Side Line is a Slide Line
By: Rich Haas
- Auctioneer - Real Estate Broker - Appraiser - President and Owner -

A “side line” is a slide line. It gives you a chance to do nothing well. While you’re supposed to be doing one thing, you are thinking about another thing.

As auctioneers, we are in a people business. We encounter all kinds of once-in-a-lifetime, get in on the ground floor, make five million in three months too good to be true opportunities. All kinds of multi-level marketing schemes come our way if we circulate around enough and they are all rags to riches stories. 

I’ve heard many pitches about getting involved in this or that, with all the dollar signs spinning around like sugar plum fairies. If you do get involved in any of them what will happen is that you will take your two most valuable resources, your time and your ability and dilute them both. In addition to being twice as busy with half the income, your stress level will start soaring. Eventually the excitement of the scheme will wear off and you will go back to doing what you do well and even enjoy most of the time. A Professional Auctioneer, which for most of us in the Auctioneer Profession has been the bedrock foundation.

This story has always rung true. Years ago the previous year’s Cy Young award winner (voted the best pitcher in the major leagues) was Jim Katt. His fastball was awesome and was what really won him the award. At spring training the following year, the pitching coach caught him trying to throw sliders instead of fastballs. He went nuts. “Throw what you know how to throw and quit screwing around with this other junk,” he said. Katt followed the advice and has several more years of success with the fastball. This is good advice for all of us.

We all have a finite amount of time and energy to put into a career. We also have a limited amount of focus. It’s very easy to wander off and believe the grass is greener somewhere else. THE FACT IS, YOU STILL HAVE TO MOW IT.

We get caught up in the dream of unlimited income, lots of freedom to choose when and where we will work and the chance to be our own boss. THAT SOUNDS TO ME A LOT LIKE AN AUCTIONEER CAREER. We would do well to remind ourselves why we attended auctioneers school and got into this business in the first place.

One of my closest auctioneer friends and an instructor at the Continental Auctioneers School in Mankato, Minnesota, in his application wrote out his reasons for being an auctioneer. It goes something like this: 

•    I get an opportunity to make a good living for my family.

•    I can go on vacation anytime I can afford it.

•    I meet lots of interesting people.

•    I am the controller of my business and my success.

•    I perform an important function.

•    I help a lot of people attain their needs.

•    I like the auction business.

•    I can build an organization and hire people to work for me.

•    I can expand my efforts through the arms and legs of other people.

•    I like being smart enough to do this.

 Quit looking for that future fortune. Dedicate yourself to the auction business, and you and yours will be well rewarded.

 Success to you and have a bunch of great auctions!!