Fast Talking

The decision has come down in the South Dakota v. Wayfair case. The 5 to 4 split decision by the Supreme Court could change how auction administration is handled forever. Due to this fact, host Andy Imholte, along with guest John Schultz break down the opinion of the court, and discuss possible next steps. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Episode LinkAuctionTax.comSCTOUS Blog Recap The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.  

South Dakota v. Wayfair is a case before the Supreme Court that may change the face of the entire auction industry. Due to this fact, host Andy Imholte, along with guests John Schultz and Jim Fahey break down the testimony from Tuesday, April 17, 2018. After considering the testimony, they breakdown a few points of interest. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Episode LinkAuctionTax.comMore Perfect Podcast The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.  

Tax law can be very complicated and frustrating, and a upcoming case before the US Supreme Court will only make it more so. In this episode, host Andy Imholte and guest John Schultz outline South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. and how it could regulate auction companies out of business. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Episode LinkAuctionTax.com The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

For over 5 years the Fast Talking Podcast has provided great education for auction professionals so why not look back at the Top 10 lessons learned for this milestone. In this special issue host Andy Imholte, also looks back with a thanks to the many listeners and people who have helped make 200 episodes happen. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

After nearly 200 episodes a few lessons how to build a successful podcast have been learned. In this episode, host Peter Gehres sits down to interview host and co-founder of the Fast Talking Podcast Andy Imholte. Along with some important lessons, he shares the number 1 tip he recommends if anyone is considering starting a podcast of their own. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorThe World Automobile Auctioneers Professional Association The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Competition can sharpen our skills raise the quality of those who choose to participate. However, it can also give a platform for champions to teach and train young auctioneers to improve the profession. No description could be more true for the guest on this episode. In this episode Scott Werlein sits down with 1974 World Livestock Auctioneer Champion, Ralph Wade. Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

A foundation of human resources is the employee handbook. As soon as your company starts to grow it is important to document the culture, standards, and expectations of all employees. In this episode host, Andy Imholte, is joined by Kaylista White of HK Keller, as she discusses the recent employee handbook they created and will soon be rolling out for their team. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Legal action is a serious, but once it is in process it is already too late. In this episode host, Andy Imholte, is joined by returning guest Mike Brandly to discuss where auction lawsuits come from. Mike presents the top 5 Auction Law Questions he gets, and how he responds. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Competition can sharpen our skills raise the quality of those who choose to participate. It is no different for auctioneers. For this episode Andy Imholte sits down with 2013 International Auctioneers Women’s Division Champion Megan McCurdy Niedens. She shares how her IAC experience has shaped her professional life, and some great tips for those currently competing as well. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Every year three major titles in the world of competitive auctioneers are up for grabs. From the International Auctioneer Championship to specialized contests like the World Automobile Auctioneer Championship and the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship, all serious competitors have their eyes on these titles. To discuss the 2017 Triple Crown of competitive auctioneering Andy is joined by Peter Gehres, 2015 IAC Men’s Division champion. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

We all know how important it is to close the deal, but how do convert a cold call into a hot client? In this episode, host Andy Imholte, is joined by Jenelle Taylor to breakdown her 5 steps to warm up a prospect on your next cold call. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Real Estate auctions may require an understand and marketing strategy more than any other asset class. Who is your ideal buyer, where can I find them, and how should I focus my marketing dollars? In this episode host Andy Imholte is joined once again by auction marketing expert John Schultz to discuss his approach to selling real estate assets. His 5 step process can work for any asset, but when it comes to real estate you are often working with a small targeted buyer base, and he shares his secrets. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

