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Nov 12, 2007 7:41 am US/Central
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Odd Jobs: Fast-Talking Auctioneer
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
For many of us, Monday morning means it's time to head back to work. Well, some of us have jobs that are bit more unusual than others. This week in our Odd Jobs series, we profile one of the best auctioneers in the state.
Kurt Johnson is not only an auctioneer. He also teaches his craft. And as I learned, there is much more to this odd job than just fast talking.
The question that Johnson often gets is: how did you learn to talk like that? Johnson, like most auctioneers, went to school for it.
"It is a one-week course designed for people to take a week of vacation and go down to learn the trade of being an auctioneer. It is a skill," he said. "It is intense, go in for one week and then you come out."
Johnson is the first person in Minnesota to specialize in benefit auctions, like one for the March of Dimes held last week in Minneapolis.
Before he takes the microphone at an event, Johnson often spends weeks meeting with organizers advising them how to make the most of their fundraising effort. Then when the big night arrives, he is all about reading the audience.
"We are watching people's faces and descriptions. If somebody is like this or they are kind of hesitating, or their spouses are in their ear, or their spouse is telling them no, we'll change the way we do things. 'It's OK, you can bid again,' or 'Just think of where the money is going,'" he said.
But just as important as it is to coax and push someone to bid more, Johnson says you have to know when to stop.
During his 18 years as an auctioneer, Johnson has helped raise about $20 million for non-profit groups across the state. He teaches at an auctioneering school in Mason City, Iowa. The closest school to the Twin Cities is down in Mankato.
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