These days, people like to say we live in a generation of participation trophies, and anyone can get an award. I am here to tell you that it is not true. It can be hard to effectively capture a year’s worth of achievements into a 500-word essay, but there are a few tips and tricks to share that will improve your chances.
Effectively communicating why you’re the best can be difficult, especially when everyone else is doing the same. When drafting an award nomination, check the following points:
- Have you achieved anything new and notable this year?
- Have you achieved things your competitors have not?
- Have you developed unique insights into your industry?
Before you put pen to paper, it is important that you assess all the assets you have that can help you develop an award-winning submission.
Here are a few things to note when drafting an award:
Have You Won Before?
A great way to demonstrate that you deserve an award is to show that you have done it before. Prior to drafting the award, it is good to research the awards you have won in the past and those your competitors have won as well. This research can help you determine which awards are worth noting in your nomination.
Looking into general achievements is also important. Has your company had any new product updates such as successful integrations or partnerships in the past year? Or any other big news announcements? These should be noted in your nomination, especially if your competitors have made similar moves.
Unique Insights
A key to really differentiating your company from the competition is having unique research and compelling stats. Demonstrating that the organization is actively contributing to the industry is important, but just throwing a bunch of numbers and percentages on a page will not show that. In order to effectively use research, you need to show the impact of this percentage point and highlight the work that went into gathering the needed data.
Does Anyone Agree That You Are Great?
You can probably talk for days about how wonderful your company is and provide legit reasons to give your company the award, but it is also important to include validation from a third party. Including quotes from partner organizations or customers can provide the needed credibility boost. When sourcing quotes, it is also important to ensure your spokesperson is connected to a well-known organization or firm within your industry. The bigger the reputation, the better.
You also want to make sure you are not including vague quotes like “They are a great team” or “I highly recommend”. While those are nice sentiments, it tells the judges nothing about what your company is good at. It is best to stick to specific quotes that give examples of the kind of great work you are doing with a partner company or for customers. What challenges are you solving? How has your company’s solution made a difference in the lives of other organizations and their workforces? Quotes with numerical examples are beneficial to include.
Drafting a successful award nomination can be time-consuming, but taking time to research competitors and review valuable resources and assets to use in the nomination can help streamline the process and ensure that it accurately reflects the impact your company has had on the industry.