Client Training
Overview:
MobilBid offers free Zoom training. While most clients don't need it, some feel more comfortable talking to a real person and going through the elements of setting up and running an auction.
Who should take the training:
Anyone who wants, or is required, to set up and administer a silent auction on the MobilBid platform.
General comfort with desktop/laptop computers and use of a web browser, and general use of a smartphone web browser and text messaging is an asset. As many people can participant as you wish.
Prerequisites:
While not mandatory, it is extremely advantageous to have a spreadsheet with some or all of the auction items listed, including the lot number, starting bid, minimum increment for each bid, item title and item description.
During the training, access to a desktop/laptop computer with a web browser is needed.
Timing:
Approximately 60 minutes on the telephone with a MobilBid staff member.
What is covered:
- Overview of general MobilBid terminology and system design (“account” vs “organization” vs “auction”; “patron” and patron retention; left-side and right-side menus)
- How to create a new organization, set up default invoice and messaging information
- Set up a Stripe credit card merchant account, or link to an existing Stripe account (optional, but highly recommended)
- How to create (or duplicate) an auction
- Access the auction Dashboard
- Understand the auction Settings:
- General Settings:
- Do you want to require credit cards to be entered before a patron makes their first bid (in which case their payment will be made automatically at closing time)
- Do you want to allow proxy bidding (where a patron sets a maximum they are willing to pay for a specific item, and the system will bid automatically in increments on their behalf up to that maximum amount)
- Landing Pages (optional)
- Sponsors - images and text for display on leaderboards (optional)
- Leaderboards for big-screen display to patrons (optional)
- Donations (optional)
- Invoice Configuration (override Organization settings - optional)
- Set up the auction Messages (update pre-populated templates to use language and labels that works for the event) for email and text messages that patrons might receive
- Message Settings (override Organization settings - optional)
- Set up Categories - group similar types of auction items together (optional)
- Set up auction Items - upload a spreadsheet with all details or enter them one-by-one (both can be used in combination)
- Upload auction item images (optional)
- Upload any pre-registered patrons from a spreadsheet (name, cell-phone, email) (optional)
- Set the schedule to automate the auction: start and end times. Concepts of auction status: “planning” >> “preview” >> “running” >> “postview” >> “closed”. Choose notifications to be sent (optional)
- Understand what information to give out to patrons so they can access the auction on their phones (dedicated local phone number)
- How to test the auction (set to run, test, set to postview - then duplicate the auction, change the name to identify the test versus the real)
- Understand how to:
- Edit patrons, concept of a “trusted” patron
- Troubleshoot those who can't successfully login (generally they type a wrong number...)
- How to place bids or proxy bids on behalf of someone who does not have a phone, etc.
- How to send broadcasts during the middle of an auction to your patrons
- Void unwanted bids (very rare)
- How to view reports, invoices, unpaid invoices, etc.
- Deal with those that don't want to pay by credit card, how to split an invoice, how to resend invoices, etc.
Five minute rule: If you can’t figure something out on your own in five minutes, please call - you’ve likely missed a simple concept.