2019 Spring Newsletter

MAA Members,

What a great convention was put on by Riverswest Auction Company and hosted at the Red Lion Inn of Polson! The Red Lion went above and beyond to accommodate attendees as did Reed, Jason, Travis and crew. Hats off to all for a well run convention!

As with any organization there is always feedback, most good along with constructive. A couple of items brought up were the Pledge of Allegiance at start of each day (A great start to any venue), also was the possibility of bringing in an NAA designation course; the board is checking into the feasibility of doing this. In past years it required a certain number of students to make it justifiable. Folks this is all your association and your board of directors is always looking for ideas to keep your association progressive. If you have ideas please let us know. If you would like to run for the board of directors start thinking about it now and find someone to nominate you or express an interest to do so. If you would like to nominate someone for the MAA Hall of Fame please let us know. The MAA will keep progressing if you are willing to step forward and help!

If you did not have the chance to attend you certainly missed a great opportunity to listen to some fine speakers as well as the camaraderie of fellow auctioneers. We had some of the best speakers in the industry, as with most attendees I always seem to gain very useful knowledge to better myself, my business and my customer service. Successful companies are always looking to keep up with current trends within their industries and further their knowledge and seem to progress better than those who do not.

A fellow that I have a lot of respect for once told me there are 3 things they can never take away from you, your name, your education & your reputation! Seems we are in control of a couple of those.

Best of Luck,
Kevin

POLSON – Six points separated the top five finalists at the conclusion of the preliminary round during the 2019 Montana State Bid-Call Championship.

Twenty contestants competed for a champion title in the ballroom at the Red Lion Ridgewater Inn on Friday. The competition was held for the first time ever in Polson. Rivers West Auction hosted the convention. Each year, the Montana Auctioneers Association state convention moves to a different location around the state to bring attention to the auction method of marketing.

Contestants sold items in front of the general public during the live auction. Items included clothing, horse tack, home décor, tools and much more. These items were put together from local businesses, including CHS-Mountain West Coop, Westland Seed and Carquest of Ronan.

Five finalists returned to the stage in the final round and auctioned off three items. Montana’s Steven Goedert was not only named the new champion but was also competing in this contest for the first time. “What an honor it is to be here, friends,” Goedert said to the crowd.

Goedert joins a list of 25 other champions on the Del Strommen Memorial trophy that travels with each champion for their year. Goedert has been competing at the national level for some time now and has qualified for this year’s World Livestock Marketing Auctioneer Championship in Tulare, California in early June. He can be found selling at weekly livestock auctions in sale barns in both Dillon and Ramsey Montana.

Robert McDowell III of Butte was recognized as the first runner up with a plaque. Jayson Shobe of Lewistown was the second runner up, and Rookie of the Year was awarded to Daniel Yoder of Stevensville.

Five judges critiqued the contestants in four different categories, including introduction and appearance, clarity, rhythm and hiring probability. Buddy Westphal was one of five judges who sat through the contest Saturday night. Westphal, who owns Valley View Charolaise, holds a bull sale each spring at his western Montana ranch. “I have to say, I’ve been bringing an auctioneer from California for a number of years, but there are some good candidates right here.”

The two-day annual convention was busy from breakfast to dinner each day. Members of the association soaked up information presented by speakers from the National Auctioneers Association’s speaking panel. Tim Mast, Mike Brandly and John Hamilton were this year’s featured speakers who spoke about the keys to successful auctions, auction laws, negotiating and everything in-between.

During the Saturday meeting, it was decided by the members at large to host the 2020 event in Billings, Montana. Followers of the association can always keep updated on news, upcoming auctions and member information at montanaauctioneers.org.

It’s with cold, stiff fingers I am writing today due to the polar express winter we’ve been dealt with this year. I’ve never seen so many posts of -30, -40 degree temperatures in my life. Hopefully we’ve rounded the corner and spring will be upon us by the time this gets printed.

We’re seeing tremendous interest in equipment from buyers miles even states, away, which, in part I attribute to rising costs of new equipment and farmers & ranchers struggling with prices they’re getting (not getting) from the commodities. Our empathy goes out to them especially in weather like this for continuing to do what they love so we can have food on our table.

For those who missed the convention in Polson - well you missed a great time, not only the camaraderie but the education was second to none. If you have a chance this next year give another Thanks to Mike Brandley, Tim Mast & John Hamilton for not only sharing their wisdom with us so we can be better auctioneers but also for the travel and time they take from their families to be with us. Thank you Jason, Reed and staff for coordinating the auction, meetings and all the behind the scene details - job well done.

