I teach auction professionals and business teams how to make better marketing decisions, use AI in their daily work, and build processes their staff can repeat. I bring examples from my work as Partner and Chief Marketing and Technology Officer at Grafe Auction.

I’m a lead instructor for the National Auction Association’s Auction Marketing Management (AMM) program and develop AI curriculum for the Certified Auctioneers Institute (CAI). Sessions combine practical explanations, live demonstrations, and exercises suited to the audience and the time available.

Private company workshops

Bring your owners and staff together for one, two, or three days of practical work on marketing, prospecting, customer service, and AI. One company can host, or several companies can organize a shared program.

I use advance company assessments and discovery conversations to tailor the curriculum. Teams work on their own examples and leave with materials and next steps they can use in their businesses. Optional annual advisory support helps teams work through questions as they put those plans into practice.

Explore private workshops and discuss your group →

Topics

From old school to new school: Marketing and AI

Connect the assets you sell to the customers most likely to buy them. We work through audience selection, useful content, search and AI discovery, and practical AI-assisted catalog and marketing workflows. Exercises include checking output and choosing what to improve next.

AI adoption for traditional industries

Learn to give AI useful context, write clear instructions, and check its work. Demonstrations cover tasks such as research, drafting, and customer communication. The emphasis is on choosing a manageable starting point and keeping professional judgment in the process.

The agentic shift

Explore how customer discovery and purchasing may change as people delegate more work to AI agents. We examine what that could mean for marketing, trust, and the information your business makes available online.

Leadership and decision-making

Lessons from auction practice and my service as NAA President and Board Chair. We work through decision responsibility, useful debate, and when a repeatable process helps. The focus is helping a team move work forward without every question returning to the owner.

Digital marketing and analytics

Connect marketing activity to customer actions, from inquiries and registrations to bidding. Learn to review reports, recognize where prospects drop off, and establish a short weekly routine for deciding what to adjust. Topics can include website content, Google Business Profile, and agency reporting.

Teaching from the middle of it

Help people use what you know while you continue learning yourself. This session draws on teaching from active practice: explaining a task, letting someone try it, and using their questions to improve the process. Built for educators, trainers, and team leaders.

Recent & Upcoming

Book a session

I offer keynotes, workshops, and continuing education sessions for associations, corporate events, and auction schools, along with private company workshops.

The format determines the work we can do together. A keynote introduces ideas and examples; a workshop gives participants time to practice. For private programs, advance discovery shapes the exercises, materials, and implementation planning.

Continuing education eligibility depends on the specific course and jurisdiction. We’ll confirm approval requirements for your event before advertising credit; a custom workshop does not automatically carry CE approval.

Email me with your audience, topic, location, and preferred timing.

john.schultz@grafeauction.com