We all need to step outside our comfort zone from time to time and learn new and exciting lessons. This episode, host Andy Imholte, share many lessons he learned while attending the AIGA Design Conference 2017. From Facebook, to Target, to Budweiser, many major brands and designers shared incredible lessons that could change your business Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Auction professionals spend a lot of time working on their laptops and never know when disaster might strike. In this episode, host Aaron Traffas looks at preventative measures that can save both time and stress when, not if, a computer is broken or stolen. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide Episode Linkshttp://www.auctioneertech.com The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly. ----- Episode 190: Transcription Hello and welcome to the  Fast Talking Podcast. My name is Aaron Traffas and I'm excited to once again be your guest host for today's episode. We auctioneers store large amounts of important and sensitive information on our laptops. What happens to our work if our computer is broken or, worse, stolen? We'll examine two crucial preventative measures that will save us both time and stress in just a moment after a word from our sponsor. [sponsor] I wrote the article that inspired this episode recently for the Colorado Auctioneers Association quarterly newsletter which, this quarter, is focused on technology. After making sure we're using strong passwords, which was the topic of my last appearance on the Fast Talking Podcast, I feel that backup and encryption are the two next steps auctioneers need to make as we strive to make sure our data is secure and our work is safe.   It was 2007. NAA Conference and Show was in San Diego. My bags were packed in my truck. I swung by the office to grab my computer and other electronics that I'd need for the week in California. As I walked out the door for my two hour drive from Manhattan, Kansas, to the Kansas City airport, I realized I'd forgotten something. I sat my computer bag on the ground next to my pickup's passenger door and went back inside. When I returned, I got in my truck, cranked the wheel to the left and backed out, only to realize that my front tire just rolled over my laptop bag. My computer — and my mood — was crushed. I had unfinished work for upcoming auctions that I'd planned to do on the plane and I had no time before my flight to prep another computer. It made for an interesting and uncomfortable trip. Broken hardware is one thing, but what if I'd lost the computer? What if instead of picking up pieces off the ground, I was instead unsure of where it was? Had it fallen into malicious hands? Were all the accounts that I'd logged in to now at risk of being compromised? It's always better to know a computer is destroyed than to wonder if someone is combing through the data. The scenario is simple — at any time, you can suddenly lose your laptop. In order to make sure that the only cost to you is the value of the hardware, it's crucial that your computer is encrypted and backed up properly. Encryption Computer encryption can get very technical very quickly, but for our purposes it simply means a way of scrambling the data on the computer's hard drive so it can't be read by anyone who doesn't have the password. The password to login to Windows isn't enough, as it's fairly trivial to bypass. The correct solution is called full disk encryption, where everything on the computer is encrypted for everyone who doesn't have the password. For many years, the right answer for encryption was a product called TrueCrypt. It was free software and the encryption was bulletproof. A few years ago, the TrueCrypt project closed down. Luckily it's successor, called VeraCrypt, is also free and based on much of the same code base as TrueCrypt. Since it's open source, third parties have been able to audit the software to make sure there aren't backdoors or other ways for criminals or governments to bypass the encryption. Operating systems have their own versions of encryption. Windows has BitLocker and Apple has FileVault. While I'll always prefer a free and open source solution over one from an operating system provider, these solutions may be a good fit in some situations. Many modern laptops also provide built-in encryption options on the hardware level. Many of these might work as well as VeraCrypt, though there's no way to guarantee there isn't a backdoor. Sometimes, a laptop's password simply prevents the laptop from booting up and doesn't actually encrypt the data. This means someone could simply remove the hard drive and put it in another computer to access your files. Make sure if you're using a built-in password function on your laptop that it's actually encrypting the data. Only by using full disk encryption can you rest assured that if your computer falls into the wrong hands, all your data about your auctions, customers, clients and personal accounts won't be at risk. Entering a password every time you boot your computer is a small price to pay for that peace of mind. Backup Encryption prevents the bad guys from getting your data, but what about losing your work? If you drive over your laptop with the front wheel of a diesel pickup, how do you get your files off of a hard drive that's in pieces on the ground? In addition to the possibility of losing your computer, new viruses called ransomware actually encrypt your files and make you pay a ransom before giving you the key to decrypt them. A good backup solution can mitigate a ransomware infection by allowing you to restore the unencrypted versions of your files. There is a frequently recited rule of backup called 3-2-1. You need three copies of your data, on two different mediums and one needs to be offsite. Simply buying an external hard drive and copying your files there is better than nothing, but it's also grossly insufficient and inefficient. A good backup solution will run continually in the background, copying versions of  your files offsite as you create them, so you don't notice it until you need it. In much the way that TrueCrypt was the best answer for encryption, there was also a best answer for backup called Crashplan. Crashplan allowed users to backup to friends for free. I wrote on my AuctioneerTech blog in 2012 how this was a perfect backup solution that didn't have a monthly fee like most of the backup services. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, Crashplan  announced that it's discontinuing its free version in October 2018. While I've been hunting for a replacement, it's unlikely that anything will be as simple as Crashplan to use without a monthly fee. There are still myriad subscription backup services. Some of the best known are Carbonite, Backblaze and Mozy, and each has a different pricing plan based on the amount of data to store and how many computers will be using the service. As you shop around for the best  deal, pay attention to the cost to get your data back. In 2011, I lost 2 terabytes of data that was backed up with Mozy. Only then did I learn that they charged $.50 per gigabyte to restore the data, and I had to come up with the $1000 within 30 days before my files were deleted. In the auction business, like any business, time is money. Some backup solution is better than nothing. In my search for a Crashplan replacement, I've found a lot of negative comments about Carbonite and a lot of positive comments about Backblaze, so if I were looking for a simple turn-key subscription backup service, I'd probably start with Backblaze. Wrap-up In summary, disaster happens when we least expect it. We need to take steps now to ensure that when, not if, we lose a computer, it might cost us money to replace the device but it doesn't cost us time to recreate all our work or, worse, cost us sleep worrying about who might have our data and what he or she might be doing with it. And now, here's a word from our sponsor. [sponsor] I'd like to thank Andy for giving me the opportunity to guest host the Fast Talking Podcast this week. The show is built for you, the fast talking nation. We're always looking for suggestions and feedback, so if you have an idea for great topic or guest you think would be a good fit, leave a comment on  fasttalkingpodcast.com or find us @auctionpodcast on Twitter or facebook.com/fasttalkingpodcast. My blog is auctioneertech.com and if you'd like to contact me personally, find me on Twitter @traffas or, better yet, email aaron.traffas@purplewave.com With that, we want to thank you  for gifting us with your time. As always, be sure to like, favorite and share this podcast in whichever venue you choose to listen. We enjoy creating this podcast for you and strive to share this industry we love with more and more people each week. I'm Aaron Traffas. Thanks for listening. Now go sell something.

