The blank mind is the real fear, and it is solved by having one shape you repeat.
The shape
What it is. "This is a hand-thrown stoneware bowl, about eighteen centimetres."
What is good about it. "The glaze pooled on this side — that only happens in a reduction firing."
What is wrong with it. "There is a small chip on the foot rim, here. It does not show when it is sitting down."
What it is worth. "Something like this usually goes for around X."
Open the bidding. "Starting at Y."
Five sentences. It works for a bowl, a sneaker, a coin and a saree.
Why the third sentence matters most
Because it is the one everybody skips, and naming the flaw raises the price rather than lowering it.
Saying it out loud, while holding the thing, is the strongest version of that — the room sees you volunteer it.
While the bidding runs
Keep talking, but about the item: turn it over, show the base, hold it next to something for scale. Silence makes a room drift. A sales pitch makes it leave.
Answering questions
Answer them out loud, including the awkward ones. "Is that a repair?" answered plainly earns you more than it costs you. Refusing to answer tells the room something worse than the truth would have.
Questions people ask
What if I do not know what it is worth?
Say so. "I am not sure, let us see what the room thinks" is honest and works.
What if somebody asks something I cannot answer?
Say you do not know. Guessing becomes a misdescription later.
Do I need to be entertaining?
No. You need to be clear. The people watching came for the objects.
How fast should I go?
Fast enough that it moves, slow enough that somebody deciding has time.
Next: nobody is bidding.