MAA’s financial position remains strong and solid with a comfortable $31,750 in our account and I’d be remiss if I didn’t give Taryn credit and thanks for keeping us all in order.

Good Luck to you all this next year and may we all strive to impress our buyers and sellers that AUCTIONS WORK!

Article by Reed Tobol, MAA Director

If you book one auction, you want to book two. If you have a big house, you want a bigger house. Do you see where this is going? It is a struggle I, along with many others face every day. For as long as I can remember, I have always pushed until I couldn’t push anymore to reach my goals. More times than not, my persistence has paid off. Maybe it is how I was raised or maybe it could just be a bug I caught at a young age that works against me just as much as it helps me. The stress that is caused by all of the chaos often makes me wonder if it’s worth it. The short of the story is, I have been blessed with more opportunities in my short 27 years in this world than most will ever see in their lifetime, and yet, the urgency to want more never goes away. I know I am not alone in this and it is not an easy thing to admit and write about.

The reality is, no matter how many sales we book, how many toys we have or dollars we stash in our vaults, we will always be hungry for more. With that being said, let’s look at our lives right now. Look at what we do have that we take for granted. Personally, my wife and I are nearly 30 weeks pregnant with our first born child, our upcoming crop year on the family farm is looking promising, there have been strong auction leads coming in and above all, my family is safe and healthy. Now, tell me what I have to complain about! You see, folks, it is far more natural for us to see what we don’t have than it is to see what we actually DO HAVE. It doesn’t matter what you think you should have or where you think you should be, as much as it matters that you understand it is not in your hands. The man above has a plan for all of us whether we like to believe it or not. It is our sole purpose to accept that and enjoy everything he blesses our lives with and trust that enough… is actually… enough.

Entering year four of this highly successful campaign, the National Auctioneers Association continues to encourage members to further auction industry awareness through social media sharing and interaction

By NAA Staff

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (Feb. 14, 2019) – The National Auctioneers Association (NAA) has announced its plans for 2019’s National Auctioneers Week (April 29 – May 4). National Auctioneers Day is set for Saturday, May 4.

Now in its fourth year, the social media campaign, which encourages members to share specific messages each day, and use #AuctionsWork, #NAAPro, and “Success with our #NAAPro,” has succeeded in conveying the importance of auctions and NAA auctions professionals to the general public.

Tim Mast, CAI, AARE, president of the National Auctioneers Association, said that NAA uses auction professionals to help promote the benefits of using professionals.

"Marketing firms cost a lot of money, but we've experienced a lot of success with more of a grassroots approach, providing tools to our members – who have client lists of thousands – to get the message out," he said. "And besides, who better to talk about the benefits of using auctions than auction professionals!"

During the week, NAA members are asked to share stories, links, infographics, photos, and videos, with the goal of increasing awareness of the auction industry. They will highlight client and customer successes, and show their commitment to charitable causes. This year, participants will also be encouraged to interact with state elected officials and directly thank their clients through Facebook and other social media.

Each day of National Auctioneers Week will include an email and social media posts with easy-to-follow instructions. Daily activities are as follows:

Logo Monday – Overlay your social media profile pic with a specially created frame from the NAA, or change your profile pic to the NAA logo.

Teach ‘em Tuesday – Share the link to our Auction Adventures game along with what you would teach future auctioneers.

Walk The Talk Wednesday – Share the NAA infographic about the association’s advocacy efforts and tag your elected officials.

Banner Success Thursday – Post photos and videos of your clients holding your “Success with our #NAAPro!” sign. Share why you are a member of NAA and why people should hire an NAA Pro. #NAAPro #AuctionsWork

Philanthropy Friday – Share photos and stories of how you’ve helped organizations and people through the past year. Tag them and #AuctionsWork #NAAPro.

Celebration Saturday – It’s National Auctioneers Day! Share a message of thanks to your clients and invite them to connect with you. NAA will supply the “thank you” graphic. #NAAPro #AuctionsWork

For more information or questions, email .

Please make plans to join the Montana Auctioneers Association Tuesday April 9th 2019 at 8:00 for the Inaugural Montana Auctioneers Association Day At The Capitol. Members will be able to be a part of history as we will advocate for the auction profession at the Montana State Capitol. Senator Scott Sales (R) has offered to donate a Montana Flag in which we will be selling at Auction on the House Floor while in session. Senator Sales and Sen. Steve Hinebauch (R) have been working with J.K. Kinsey to organize this event. We will send out a complete itinerary closer to the event.

This will be a great way to kick off National Auctioneers Week with many photo and video opportunities!

Email: J.K. Kinsey or Nick Bennett