If you were going to hire a staff member to lead your company social media, what would the qualifications be and what would be on their job description? This question, asked on Facebook, is a perfect snapshot of the time in which we are living. Social media is so important to our brands that hiring a dedicated manager is a conversation worth asking, so that’s what host Andy Imholte did in this episode. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Maintaining a social media presence is necessary for all businesses, but finding the time and resources to do it well is the real challenge. In this episode host Andy Imholte is joined by Jerry Potter to audit the available social media platforms and discuss their viability. They also outline tricks and tips auction professionals can use to aid in their success. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Competition can sharpen our skills raise the quality of those who choose to participate. It is no different for auctioneers. For this episode Peter Gehres sits down with 2011 IAC Champion, Joseph Mast. He shares how his IAC experience has shaped his professional life, and some great tips for those currently competing as well. Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

The interview portion of an auctioneer contest can often be the difference between 1st and 2nd place. To breakdown the championship runs of the 2017 International Auctioneer Contest, Tim Luke joins host Andy Imholte to dig into what set the winners apart. This is a must listen for anyone considering competing in the future. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsSharp Auction Engine The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

As auction professionals we hang our hats on the word “AUCTION,” but is is always the right word to use? In this episode, host Andy Imholte sits down returning guest Mike Brandly to discuss the marketing advantages and disadvantages of this very powerful word.   Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

The auction method of marketing has survived for thousands of years, but can it survive Facebook Live? In this episode host Andy Imholte sits down with returning guest Peter Gehres as he shares some very serious concerns he has with the current live video fad on Facebook. Is this really the end for the auction industry? Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

