Business Award season in the tech and telecom industry presents a fantastic opportunity to showcase your business’s achievements

It’s the time of year when tech company entrepreneurs and partnerships gather at the awards ceremony to celebrate all that is great in the industry. Technological innovation carries high competition, and its stakeholders know all too well how an innovation award or similar has such a positive impact. Not to mention the networking opportunities and glamour with your fellow tech sector counterparts.

While writing award entries can be time-consuming, particularly for companies with limited resources, the potential benefits greatly outweigh the investment of time and effort. Being involved and shortlisted as a finalist in these awards will enhance your visibility, boost team morale, and increase industry recognition. The post-shortlist or winning opportunities are endless, with content that can be repurposed across social media like LinkedIn and press releases.

 Stand Out From The Crowd

Winning a business award is an impressive milestone for any company. While compiling the entry form can be challenging, to say the least, it does present a valuable opportunity. Developing strong entries for business awards is a skill to be honed over time, and with dedication and effort, you can effectively showcase your achievements and stand out among competitors.

I know all too well the time and effort involved in entering awards. Sounds simple, right? If to be done correctly, there’s a tremendous amount of information gathering, organisation of evidence-based materials, and probable interviewing various team members to ensure you have the detail you need even before you start thinking about putting your fingers on the keyboard.

The challenge is to ensure that your entries truly convey your success stories, are on point and to the point, and are backed up with succinct, evidence-based material.

Top Tips For Success

Here are a few pointers on how to win business awards with chances of success, which have always kept me in good stead, ensuring a great outcome with tech award entries.

Encompass the Year

Award submissions remind you of your high-quality work and initiatives from the past 12 months, not just the immediate lead-up to the entry. You must demonstrate a full explanation of the best efforts you have made throughout the entire business year.

Clear signposting

Make it easy for the naked eye to scan your entry, ensuring the answers leap out to the judges. They have a lot to read!

Build your Narrative

Have your ‘why we deserve to win’ story clear in your head ahead of writing, and always answer the questions with this at the core. Giving judges a story provides them with an easy justification for your winning.

Short and Simple Sentences

Short and simple sentences are essential, especially within the tech and telecoms industry. Your products may be technical and complex but need a simple explanation. Judges want to understand your product or service to award points, so do not overwhelm them.

Use Hard Facts

Hard facts give the judges what they want; this is evidence to support your entry. Reinforce and confirm your story throughout the entry with hard facts that clearly illustrate and support your tech innovation claims.

Do not abuse the word count

The word count is there for a reason, and it will keep you focused on a to-the-point, non-waffle approach. Award judges have hundreds of entries to read, so don’t abuse the system and be as precise as possible.

Focus on relevance

If the documentation asks for statistics in question five, follow the request. Overegging the details throughout every question will annoy the judges, increase the frown lines, and possibly cause a downgrade. Stick to the question and the rules.

Don’t try to have a ‘jargon-off’ with the judges

While it can be tempting to use sophisticated language, it may create barriers for your audience. It’s important to remember that some judges may not be technical or aren’t. By opting for clear and straightforward communication with these industry experts, you can ensure that your message resonates with everyone and is easily understood.

Social Proof and Supporting Information

Substantiate everything as much as you can. If you’re telling a great story about how your technology solution advancements solved pain for your customer, attach the case study.

If you’re spouting impressive productivity or financial benefit metrics, back them up and get testimonials and accolades.

Essentially, bring your submission to life and have the evidence to prove its worth. This will make judges happy.

Would I read it?

Ask yourself that question as you read through your submission. How will the judges feel if it’s challenging to navigate or, frankly, dull?

Ensure your submission flows, sparks interest, has sustainability and includes the key points to answer the question, backed up by how you achieved them. Don’t get distracted and go off point—that only amounts to waffles, and it will lose the judge’s interest.

Proof and Proof again

Do not put paid to all your hard work and efforts by not properly proofing your entry ahead of that all too important ‘submit now’ button.

Make time for spelling and grammar checks and repeat the process; there’s always something. I advise asking some team members who have not been involved in the process to act as independent proofreaders—it could be your saving grace.

Conclusion

And if that’s all too much. Ask for help from a specialist consultancy and someone who has lived, breathed, and succeeded in winning applications.