North West Business Awards: How to write a great entry
Writing an award-winning entry for business awards requires careful planning, attention to detail, and a compelling narrative that showcases your company’s achievements and contributions. Here are some tips to help you craft a winning entry:
1. Understand the criteria: Carefully read the entry criteria, make sure you understand what the judges are looking for, and tailor your entry accordingly.
2. Highlight your unique selling points: Identify what sets your business apart from the competition and emphasize these points in your entry. Whether it’s innovative products, exceptional customer service, or a unique business model, make sure to showcase what makes your business special.
3. Provide evidence: Back up your claims with concrete evidence and examples. Use data, metrics, testimonials, case studies, and any other relevant information to demonstrate the impact of your business initiatives and achievements.
4. Tell a compelling story: Craft a narrative that captivates the judges and showcases your journey, challenges overcome, and successes achieved. Use storytelling techniques to engage the reader and make your entry memorable.
5. Focus on outcomes: Highlight the tangible results and outcomes of your business initiatives. Whether it’s increased revenue, cost savings, customer satisfaction ratings, or other key metrics, demonstrate the positive impact of your efforts.
6. Be concise and clear: Keep your entry concise and to the point. Avoid jargon and overly complex language, and make sure your entry is easy to understand for judges who may not be familiar with your industry.
7. Showcase your team: Acknowledge the contributions of your team members and highlight their expertise, dedication, and accomplishments. Demonstrating strong leadership and teamwork can strengthen your entry.
8. Demonstrate innovation and creativity: Highlight any innovative strategies, products, or services that have set your business apart. Showcase how your innovative approach has led to success and differentiation in the market.
9. Be authentic and sincere: Be genuine in your entry and avoid exaggeration or embellishment. Judges appreciate authenticity and honesty, so focus on showcasing your true achievements and contributions.
10. Proofread and edit: Before submitting your entry, carefully proofread and edit it to ensure clarity, coherence, and accuracy. Consider having someone else review your entry for feedback and suggestions.
Learn from the experience
If you don’t win at the first attempt, learn from the process and try again next year. In the meantime, you can use the award entry process as a tool for assessing and benchmarking your performance. This assessment will help you identify improvements and developments that can be made across the business, to provide you with that all-important competitive advantage and increase your chances of winning awards in the future.
By following these tips and putting in the effort to craft a compelling and well-supported entry, you can increase your chances of winning business awards and gaining recognition for your achievements.