sellers

?What kinds of people are suitable for this career?
?Auctioneers must be good at assessing the value of goods.

?Above all they must be effective communicators, both in drawing up advertisements prior to the auction days and later on the rostrum when describing the items for sale and persuading the buyers to increase their bids.

?Auctioneers need to have any easy rapport with the public.

?What qualifications are needed?
?Natural ability and know-how, supplemented if possible with commercial courses in subjects such as marketing and sales.