Auctioneering as a craft has a perception that it is merely ‘counting loudly’.

However to be a truly great auctioneer, you need to resonate with buyers, not deafen them!

The vast majority of our communication is done via the context, not the content of what we say. A simple analogy of this is in cooking, whereby it is the cooking of the ingredients that makes the meal, not simply the ingredients themselves.

The Power Of Tonality

What we are saying needs to be reflected in how we are saying it. For example, if you want to be light hearted then it would make sense to have a light tone to your voice. Likewise if you wanted to smash a major point home you would want to d0 it with a degree of authority.

This is so important in auctioneering. Buyers are naturally distracted by the situation they are in, so the probability is that they are not listening to your actual words. It therefore makes complete sense that a lot of the great auctioneers use light & shade to connect with their audience.

A great example of tonality at work is when we talk to children. At a very young age they will not understand a word of what you are saying. However they will understand that if you are high-pitched they have been good, & if you are telling them off your voice becomes lower & more authoritative.

Sir David Attenborough- The King Of Tonality

Have you ever watched a nature programme narrated by Sir David? The incredible bit about any of his programmes is that you know exactly what the animals are doing. It is not through the footage, nor is it through what he says (I bet you can’t remember the name of anything he’s commentating about!). As a spectator you know what’s going on through the context & tonality of what he is saying.

Handy Exercise- Close Your Eyes!

The easiest way to see how good you are is to hear yourself in action. Take away the other senses like sight for example and just listen to your form. You will quickly discover whether you’re bright and engaging, or whether you are dull and lifeless. Do you really think the latter will inspire buyers to bid on the property?!

When you practise tone changes you need to exaggerate them. By going to 110% of your capacity in the lab, you will work to around 85% in public. That will sound rather good indeed.

With Tonality comes volume. Watch our episode on volume here.

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