Top 10 Tips for Entering International Awards

chris robinson

Chris Robinson

Managing Director, Boost

How to win International Business Awards

So, you’ve got a killer story, but is that really enough to wow the judges?

You may have picked your troops, but now you need to send them into battle. Standing between you and the recognition you so richly deserve is the putting of pen to paper and writing the all-important submission.

The written entry can make or break any international award submission, so here are the 10 top tips from Boost Awards, the world’s first and largest global award entry consultancy that will help you on our journey to (hopefully) awards glory.

  1. Tell a story – make your submission a compelling read. Remember you need to catch the judge’s attention – and keep it!
  2. Prove you’re the best – while telling your story avoid the pitfall of including unsubstantiated assertions like “feedback was excellent”. Judges get quite cross when statements lack evidence.
  3. Read the instructions –ensure you read the guidelines and judging criteria carefully and then ensure you answer all the questions in full without going off at tangents. Domestic and international awards will often differ, so always double check. If you are not 100% sure what the judges are looking for – ask.
  4. Interview the right people – even if you think you know the project, you should interview as many other people as possible. Ideally a senior sponsor, implementer and beneficiary.

5. Find a truly independent reviewer – the judges are unlikely to know your industry, so it pays to get someone to read your draft submission who is equally objective.

6. Imagine you were unsuccessful – when you have written your entry a good technique is to imagine you were unsuccessful and you narrowly missed the top spot. What would you do to get a few extra marks?

7. Use images wisely – a picture tells a thousand words, but badly used graphs, diagrams and photos can actually do more harm than good. Images are good, but only if they make sense, add value and have a clear purpose.

8. Avoid the quagmire – the biggest trap in any submission writing process is to focus too heavily on “what we did” – the quagmire. It is called this because it you get bogged down in the detail. Remember that awards are as much for what you achieved, as what you did. So balance the two.

9. Use awards for continuous improvement – Resist the temptation to contest any comments provided by judges, instead use the feedback to improve your initiative, or maybe your strategy or maybe just your award entry writing for next time.

10. Recycle your entries – having spent a while writing a thorough award entry, it would be a travesty not to use it again. Find some more awards to enter it into, be it local or international – you can see a full list of other awards online free of charge at Awardslist.

“Remember that awards are as much for what you achieved, as what you did. So balance the two.”

Need help entering international awards?

If you ever need help choosing which awards to enter, internationally or locally,  gathering the right sort of evidence of success and uniqueness, writing your award submission or preparing a presentation to judges, then feel free to contact Boost Awards in the UK and US.

(C) These top tips are the intellectual property of award entry consultants Boost Awards

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