How much should I charge? This is a question all auction professionals wrestle with as some point in their careers. To discuss this question host Andy Imholte is joined by John John Genovese who recently presented this topic to a standing room only crowd at the National Auctioneers Association Conference and Show. They discuss what to consider when setting your fees and what your fees say about you as an auction professional. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsSharp Auction Engine The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

The power of video in marketing has been proven, but how do you up your game when it comes to equipment. In this episode, host Andy Imholte welcomes back Bobby D. Ehlert to continue the conversation they started in episode 92. From cameras to drones, we talk about the latest toys and how to use them. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Watch This Episode on YouTube Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Scott King tragically passes away on the 6th of July 2017. In his life he gave so much to his friends and this podcast. This replay episode was recorded in January 2017 and shows how generous he was with his secrets of success. Scott meant a great deal to so many and he will be missed. The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Is there a more powerful word for an auction professional than the work SOLD? So what happens when the word loses its definitive finality? To discuss those questions host, Andy Imholte, is joined by auction law expert, Mike Brandly, as he outlines some very dangerous situations ALL auction professionals need to consider. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsSharp Auction Engine Today’s LinkMike’s Blog post: Integrity of the Bidding Process The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Jim Rohn said you are the average of the five people you spend the most with. It was with this in mind host Andy Imholte and guests John John Genovese, Peter Gehres, and John Schultz formed a mastermind group to surround themselves with others who would provide challenges and encouragement. In this episode they breakdown what led to their success what lessons they have learned. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Final competition in the triple crown of auctioneering was held at the 2017 National Auctioneers Association Conference and Show in Columbus, Ohio. As in years past, 1 woman and 1 man were crowned champions and this episode shares the results. Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsSharp Auction Engine The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Competition can sharpen our skills raise the quality of those who choose to participate. It is no different for auctioneers. For this episode Scott Werlien sits down with 3 World Livestock Auctioneer Champions: 2002 John Korrey, 2010 Kyle Shobe, and 2014 Blaine Lotz. From where they got their starts to tips for developing a championship chant, these champions don't disappoint. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Every summer livestock auctioneers gather to compete for the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship title. To take us behind the scenes, Scott Werlein traveled to the contest in Billings, Montana to catch the flavor of the event. With interviews and thoughts on the day this episode covers the whole day’s activities. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsSharp Auction Engine The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

From it start in 2007 Airbnb has been a different type of company. But what can the auction industry learn from this incredible successful start up? In this episode, guest host John Schultz will explore the story of Airbnb and just what auction professionals can learn to better their own businesses. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

One month ago we saw something happen for only the second time in history, Andy White won the final leg of his triple crown at the 2017 World Automobile Auctioneer Championship. Since the livestock contest is next weekend and the IAC is one month away, Peter Gehres thought it might be helpful for all competitors if he broke down Andy White's WAAC run. From tips to tricks to a few secrets the champ added recently, Peter leave no stone unturned to help all future competitors.  Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorThe World Automobile Auctioneers Professional Association The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

A logo is the face of your brand. When it is seen out in the wild what does it say about your company? In this episode host, Andy Imholte, discusses his recent experience using a logo tournament website to develop a new logo. He shares tips and tricks and a warning to consider before you jump in the deep end of the pool. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsSharp Auction Engine The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Every spring automobile auctioneers gather to compete for the World Automobile Auctioneer Championship title. To take us behind the scenes, Bobby D. Elhert traveled to the contest to catch the flavor of the event. With interviews and thoughts on the day this episode covers the whole day’s activities. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorThe World Automobile Auctioneers Professional Association The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

There is livestock auctions and then there are purebred cattle auctions. To dig into the difference host Peter Gehres is joined by Doak Lambert to discuss the ins and outs of purebred auctions. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction Guide The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

  Data and insights are major players in today’s marketing landscape, but what good are data points if you can’t visualize trends, success, or failure? In this episode host Andy Imholte discusses this very issue with Bryce Gartner, ICIMO Chief Experience Officer and national speaker. During the episode they discuss how much less intimidating data visualization has become and even highlight a few programs auction professionals can use. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsSharp Auction Engine Episode LinksBryce.Gartner@icimo.com The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Competition can sharpen our skills raise the quality of those who choose to participate. It is no different for auctioneers. For this episode Andy Imholte sits down with 2009 International Auctioneers Women’s Division Champion Terri Walker. She shares how her IAC experience has shaped her professional life, and some great tips for those currently competing as well. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction GuideBidWrangler The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

