Winning an auctioneering championship is a difficult task. Each year hundreds of auctioneers enter across the nation but only a handful of take home hardware. There is however one way to go home each and every year a winner; that is to effectively network with your fellow competitors.  Networking with your fellow contestants is the most effective way to make each contest a rewarding and ultimately profitable experience. Trophies are nice, rings sparkle, cash awards are quickly spent but a business relationship will yield dividends for years, decades, for a career. Those relationships often start at a contest. The stories are numerous and varied and would fill a book and they are real. Auctioneer Contests ARE important to many many careers.

The 5 Tips for effective networking:

1. Greet each of your competitors at somepoint during the contest
2. Be supportive and encouraging when approprate. There is a fine line however.
3. Be a blessing when you are able
4. Follow up throughout the year
5. Be a genuine friend, give first, ask second

The truth is that you will not hit it off with each competitor. Further on contest day individual contestants may be standoffish, up tight or distracted. Give people their space, follow up afterwards or just move on to someone else. Make an attempt with everyone and focus on the auctioneers that respond to you. It takes one relationship, one chance conversation to change a career.

This blog post accompanies “How to Win an Auctioneer Contest: Part 2 – Why Contests are Important” and is offered in partnership with the Fast Talking Podcast and IACInsider.com.