Tips for creating a winning awards entry
Posted by: electime 31st May 2024
The entry deadline for the Electrical Industry Awards is Friday 28th June and the sooner you send in your entries, the better. Here are some tips to maximise your chances of success:
Keep it simple
Be clear and specific. Ensure your entry is easy to explain concisely, give some background and outline your objectives and strategy. Give specific examples that are factual.
Create a narrative
Creating a narrative can help keep the judges’ attention. Be consistent, logical and tell a story.
Answer the question with relevant detail
For example, if you are entering the awards around products, spell out to the judges what the investment you have made in terms of impact on the business and sector it plays in; points of differentiation; if it is an evolutionary explain what the changes bring and why they have been made. Make sure you check the criteria for the category.
If you’re entering categories for individuals or people make sure you explain how the either make a difference, how they work together and why it was their talent that was critical to success. Tell the judges what was different about a project and how you addressed the needs of your organisation – give a sense of what was innovative, creative or different about your approach.
Observe the word count
Judges have many entries to review, so keeping your entry within the word limit will work in your favour. Any supporting documentation must be relevant.
Demonstrate results
All claims must be supported by factual information. If you are still in the middle of an initiative, make sure you can demonstrate some results, rather than simply speculating what the impact might be in the future. Provide solid evidence against the criteria. Spell it out – avoid vague generalisations.
The business case
Try to relate whatever you are putting forward to the requirements of the business and the sector you operate in – how did it support the business and what was the return on investment? Tell the judges what business challenges you were trying to resolve and how your solution helped in commercial terms.
Be passionate
Give the judge the impression you are passionate about your project/product/initiative and why they should care about it. If a project/product has saved money/exceeded expectations what is that money to your organisation? Provide context so the judges can understand the scale of what you have achieved.
Proof read your entries
Make sure your entry has been carefully read by at least one other person not directly involved in compiling it before you send it in. Spelling mistakes and typos can ruin an otherwise sound entry. You’ll be surprised how many judges have bemoaned entries that are simply confusing and complex.
More detail on how to enter can be found here.