The value of online auctions is obvious, but the security of online services is not. In this episode host, Andy Imholte is joined by returning guest, and attorney George Michak to discuss online auction liability. Knowing how to approach the dangers of service failures will help you prepare for the worst, while still providing the best service possible. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsSharp Auction EngineBidWrangler The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Bose, one of the most trusted brand names among consumer electronics brands did not get that way overnight. In this episode, guest host Bobby D. Ehlert will explore the origins of Bose and just what auction professionals can learn to better their own businesses. Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher Today’s Sponsors Global Auction GuideBidWrangler Episode LinksZombie LoyalistsThe Disney Experience The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

As a special replay of our most popular stand alone episode, we breakdown how to win an auctioneer contest with the 2015 IAC Men’s Division Champion Peter Gehres. Because this initially aired in April of 2015 it was a very interesting glimpse into the mind of the man who was about to win the IAC only 3 3 months later. The 5 keys to remember with entering a bid calling contest Understand the contest Honest self assessment, and start to practice Know how to lose Know how to win Persistence Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsSharp Auction EngineBidWrangler The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Every July the National Auctioneer Associations elects 1 individual to serve as Vice President. In this episode we hear from 2017 candidate Darron Meares. The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Every July the National Auctioneer Associations elects 1 individual to serve as Vice President. In this episode we hear from 2017 candidate Tim Mast. The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Each year 1 week in April is set aside as National Auctioneers Week, and it's filled with opportunities for auction professionals to share their love the business through organized activities on social media. In this episode host Andy Imholte is joined by National Auctioneers Association Director of Publications and Tradeshows, Curtis Kitchen. As staff liaison to the Promotions Committee, Curtis shares some of the great programs and activities all auction professionals can participate in to share their pride and love for the auction business. April 3 - Logo MondayApril 4 - Advocacy TuesdayApril 5 - Success WednesdayApril 6 - Philanthropy ThursdayApril 7 - Fun Fact FridayApril 8 - Celebration Saturday (National Auctioneers Day) Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction GuideBidWrangler Episode linksNational Auctioneers Association The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Auction professionals are responsible for large amounts of sensitive information, both for themselves and their clients. One of the keys to keeping that information safe online is implementing a system to handle passwords. In this episode, host Aaron Traffas talks about the requirements for creating good passwords and explores some of the features of a popular password management system. Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsSharp Auction EngineBidWrangler Episode Links https://www.grc.com/haystack.htm http://www.auctioneertech.com The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly. ----- Episode 163: Transcription Hello and welcome to the  Fast Talking Podcast. My name is Aaron Traffas and I'm excited to be your guest host for today's episode. Auctioneers are stewards of large amounts of sensitive information, both for ourselves and our clients, so today we're going to talk about the first step to keeping that information safe. I wrote the article that inspired this episode about a month ago on my auction technology blog at auctioneertech.com because I realized there are many of us who would like to do better when it comes to internet security. The tech news now seems to report, with increasing regularity, about massive database breaches of popular websites that expose all our passwords to the web. I'm going to talk today about what makes good passwords and go over the features of LastPass, which is one of the more popular password management systems available. Secure passwords The first requirement for proper password hygiene is a secure password. A secure password is one with enough entropy and length to resist brute force attacks. Now, let me explain what that means. Entropy, in this context, is the amount of randomness in a password. A password that comprises words in the dictionary has a very low entropy, while a password made up of random characters has high entropy. A brute force attack uses a powerful computer to try every possible combination of characters until it finds a match. Modern offline brute force attacks can attempt billions or even trillions of combinations each second, so it won't take very long to crack your password made up of your kids initials followed by your wedding date. Entropy is important because modern password cracking processes are smarter than just starting with A and then trying AB and then ABC. They use patterns derived from millions of leaked passwords to determine commonalities likely found in your password, and they try those first before moving on to more random combinations. Password length is important because it’s how we can easily make the brute-forcing process take much longer. Each character in the alphabet can be upper and lower case, which means that every letter we add forces an additional 52 attempts. Adding numbers and special characters to the password alphabet can increase the character depth to 92. We'll put the link in the show notes to the great Password Haystacks tool at grc.com/haystack that can analyze your password strength and length and tell you how long a brute force attack would take on the password you give it. Don’t worry – nothing is sent through the internet. It’s all done with your browser, which is important for reasons we’ll talk about shortly. Different passwords After making a password secure, the second part of proper password management is using a different password for each site or