Controlling that nervous energy is the biggest battle that any auctioneer faces.

Irrespective of whether there are buyers out there or not, an auctioneer needs to be able to handle their nerves. Those nerves that scramble the brain with rushing thoughts about everything else that is going on. Those nerves that make the stomach turn & make you short of breath.

What if you could turn those nerves into something that drives you to success? What if you could use that ‘negative’ energy to give you lazer-focus on the job at hand?

The 2 Places That Nervous Energy Effects

1) The Mind

There is so much going on in all of our lives. Work, home, finances, relationships, other commitments all take up space in our minds, making it increasingly hard to focus on 1 task. There’s that much going on ‘between the ears’, that it’d feel almost impossible to then focus on the various elements of an auction.

Tony Rolt, our rugby coach at school and also my House-Master, was an unwavering bloke. He never threatened, but always promised to punish us if we did anything stupid on the field of play.

Mr Rolt was also a rather educated and philosophical chap, and during a tough time he said something that has stuck with me throughout my life. We had received some rough news within our family, and being a stroppy teenager at the time I struggled to manage with the news. Mr Rolt had been made aware of our issue, and upon seeing me struggle hauled me into his office.

The Meeting That Changed My Life

At that age there was a lot going on in my life. Exams, school commitments, coming to terms with not being very good with women to name a few, and then this news hit. I broke down in Mr Rolt’s office, clearly confused and upset with what had transpired at home, and feeling a pressure unlike anything I had ever felt.

In order to get me to focus on one thing at a time, Mr Rolt put it into the context of the rugby field. He said:

“Reidy, when you head out onto the rugby field, you don’t have your phone with you. You don’t have any communication with your family or loved ones, nor can you affect anything that is happening outside of that field of play. That field becomes your sanctuary that allows you to detach from the outside world. Even just for 80 minutes you can leave your worries on the sidelines.”

Then came the line that I’ve carried with me forever:

“When you cross that white line & run onto the field, nothing else matters.’

It is this incredible thought process that has allowed me to become so focussed at each auction. Sure we all have things going on, but for the 20 minutes that I’m conducting that auction there is nothing I can do to affect any of it. I can’t pick up my phone. That appraisal call will have to wait. I can’t even check my social media. All I can do is call that auction.

It has made the auction arena my ‘happy place’! It has become my sanctuary that gives me temporary rest-bite from everything else that is going on in my life. It’s the same for all of us, so take the chance to free your mind!

2) The Soul

Feeling the nerves as the do somersaults in your belly? Good!

That nervous energy is produced whenever we effectively feel threatened. It is an adrenaline rush that puts our bodies into ‘fight or flight‘ mode, enabling us to operate at a higher level so that we can act and react accordingly.

I’ve always said that the day that I am not nervous about an auction is the day it will go wrong! Why?

This nervous energy is such a pure form of energy. It allows my brain to operate at a much greater pace and clarity. Not only this, but also the boost in physical energy allows me to increase my vocal power and sharpen my movements.

It’s like a very natural drug that enhances all of your senses and brings a higher standard of being out for a brief moment. So embrace those nerves, because they are about to bring out the super-hero out in you too!

Want to find out more? Contact Andy to book in a training session with you and/or your team.

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