Sherry Truhlar
President | Red Apple Auctions
Alexandria, VA, UNITED STATES
Benefit auctioneer & mentor to PTA Moms and savvy volunteers planning school auctions & charity auctions that raise MORE money.
Media
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Biography
After her work as a benefit auctioneer landed her on TLC and E! Style cable shows within months of launching her company, Sherry Truhlar reconsidered her plans to return to work as a corporate event planner at GE.
Now as an award-winning benefit auctioneer and educator, she guides committees in how to properly plan auction gala fundraisers to achieve higher returns on their donated merchandise.
Her unique approach to teaching non-profits and schools has led to recognition in Town & Country magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, AUCTIONEER and other publications. She's a prolific blogger and frequent speaker.
In her first year as a licensed auctioneer, Sherry claimed the Virginia Auctioneers Association (VAA) Rookie of the Year title, competing against other men and women to win top honors with her “presentation style and direct bid calling technique.” In 2009, she took 3rd place in a field of 18 auctioneers competing for the 31st Virginia State Champion Auctioneer Contest. Judges commented on her “ability to develop immediate audience rapport.”
She lives in the Washington, DC area.
Industry Expertise (3)
Fund-Raising
Events Services
Non-Profit/Charitable
Areas of Expertise (8)
Charity Event Fundraising Best Practices
Psychology in Auctions
Charity Auctions
School Auctions
Benefit Auctions
Fundraisers
Fundraising
Fundraising Best Practices
Accomplishments (3)
CAI - Certified Auctioneer Institute (professional)
Known as "the auctioneer's MBA," this 3-year course of study is the most elite certification offered from the National Auctioneers Association.
BAS - Benefit Auction Specialist (professional)
Offered by the National Auctioneers Association, less than 5% of auctioneers have successfully secured this designation.
CMP - Certified Meeting Professional (professional)
The Convention Industry Council website states that the CMP is "the foremost certification of the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry ... recognizing individuals who have achieved the industry's highest standard of professionalism."
Education (2)
Emporia State University (Kansas): BA & BS, Communication & Public Affiars
University of Wollongong (Australia): MA, International Affairs
Affiliations (3)
- http://www.RedAppleAuctions.com/blog
- National Auctioneers Association
- Virginia Auctioneers Association
Links (2)
Languages (1)
- English
Testimonials (1)
See 100s of testimonials on my website, Multiple | Many organizations and individuals
View videos and comments from guests and clients at this page: http://www.redappleauctions.com/about/clients/
Event Appearances (5)
Silent Auction Secrets
San Diego Association of Nonprofits (SANDAN) + DonationMatch Seminar for Auction Planners San Diego, CA
2011-11-09
Benefit Auction Technology Tips & Tricks: What to buy and bypass
VAMPI (Virginia Chapter of MPI, Meeting Planners International) Hampton, VA
2011-08-18
Silent Auction Savvy: Five Changes To Produce Higher ROI in your Benefit Auction Tonight
EduTech Benefit Auction Training Radnor, PA
2011-11-03
Ten Simple Changes To Improve Your Benefit Auction's ROI
Texas Association of Symphony Orchestras Annual Conference Tyler, TX
2014-05-02
Sherry speaks and performs MONTHLY. This page is not kept up to date.
She works all over the USA. View her calendar (right column) here: www.RedAppleAuctions.com
2015-08-01
Sample Talks (3)
Irresistible Fundraising: Strategies To Get Guests To Throw Down Cash
Guests who have a great time at your event will return the next year. Guests who have a bad time won't. To maintain your creative edge and reputation for producing a top-flight event, engaging the audience is key. In this talk, you'll learn: 1) ideas on how to spice up any gathering (not just a benefit auction) and make a few hundred bucks to thousands of dollars for your charity. 2) Identifying the #1 thing you?ll need to consider as you?re planning your event in order to make the most money possible from your selected strategy. (It's such a simple thing, but so overlooked.) 3) Two secrets for using "bells and whistles" to get your event to be buzz-worthy among your local newspapers and social life magazines. (Get that elusive pre-event coverage as well as bask in the afterglow of phenomenal P.R.!) 4) Execute a "bell" that can be used at 99% of events, even at the strictest of organizations which may discourage games of chance on religious or ethical grounds.
Benefit Auction Technology and Trends: Tools and tricks that get guests to give
Hold on to your hat (and wallet)! Technology gadgets of all sorts have hit the charity auction circuit and a whirlwind of press has surrounded the newcomers. But before you and your committee start sinking money into the gold rush, take a deep breath and learn what tools you REALLY need to make your auction profitable. You'll leave this presentation with a clear understanding of the mass of vendors (text bidding? iPhone gadgets?) pushing their products into the fundraising auction space. Regardless of your gala’s size, you’ll learn what makes sense to use first, when to use what tool, and when to turn and run in the other direction.
The Marketing Savvy Behind Outrageously Profitable Silent Auctions
Head to your local shopping center and start stealing ... ideas, that is. Your charity auction depends on it. What’s the difference between a Lincoln MKX and a Ford Edge? Marketing! The cars are virtually identical, but the Lincoln retails for $12,000 more. When you start to use the same marketing tricks the big companies do, your little benefit auction can realize some impressive gains. For some organizations, even modest gains of 5% to 10% can mean thousands of dollars to your bottom line. In this presentation, Sherry Truhlar (a former GE marketing manager) will share 1) how to analyze your current performance so you’ll know how badly your auction needs to improve, 2) how to transform your marketing mess into a pile of money, and 3) provide a structure to track future progress.
Style
Availability
- Keynote
- Workshop Leader
- Author Appearance
Social