service. I mentioned earlier the myriad password leaks from major internet businesses in the last few years. The frequency of these leaks seems to be increasing. When passwords are leaked from one service, every user who used the same password on a different service is suddenly vulnerable. If every password you use is unique to each service, then a password breach only impacts your account at the service that was breached and you don't have to worry about attackers using your password from one site to gain access to your account on another site. Rotating password Now, I want to mention password rotation, which many people think is also important. If our password is one that we’ve reused on multiple sites, then the longer we use it, the better the chances are that it’ll have been involved in a breach of some service and is available to the hacking community. The reason some banks frustrate us by forcing us to change our passwords regularly is that it increases the likelihood that we're using a unique password that's not known by anybody else. But, if we make sure from the start that we use a different and secure password for each site, there’s not really any need to ever change our passwords. In my article, I used auction123 as an example of a bad password and had an example of a good password that was 64 characters long and full of gibberish that included braces, tildes, pipes and other punctuation that's not used every day. I'll also mention that a simple replacement of characters with punctuation - like changing an "S" to a dollar sign or an "A" to the at sign - is one of the first things that hackers try. As a general rule, if you can read your password to someone in under a minute, it's probably not a good password. LastPass Now that we've talked about why it's important to have a strong, long and different password for each site, it should be obvious that it's impossible to accomplish that without using a tool of some kind. I don't want this episode to be a commercial for LastPass, but I want to talk about some of the features that a password management system offers, and LastPass is both the one that I'm familiar with and the one that is most frequently recommended by the security experts I follow in the industry. There are others out there, like 1Password, KeePass and Dashlane, many of which offer similar features to what we're getting ready to talk about, and anything is probably better than nothing. To use LastPass, you install the mobile app on your phone and use extensions to your web browser on your computer. Once you've logged in to LastPass, it then logs you in everywhere else by automatically filling in the username and password for each site you visit and each app you use on your phone or tablet. Passwords are only the beginning, as you can store notes, SSNs, QR codes, images and credit card information completely securely. Shopping becomes much easier when you can have LastPass populate your credit card information and addresses into web forms. It features two-factor authentication, which is crucial to any security system. This means when you log in to LastPass, you can — and you should — make it require a separate security code from an app on your phone in addition to your master password. This means if someone ever gets your master password, he can't log in unless he also has your phone in his possession. The first time you log in to a site, it pops-up an option to automatically store that password so you never have to worry about it again. When you’re creating accounts, it generates extremely secure passwords so you don’t have the stress of having to come up with something yourself. It can also audit your security, letting you know which sites have weak or compromised passwords and offering you the ability to easily change them. For many sites, it can actually change your passwords for you to something much more secure. You can also share passwords securely with other LastPass users, which lets us share the ability to log in with employees without giving those employees the actual passwords. If an employee leaves, we simply turn off the sharing of that password with that user instead of having to actually change passwords to the different sites that employee was using. The best part about LastPass is that all your content — passwords, SSNs, notes and even images — is encrypted by your browser or the mobile app before it’s sent to the LastPass servers. LastPass never has access to the master password since it, too, is encrypted before it leaves your computer. Even if the LastPass servers are compromised, all a hacker would have access to is the encrypted data which is useless to anyone other than you, so long as your master password has enough entropy and length to prevent cracking. LastPass has a free plan, which is a great way for you to try it and see how it works. To sync your mobile devices and computer, though,  you'll need to upgrade to LastPass Premium, which, in my opinion, at $1 per month, would be a steal at 10 times the price. Wrap-up In summary, proper password hygiene isn't hard. Make sure your passwords are long and free of patterns like words or dates. Make sure you don't reuse passwords on more than one site. In order to satisfy these two requirements, you need a password management system. If you don't have one, get one immediately. LastPass seems to be the one most recommended by the security community, but any system is better than no system. I'd like to thank Andy for giving me the opportunity to guest host the Fast Talking Podcast this week. The show is built for you, the fast talking nation. We're always looking for suggestions and feedback, so if you have an idea for great topic or guest you think would be a good fit, leave a comment on  fasttalkingpodcast.com or find us @auctionpodcast on Twitter or facebook.com/fasttalkingpodcast. My blog is auctioneertech.com and if you'd like to contact me personally, find me on Twitter @traffas or, better yet, email aaron.traffas@purplewave.com With that, we want to thank you  for gifting us with your time. As always, be sure to like, favorite and share this podcast in whichever venue you choose to listen. We enjoy creating this podcast for you and strive to share this industry we love with more and more people each week. I'm Aaron Traffas. Thanks for listening. Now go sell something.

