Why enter?
Winning a prestigious honour is beneficial on many levels. It’s an enormous morale boost to all employees, generates interest and awareness and, by providing an independent acknowledgement of the value of a product or service, offers reassurance to potential customers. For start-ups and SMEs this boost to sales and marketing efforts can be priceless. Many award schemes also offer invaluable feedback to entrants.
In terms of supporting a company’s sales activity, a recent survey* indicated that 82% of senior business people are influenced by awards when buying products and services. 76% also agreed with the statement “awards are important for generating business or improving the value of the brand.”
Finally, a lot of marketing mileage can be gained from an award…it should appear on the website, company brochures, recruitment material and become a real marketing asset.
What schemes?
One of the biggest misconceptions about awards is that only big companies will win. In fact there are numerous industry and business schemes encompassing companies of all sizes. Awards are often run by magazines, newspapers, companies, professional institutes or government schemes. Some internet research should bring up a raft of opportunities.
As a guideline there are general IT industry awards UK IT Industry Awards, regional IT industry awards 2009 ICT Excellence Awards , specialist sector and vertical market sector awards, such as information security, retail and finance In addition to these, there are national and regional business awards plus numerous small business schemes such as British Small Business Champions.
How to maximise your chances
With more companies vying for award recognition, the competition is getting fierce. Preparation is key. It may sound obvious but ensure you pick the right category to suit your business and check whether you’re eligible for more than one category – since the more relevant categories you enter the more chance of success. Secondly, read the entry criteria carefully as there may be limitations such as the product launch date, location or company size. If you can’t meet the conditions, there’s no point in entering.
You will need to demonstrate why you deserve to win and evidence is crucial. Effective examples of this are: customer endorsements, which illustrate the business benefits of the product; sales figures; industry partnerships; and strong growth. Again, if the proof isn’t there, reconsider whether you want to enter. Take care drafting the award entry and ensure you’ve taken advantage of any scope for submitting supporting materials. It often helps to have an objective person read through your submission to get an unbiased opinion and ensure it reflects your achievements accurately.
When writing the award, remember to keep it factual and punchy, stick to the word count and avoid waffle.
Everybody appreciates recognition for their efforts whether it’s from customers, peers or the industry at large. Awards are a relatively low-cost, and sometimes free means of putting your company on the map. Demonstrate your pride in your company and employees achievements; the potential rewards are significant.
