SA auctioneers reveal their tips and tricks for creating 'FOMO' at sales

For years auctioneers have been using cheeky quips and one liners to get buyers over the line and create enjoyable atmospheres at sales and some of the industry's biggest names have shared their thoughts on how an auctioneer develops a memorable style.

"Double-o-the-dough" is now a line most people in the industry associate with Quality Livestock auctioneer David Whittenbury, who says he built his auctioneering style through watching the industry's best perform on the podium.

"I'd heard 'o-the-dough' used by other auctioneers and it was something that just rolls off the tongue for me," he said.

"For me it's a clarification for the gallery - I use 'triple-o' as well - so the gallery knows it's not $2200 but its $2000 for example.

"Another I say often is 'there you are buyers' when I'm introducing what I'm selling, that came from my auctioneering mentor Xavier Shanahan in Ballarat.

"I think as a young auctioneer you pick up the best bits of other auctioneers around you and create something that ends up being unique to you."

Engaging with the gallery in a light-hearted manner creates "FOMO" (fear of missing out) for those who aren't in attendance at stud sales according to Mr Whittenbury, who said it was one of the most important parts of an auctioneers job.

Some of an auctioneers' most memorable jokes come from bouncing off other agents or buyers at the sale says Mr Whittenbury, who has a unique relationship with another agent within the stud stock game.

"Ben Dohnt and I have been mates since we were 16 and we know the good, the bad and the ugly about each other," he said.

"We auction together at a few sales like Kattata Well and are able to take a few jabs and have a joke with each other during the sale.

"That's based on camaraderie and mutual respect of each other and something we've built over many years."

Mr Dohnt agreed his rapport with Mr Whittenbury was something special.

"Dave is probably one of the hardest people I've ever met," he said.

"You can say anything to him and it's like water off a duck's back so we can really stir each other up when we're selling together.

"You see similar thing with the Nutrien and the Elders fellas who spend three or four months of the year together and have built a great routine, respect and rapport with each other."

Mr Dohnt, Platinum Livestock, sells weekly at Dublin in addition to a handful of ram sales on the Eyre Peninsula and in the South East.

Although he is now completely comfortable in front of a crowd, he first cut his teeth at the Heifer Expo where he got a taste for the industry, and through selling at football club auctions and other events, he was able to grow his selling style from "complete stage fright" to "no trouble at all" in just eight years.

"It wasn't easy for me, but once I got a job as a stock agent I was able to put a lot of effort into selling and growing my confidence," he said.

"Some people are naturals and others have to work a bit harder to be comfortable on the podium, and through selling at commercial markets I'm a different person in front of a crowd than what I used to be.

"I've learnt what I can and can't say and I've made my selling style my own which is important for any auctioneer."

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A true stalwart of the industry, Elders auctioneer Tom Penna has been selling for more than two decades and says he's gotten cheekier with age.

"I think I can get away with it because I've built relationships with my clients and buyers, but it's not something people can do off the bat," he said.

"When you're a young auctioneer, you have to be humble and build the rapport rather than just going all in from the start.

"It's one of the best parts of the job and I wish more of our young agents were keen on auctioning because you can have a lot of fun with it once you build that respect and reputation."

Mr Penna said his best tips for auctioneers looking to get their start were to be respectful, humble and to know your audience but not to focus too much on a comedy routine.

"I find if you think it's gonna be funny, then it doesn't turn out that way," he said.

"But if it's off the cuff, then it's more natural and it helps just break up the mood of a crowd.

"There are ones you have in the back of your mind though, like 'back end like a Mack truck', you'd mention Andrew McLeod if it was Lot 23 or you can say 'you can cut rump steaks off its ears' if it's big and burly, but mostly they just flow without much preplanning."

Famous for his "back end like Beyonce" line, auctioneer Gordon Wood has been in the game almost two decades but says he wasn't initially drawn to auctioneering.

"It wasn't something I'd ever ever really even considered to be honest, but colleagues had told me I had a good strong voice so I gave it a go and thought it was pretty good fun," he said.

"My mom used to say when I was growing up that I spoke to hear the sound of my own voice and quite often growing up I was asked if I would mind shutting up.

"I was a fairly cheeky rabbit at school as well and in trouble for talking back a bit so cheeky one liners and such just fit into the persona I think."

Mr Wood sells alongside Nutrien agents Leo Redden, Richard Miller and Andrew Wilson, and says his relationship he has built with the agents outside of work has helped shaped his selling style.

"I'm quite fortunate to work with people I want to spend time with out of work - even though we already spend way too much time with each other - and it's helped create that banter when we're at the podium," he said.

"I enjoy the banter between between myself and Richie in particular - we have a pretty set similar sense of humor.

"The one thing that probably does need to be noted is he does steal most of my one liners, and I do chip him about that every time he does, but that's also just part of the banter."

Spence Dix & Co director Jonathan Spence said although some one-liners might be "corny", they were part of what made each auctioneer who they were.

"There's always those cringeworthy lines you hear at sales that have been around for 100 years," Mr Spence said.

"Gordon (Wood) loves to say deep as the Pacific Ocean or you'll hear agents say the buyer was here for eggs and bacon when they're buyer number one.

"When you're about to knock an animal and another bid comes through you might say 'I nearly broke my arm' - that's one you hear from myself and other auctioneers pretty often, but I think I first heard Tony Dowe say that which was incredibly funny to me.

"We could almost invoke a fine system for saying some of those corny lines - but they're classics for a reason and they fit into the different auctioneers selling styles."

Mr Dowe has been a big influence on Mr Spence's selling style, who says he has memories of Mr Dowe stopping mid sale to tell a story relating to whatever he was selling and then picking back up immediately, keeping his audience captivated throughout.

Although the ability to joke with the buyers, vendors and agents at a stud sale adds to the theater of the event according to Mr Spence, young auctioneers must learn to pick their moments and know their audience to ensure they don't get too ahead of themselves.

"I recall selling at a market one day and I said 'what are you thinking here boys' or something similar when addressing the buyers," he said.

"The senior auctioneer at the time spoke to me after the sale and said 'just to let you know young fella, they're all old enough to be your dad and most of them are old enough to be your grandfather, so you're certainly not endearing yourself to them by calling them boys - it's pretty disrespectful' - I never made that mistake again.

"There's no greater way to learn than by dealing with professional buyers and that's what you get at a fat market - they'll certainly give you a reality check when you need it as a young auctioneer."