Having your first sale by auction can be very overwhelming! We’ve put together a list of key elements that make for a successful female, bull or production sale. Use this list to check-off items to do before your biggest day of the year!
These are important reminders for anyone having their first or 20th sale.
9 months - 2 years before
- Set your date - make sure it works for anyone that has to be involved (i.e. consignors, sale staff, and location) and avoids any date conflicts.
- Confirm all sale staff you want involved – auctioneer, ringmen, blockman and sale manager.
3-6 months before
- Make a list of all animals you would like in the sale. This list may change slightly, but it’s important to get an idea.
- Book your sale facility. Make sure you understand fully what is included with the location rental fee (Things you might ask about: help in the back, lunch room, cleaning services, office help, clerking, bathrooms, etc.. so you know what to expect out of your facility!).
- Contact advertisement agencies and publications for advertisement deadlines, publication dates, ad sizes and pricing. Confirm which advertisements you would like to place.
- Choose a graphic designer – having all sale promotion looking the same is key to a successful advertising campaign. Keep a consistent look for your entire sale promotion by booking this through an advertising agency. Once you have your advertisement deadlines, be sure to share these with your designer as soon as possible, so that they can plan for these.
- Be sure to ask your graphic designer about the sale catalog deadline. Catalogs should hit mailboxes 2-3 weeks before a sale. Allow time for catalog designing, printing and mailing.
- Make feeding decisions to prepare cattle for sale-day. Be sure cattle are looking their best by your picture deadline too.
- Pregnancy check any bred females in the sale offering. You don’t want to keep preparing these animals for sale if for some reason they did not get bred.
2-3 Months before
- If carcass data is being collected, book the ultrasound technician you will be using. Make sure they can have the data back to you in plenty of time for your catalog deadline.
- Get all samples collected and submitted for DNA results.
- Choose a livestock photographer/videographer or make plans to do this yourself. Photographers book up fast, so make sure you are on their calendar. If you are planning to photograph yourself, start preparing a photo location by preparing the grass, getting a proper pen ready and lining up picture day help.
- If you are using an online bidding provider, book them to secure your date and technician.
- Clip sale cattle. If hiring someone to do this, be sure to book them several weeks or sometimes months in advance.
- Customer follow-up and phone calls – touch base with people from shows, industry events, previously interested in your cattle and past customers to a.) let them know you are having a sale and b.) to make sure you have their correct address. Follow-up with past customers should happen all year long.
- Make sure all upcoming sale information can be easily accessed on your website and social media. It’s never to early to start letting people know that you are having a sale. Keep sale information updated as details progress.
1-2 months before
- Hire any other sale-day help including help in the back to bring cattle through the sale ring or someone to run the video sale, sale-day cattle preparation, preparing and serving lunch, clerking, insurance agent, cattle transporters for after the sale, cattle transporters to the sale (should you need) and any other help that may be needed for the few days leading up to and on sale day.
- If the sale is being hosted at home, prepare your location. Give everyone involved a job to get things in order including painting, cleaning, yard work, decor , fixing fence and more. Presentation is everything, so be sure to have your place in top order for your guests.
- Submit all information needed to register and have EPDs on all of your sale animals prior to your catalog deadline.
- Prepare a marketing handout to have at local events. Talk to your graphic designer to prepare a postcard, flyer, marketing handouts, etc... to have at local shows, industry events and national Hereford activities the few months leading up to your sale.
- Submit all information and pictures to catalog designer by the deadline you have both agreed upon.
- Start preparing your mailing list. Your mailing house will need your addresses at the time your catalog is printed.
1 month before
- If you need health certificates for travel to a sale location, contact your veterinarian to have in the necessary time.
- Finalize all meal and hospitality details.
- Make sure seating, power, bathrooms and display pens are in order. Have access to anything needed for cattle at sale facility (i.e. Grooming, Grain, Watering, Hay, etc...).
2 weeks before
- Follow-up with phone calls to make sure everyone is receiving your sale catalog. This is a great opportunity to invite them to the upcoming sale and another opportunity to touch base with them.
