How to create a silent auction?
Select 'Library Auctions' on the left and click the plus sign at the top. Name your silent auction, add a description, and date & time.
How do I make a 'Mom's Night Out' Item?
Select the donation. Select the the 'Special' tab and select 'Each bidder is a winner...'
A 'Mom's Night Out' is the type of donation that has multiple tickets for the same price. For instance multiple tickets to a party - all tickets are the same price.
Pearl Bids can print 10 bid-lines on a sheet. Thus if you want to sell 40 tickets, you will need to have 4 donations and donation sheets - 'Mom's Night Out #1', 'Mom's Night Out #2'...,'Mom's Night Out #3' (See How do I duplicate a donation?) and distribute these sheets over various donation tables, and possibly the check-in table or to allow copies for some people to walk around with clipboards.
We did this as we have seen it to be a more effective way to sell tickets at your silent auction without crowding the table and creating a line and discouraging people.
How to import data into Pearl Bids
It is easy to import your silent auction datafrom another program into Pearl Bids.
From the left hand sidebar under Library, select Donations or Contacts, depending on what you would like to import. From the top of your screen, then select File, Import. You can then select what type of file you wish to import.
Follow the screens to import and select the desired data. If you run into an snafus, let us know (salesinfo@oakgrounds.com) we are here to help!
How to Create a Thank You Letter
Pearl Bids can be used to easily create letters to any of your silent auction donors or attendees. You might wish to create letters to request a donation, thank yous for donations, or announcements to attendees.
Under Library (on the left hand column) select Contacts.
A list of all of your contacts will appear. Put a check next to the name of any contacts whom you wish to write. Then click on the pencil at the top of your screen.
Type in the text that you wish to include in your letter. When your letter is printed, the contacts names will display on the top. If you wish to personalize parts of the body of the letter, insert the substitution tags shown.
You can preview you letter, or go straight to printing, from the drop down bar on the top of your page.
When finished with your text, click Done and you will return to the Contact screen. The text will be saved for use the next time you enter the Letter Editing Screen (titled Request a donation).
How to Create Name Tags for your Attendees
A. Select your auction on the left hand column and then go to the attendees page.
B. Above the top menu bar, you will see a small printer with a pull down available. You have an option of a couple of different labels/nametags to print. Select the attendees that you want included by checking the box next to their name.
How to Export Donation Data
Pearl Bids can be used to easily export your silent auction donation data for use in a database or mail merge.
There are two ways to export the donation data:
1. Open Pearl Bids so that AUCTIONS is highlighted on the Library menu bar on the left hand column, then go to the top of your screen and choose File > Accountant reports > Email the donations report - CSV
This will pull up an email message with a CSV file in it that will include the donations. You can click on the file top open it, or save it as wanted.
2. Open Pearl Bids so that AUCTIONS is highlighted on the Library menu bar on the left hand column, then go to the top of your screen and choose File > Accountant reports >Preview the Donations Report. A preview will appear from which you can export the datat as an excel file.
How do I use the Status field?
The status field can help you get organized; three statuses are used by Pearl Bids: Open, Closed and Delete.
Auction: When an auction status is Open the auction can accept bids. When the auction is Closed, it does not. When an auction status is Delete the auction will be removed (as are all other auctions with status Delete) when you click the trash can and all the donation statuses of donations in that auction will be set to Delete.
Donations: When a donation status is Open, the donation accepts bids.When the donation is Closed, it does not accept bids. A donation needs to be closed to be shown on a printed or emailed receipt. When a donation status is set to Delete the donation is removed (with all other donations with status Delete) when you click the trashcan.
Note that you easily open/close a number of donations (All , by Table, Marked) when you select Closing .
Contact: A contact in 'Libary contacts' can have a status of Current, Old or Delete. A contact is removed from Pearl Bids (as are all other donations with status Delete) when you click the trashcan. The other statuses are for your reference.
Attendee: A attendee is a contact attending your auction. When you select the status Remove from auction, the attendee is moved to the bottom of the list of the auction.
How do I purchase a bidding license?
There are two ways to purchase a bidding license that will allow you to enter the dollar amounts bid for each item, generate invoices, and produce reports on the profit of your auction.
You can either go directly to the Donation window, attempt to create a bid, and you will be asked if you woudl like to purchase a bidding license. Or, stay one step ahead of the process and go straight to Pearl Bids>Pearl Bids Settings> on the top menu bar.
1.
2. Go to the License tab and enter the the email under which the original product was ordered. Then click Get a bid license.
3. You will be prompted to enter payment info...
If you have a coupon code, enter it now and click outside the coupon box to have the discount activated.
4. You will then see a window like this:
5. Go back to your auction and select the
6. Go to the License tab and click on the refresh tab.
7. You can then go to the bid page and click the + to enter bids.
If you run into an snafus, let us know (salesinfo@oakgrounds.com) we are here to help!
How do I move a donation to another auction?
Select the auction you want to move. Click the 'For Silent Auction' field. Select the new auction.
Be careful, if the donation already received bids, duplicate the donation and use the duplicate instead of the original.
How do I import donations or contacts into Pearl Bids?
It's easy to import your donations or contact info from another file into Pearl Bids. Below is an example on importing donations from an excel file.
1. Select Donations from the left side menu bar. Then, from the top drop down menu, select File>Import donations.
2. Next, you will be asked to slect the file where the data that you wish to import resides. After double clicking on the file name, the Import Field Mapping screen will appear. This screen allows you to tell Pearl Bids where you wish each imported field to reside.
3. When ready, select the Import button. An Import Options screen will appear. The Perform auto-enter option should have a check mark. If it does not, check it now.
4. The next pop-up widow will show your import summary. Choose OK.
5. The Donations Import Review window is your final review before importing. It is easy to add any additional information or make changes in this screen. Once all information is in, select the donations that you wish to import in the left hand column. Then click the Import Check Marked on the top of the screen. Your Donations will now be included your the Pearl Bids program.
To import Contacts into Pearl Bids, follow these same steps, but select Contacts on the left side menu bar as opposed to Donations.
If you run into an snafus, let us know (salesinfo@oakgrounds.com) we are here to help!