Most auction professionals find themselves bending their own rule occasionally on a case by case basis, but flexibility could lead to lawsuits. In this episode host, Andy Imholte is joined by returning guest, and attorney George Michak to discuss discretion and bidder qualification. Know the difference between bending a rule and breaking a rule. Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction GuideBidWrangler The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Competition can sharpen our skills raise the quality of those who choose to participate. It is no different for auctioneers. For this episode Peter Gehres sits down with 1992 IAC & WAAC Champion, Shane Ratliff. He shares how her IAC experience has shaped his professional life, and some great tips for those currently competing as well. Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsSharp Auction EngineBidWrangler The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

There is something attractive about the "set it, and forget it" approach to marketing, but marketing campaigns are more complicated than ever...or are they? In this episode host Andy Imholte welcomes back John Schultz and they discuss how to use the machine learning built into Facebook to set up an ever evolving campaign for your next auction. Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction GuideBidWrangler The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

In this podcast we will explore the features of the mutli billion dollar Amazon.com marketplace and what we can learn from their growth, timing, business practices and functionality. What are you personally or your company doing that could be brought to the same level as one of the largest  customer service companies in the world. Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsSharp Auction EngineBidWrangler The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

This is the time of year when many companies take stock of their processes and procedures. Knowing every step of a successful process is key to building an amazing business. In this episode host Andy Imholte speaks with Megan McCurdy Niedens about the exercise her company takes each year to document every step of their extensive auction process. Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction GuideBidWrangler The photo that inspired this episode: The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

The truth of the auction industry is we are often dealing with sellers in distress. However, there is a very exciting section of the market dealing in non-distressed items. To talk about his experience working with and securing this type of work, Scott King joins host Andy Imholte to share the approach he has developed after years of success. Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsSharp Auction EngineBidWrangler The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

Building a great team starts with the interview. What questions you ask and how you evaluate possible candidates can be the most important part of your job. For this live recorded episode, Russ Hilk of Wavebid and Tim Peters of BidWrangler sit down with host Andy Imholte for the Minnesota State Auctioneers Association conference & show. Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction GuideBidWrangler The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

It can be a challenge keeping up with trends, and apps are developed so quickly it is even difficult to know what to try. In this episode host Andy Imholte digs into YOUR recommendations and presents the top 5 apps you should try for your business. Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsSharp Auction EngineBidWrangler The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.

The only more important than keeping up with current marketing trends, is knowing what trends are coming in the future. In this episode Andy Imholte sits down with professional speaker and author of the book Future Marketing, Jon Wuebben, and they breakdown a few key points about his latest book. Jon also talks about his upcoming speaking engagement at the National Auctioneers Association Marketing Summit, and why you can’t afford to miss the event. Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher Today’s SponsorsGlobal Auction GuideBidWrangler Episode Links futuremarketingbook.com The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.