AUCTIONEER TUTELAGE
Auctioneering is a performance art – part circus ringmaster, television game-show host and market street trader. These are just some prerequisites for a successful and effective auctioneer.
As International Director of Auctioneering at Christie's for more than a decade, Hugh was responsible globally for the on-going appraising of the seventy established auctioneers and in charge of identifying and training new ones.
Hugh's tried and tested training program imparts his experience and expertise of 35 years in a Christie’s rostrum to both practising and novice auctioneers.
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For enquiries or any further information, please do get in touch with Hugh.
TESTIMONIALS
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There is no doubt in my mind, that during the ten years as Christie’s International Director for Auctioneering, under his leadership and guidance, Hugh not only considerably increased the standard, quality and professionalism of our existing global team of seventy auctioneers, but also successfully identified and trained many new ones.
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Jussi Pylkkänen
Global President | Christie's
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We have eleven auctioneers at Woolley and Wallis and over a period of several months Hugh monitored all of us. He watched and videoed each of us on the rostrum then followed it up with one to one sessions pointing out our strengths and weaknesses. I have no doubt that our overall standard of auctioneering has improved considerably thanks to Hugh’s help and advice.
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Paul Viney ASFAV
Chairman | Woolley & Wallis Salisbury Salerooms Ltd
As auctioneers we work hard to persuade clients to consign items for auctions and then catalogue, condition report and photograph them to provide the buyer with the best possible information upon which to make a purchase. The whole process though is subject to the skill of the auctioneer who has probably less than one minute to convert all that hard work into a ‘success story’ – both to the benefit of the vendor and the auction house. Why wouldn’t we look at that part of the process?
Hugh came and observed (and even filmed) our auctioneers in various sales and then provided detailed individual feed back to each auctioneer about their technique. This was done on a one to one confidential basis so that nobody felt exposed to any criticism in front of their peers but all of our auctioneers afterwards commented that it was a positive experience and that any suggestions about technique were offered in a friendly and constructive way. My own feedback made me realise that ‘an old dog could be taught new tricks’ and I would thoroughly recommend Hugh’s training.
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Stephen Whittaker
Managing Director | Fellows Auctioneers Ltd