How to write a winning award entry
When we see an ‘award winning’ label on a product or service, it sets a certain expectation. It suggests quality and it implies success. That’s why we want more of our Reynaers at Home partners to enter the wonderful work they do, into more industry and local awards. It’s not only great for them and their reputation, but also for the customers they serve.
Each set of awards and even award category will require a slightly different approach, but there are a few top tips that can be used across the board, that should help to get these excellent companies and the projects they work on, into the award-winning limelight.
If you are a Reynaers installer and are considering entering some industry awards to further boost your reputation and give you the third-party recognition you deserve, read on!
Top tips for a winning award entry
1. Read the entry instructions carefully
This may sound obvious and a little dull, but one of the first ways an entry will be discounted is if it doesn’t meet the entry criteria. This can include for example, who is allowed to enter, how many words you need to write, and the format you need to use for your submission. Stick to the brief and your entry will make it through to the judges.
2. Read the judging criteria and make notes
Once you’ve read the entry instructions, there are often category specific, or generic judging criteria supplied with awards. Reading this carefully gives you a huge advantage over all the companies that skim over this information. This is your key to finding out precisely what the judges want to hear about in your entry, so make notes on the key points as you read through.
2. Choose the right category
You can normally enter more than one category when you take part in an awards event but choose wisely. Don’t try and squeeze information that isn’t relevant into the wrong category because this won’t sit well with the judges. Having said that, if you have lots of genuinely good things to share from within your business or from great projects you have worked on, it’s worth submitting multiple entries. If there is no entry fee to the awards, what have you got to lose?
3. Gather relevant information
Now that you have a list of what the judges are looking for and the categories you want to enter, you can gather the relevant information from different departments in your business to build a comprehensive bank of material to include. Facts and figures always constitute a strong entry, but you may have the opportunity to include project photos and testimonials from customers too.
5. Write your story
The secret to a great award entry is telling a story. Judges are more likely to engage with an entry if it has a beginning, middle and an end, with plenty of detail along the way. Use the information you have gathered to answer the judges’ criteria throughout but try to make it more interesting than a simple list of features, benefits, and results. Most award entries like to hear about objectives (the beginning), what you did to achieve the objectives (the middle) and the results (the end).
6. Focus on Results
There is nothing more frustrating for a judge than to get to the end of a brilliant entry and find no mention of results or get to the results and find they have nothing to do with the objectives described at the beginning. And the more specific you can be with your results the better. Including facts and figures is a good way to show the judges evidence of your claims. For example, rather than simply saying business is better, include a percentage improvement in sales or productivity, and rather than simply saying a customer liked a job, include testimonials that explain why they were so pleased.
7. Submit supporting information
Not all awards will ask for supporting information with an entry, but many do. If the option is available and there is anything else you can send to give the judges more information about you or the project you have worked on, don’t miss out on the opportunity. It might be images, marketing materials, or even a video that you could enter in addition, and it could mean the difference between taking home the prize, and not.
8. Enter on time!
It’s not easy to find the time to focus on your own business when you are busy keeping customers happy, but if you commit to entering an award, don’t miss the entry deadline! A lot of awards are very strict about not taking entries after the deadline, so it’s simply not worth the risk.
Good Luck!
Entering awards is good for business. Aside from the time and effort needed to collate the award entry itself, if an award is free to enter you have nothing to lose. If you’re not successful no one needs to know about it, but if you are, it’s great marketing for your firm. Even to be chosen as a finalist is a huge achievement for any business and the customers they serve.
Reynaers Aluminium is proud to sponsor the much coveted Glass & Glazing Products magazine, Installer Awards and hope that lots of our Reynaers at Home partners will take part to showcase the fantastic work you do.
Whether you enter these awards, or others, we wish you the very best of luck!
