How to win awards

Awards are not given for being exceptional. They are given for proving you are exceptional.

While that sentiment is not worthy of a meme or a fridge magnet, it’s still a solid truth when it comes to determining whether a person or program warrants recognition beyond the four walls of your company. 

We’ve been writing, advising on, and judging award submissions for a long time. And we’ll be the first ones to tell you there are myriad reasons to pursue these accolades. From company-focused awards like Best Workplaces in Canada, to individual awards such as WXN Top 100 Most Powerful Women, to client and industry awards offered by IABC, CPRS, Strategy and many others – there are many awards to be won that nicely complement specific business objectives.  

The hard truth is, there are a lot of submissions that shouldn’t be submitted – or, at least, that should be improved upon before they are. Like nurturing a garden, awards take time and care to get right: four seemingly simple questions with 100-word answers can be just as nuanced and complex as a multi-page response. 

Here, we present our top tips for stitching together compelling, authentic, and importantly, winning submissions.   

1) Tell a story. 

Witness the sometimes many fields on an award app, questions even seeming to overlap. Which anecdote should be used there, or here? Our Pro Tip Generator 5,000 says: don’t answer each one independently – answer all, collectively. 

Consider your application as an overall narrative. One answer must transition into the next, with the proper context and best anecdotes to illustrate your overall point. Make that application tell a story – an illustration of how Person A or Company B has gone above and beyond in this particular field.

And don’t forget the supporting documents – they must further illuminate those answers, like an epilogue to a good book.  For example, some awards require reference letters  – and  what goes into each one is essential to adding third-party colour and emotion to the facts you are presenting. 

2) Prove it.

Proof………….points. While this is no court of law, imagine it to be like a case you must present to a judge: your claims must be rooted in evidence, or they will be tossed out. 

Any award-seeker can splash adjective-driven descriptions of impact. Yet one does not distinguish accomplishments by labelling them “innovative”, “unique” or “disruptive”. Disregard phrases that can be easily dismissed and say little, but chew up word count real estate. “It is our responsibility to drive meaningful change.” Mmmhmm. Better: describe that impact. Show it. Collect all the evidence you can to establish clear, compelling proof points. 

Pro Tip Generator 10,000: Ask Why does it matter? and How did you do that/it? Find measurable impact for these two key questions and you’re on the way. 

3) Make it count.

There’s only so much space. It is essential to answer with action-oriented clarity. When brevity rules within prescribed word limits, choice of language becomes paramount. 

So make each line count, and each decision count – including who is chosen as a reference, what videos or media clippings to include, what the bio should impart. These are all pieces of your story, and they can make or break a submission. And like a grade school assignment, follow the rubric rules closely. Don’t lose on a technicality. 

Finally, remember that judges are human. As they sift through an e-stack of submissions they are braced to find any reason to dock marks and narrow the field. Make it easy for them. Don’t assume they already know something about your brand/person/widget/local laws and why you could or couldn’t do something.  Don’t assume they will read every supplementary material. Be selective, clear, interesting.

Sometimes, no matter how prodigious your submission, you still don’t win. Fierce competition, too many applicants from your region, the list goes on… there are reasons. So, for what you can control, make it count.

Blog Post Title Two

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Three

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.