Entering awards is a perfect opportunity for companies to raise their profile within the regional or national business community as well as being a source of pride for employees.

There are a wide range of awards available in a variety of sectors from property to construction and healthcare to education for businesses or individuals to enter.

One of the main barriers to overcome is not to be shy about your personal successes or your business’s achievements and thinking that you wouldn’t be in with a chance of winning.

Being shortlisted is a tremendous achievement in itself and attending an awards dinner is a great way to network with your peers and chat to potential new clients to possibly secure new work.

So, where to begin?

Writing submissions

It is important to read and re-read the questions in the entry toolkit as well as take time when completing your submission so that you are not ruled out on a technicality!

Set the scene at the very beginning to explain why you think your business or the individual nominated should be the winner.

Judges are looking for you to tell your story in a clear, concise way and highlight what makes you different from your competitors by providing examples as well as the achievements in terms of turnover and profit.

It is a good idea to split the entry by using headings to draw the judges to the most vital information and include a highlights box with all the important data. It is important to explain why the results are impressive, for example, did it lead to winning new business or more enquiries?

Give yourself plenty of time. It’s a good idea to write award submissions without any distractions so book a meeting room or write it if you have a Working From Home day so that you can really concentrate without any interruptions.

Do stick to the word count because sometimes entries can be marked down if an entry turns into War and Peace. Don’t forget the judging committee may be reading hundreds of submissions so write short, punchy sentences or bullet points and be truthful.

Adding testimonials from a satisfied client or from a colleague for individual awards is another good idea since it adds more credibility along with highlighting any community initiatives that have been supported or sustainability practices that have been adopted.

If it is possible to add supporting evidence then make sure this is added because it can be the difference between winning or not, and if you are referencing a client, always make sure you have their permission to check they are happy for their information to be in the public domain.

Finally, before submitting, ask a colleague or friend to read through your entry to avoid any unwanted spelling mistakes or they may suggest adding details you had forgotten about and, most importantly, make sure you enter it on time!

Benefits of award successes

At PLMR Advent, we have written award submissions on behalf of many clients over the years from construction to hospitality and from leisure to professional services.

This has led to making a real difference within the business’s sector, how they are perceived by potential and current clients and has led to fantastic opportunities that may not have arisen.

Next steps

Entries for local, regional and sector-specific awards are announced throughout the year so keep an eye out on business or trade websites when the nominations are publicised, print out the form and start making a few notes to answer each question.