Jacqueline Towers-Perkins
“I want to create a great sense of togetherness. I want to show a community coming together to fight for an important mission.”
Jacqueline Towers-Perkins is an Auctioneer and CEO and Founder of Towers & Co, an auctioneer agency and fundraising consultancy delivering white glove service for galas and benefit events globally.
Her clients include international royalty from His Majesty King Charles III to Jay-Z and Beyonce, and she has shared the stage with leaders of finance, entertainment, tech, and politics. Over the years she has auctioneered to thousands of bidders and raised millions for charity. She previously held senior positions at top global auction houses including Sotheby’s New York.
As an auctioneer, you’re essentially responsible for the energy in the room. How do you use words to accelerate or slow down the tempo of an auction?
Though I have a background as both a professional commercial auctioneer and a benefit auctioneer, my work now primarily focuses on the latter. At a charity fundraiser, I tend to set two kinds of tones in the room. I often lead the live auction, but I also take hold of what I tend to call the “mission moment.” Some people call it a paddle raise or a fund need. It's that moment where everybody can just donate, whereas in the live auction, you have a certain number of lots that people are competing to win.
For the live auction, I try to create a sense of excitement and energy and positivity. I need to get the audience on my side, so it’s a playful moment I create through a lot of dynamic language. Of course, the auctioneer's traditional “going once, going twice, sold” creates that tension. But as importantly, I allow pauses between the bids to give everyone that final chance. Often, you can hear a pin drop in those moments because people are waiting to see if we will sell it to a particular person or if someone else will jump in.
The live auction is for levity and excitement, so as we go into that mission moment, I try to change my tone and language. This is the moment to be educational, to convey the seriousness of the organization to people and remind them what we're raising money for. So, I go from lighthearted and entertaining to showing gratitude and earnestness. That switch gives a sense of empowerment to people as well, so they feel they are part of the organization’s goals.
I use examples of where their money could go, putting it in tangible terms so people have a sense of the impact they can make. It’s important to show a huge amount of gratitude when people do give. I want to create a great sense of togetherness. I want to show a community coming together to fight for an important mission.
It is during the mission moment that the emotional rewards of my work become profoundly evident. Seeing the room come together to support a cause and witnessing the tangible impact of their contributions is incredibly fulfilling. It’s these moments that reaffirm why I do what I do—knowing that the funds raised will make a significant difference in people’s lives and feeling the collective spirit of generosity and hope in the room.
The @andreabocellifoundation at Forte de Marmi in Italy.
Do you ever script out what you’re going to say during an auction?
I do, to some extent. It is vital to partner with the organizations that hire me, sometimes planning and strategizing months in advance, so I have a good understanding of their mission and what we're raising money for.
It's really important to know the audience. Are they longstanding donors who are clued in on where every dollar is going? Are they brand new to the organization? Maybe this is a great educational moment. It's absolutely vital to be well-versed in the fundraising machinery. I think quite thoroughly about how best to present each lot and what information will be useful to those who might bid. I make myself a little script, and I’m ready to go.
Then it's down to the people in the room and how things go on the night, and so much of what I say is based on what the audience brings to me. In terms of the smaller points like a script or jokes, I can't prepare for any of that because it absolutely depends on how people react to what’s being auctioned, the appetite for the bidding on the night, and how people interact with me.
It's a failure if people are not participating. I need people to engage. Quite frankly, it makes for a more exciting performance that entertains other people. It increases the competition and the values.
What's the weirdest thing that ever happened to you at an auction?
Charity bidding is relatively more straightforward in how people bid, but at auction houses, you've got to be aware of people's ways of bidding, and they can be very strange. For the most part, we see people putting their hands up to bid. “I'll bid 100,000.” Very clear!
But not everyone is so clear, and I think sometimes navigating those micro behaviors takes some getting used to. Some people touch their nose, or give a little wave, or don't even look at you. Understanding how individuals are trying to communicate with you, while also trying to create an engaging performance, takes some balance.
“I often remind fundraisers what we're trying to do here. We are raising money. We are driving audience participation. Don’t ever lose sight of that.”
What should fundraisers never do, especially if they're trying to mount an auction?
For so many nonprofits a beautiful gala is their fundraising for the year. It’s keeping the lights on for the next 12 months, feeding bellies, saving dogs, working for change.
But a gala can be 90% of a nonprofit’s operating budget. When I'm brought into those conversations as the one who will be raising the large bulk of the money on that night, I often remind fundraisers what we're trying to do here. We are raising money. We are driving audience participation. Don’t ever lose sight of that.
Organizers can sometimes get distracted by everything a big night entails because it is such a big job. So many details, so much execution. But in my experience, it's not lovely table tablecloths or more expensive flowers, though I understand the necessity of creating a great experience. Every decision should be about the bottom line: getting people to put their hand up and bid or make a pledge to donate.
What is your favorite wall decoration in your home?
I have this great textile work by the artist Natalie Baxter. It’s the American flag repurposed with found materials. She takes what I would say are traditionally feminine materials and fabrics and repositions them into quite masculine iconography. Guns, flags, eagles, those kinds of things, but she also makes these wild quilts and housecoats. I got to visit her in her studio, and to have that up on the wall after choosing it and meeting her is really beautiful.
Natalie Baxter: SPECIAL fabric and polyfill // 18 x 28 inches // 2017