Dos and Don’ts of successful business award entry
This week we thought it might be nice to focus on some of the key things we think are pretty important when it comes to business award entry but also, and arguably more importantly, the things which are essential to avoid at all costs. The list below contains only 3 of our ‘Yay!’ points and 3 of our ‘Nay!’ points but we feel sure we will be sharing more at a later date, just watch this space.
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TAP say DO
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TAP say DO NOT |
| Take the time to read through all of the application information a number of times. Award documentation can sometimes be wordy, and you may feel that there is a degree of repetition, but thorough understanding of every aspect of the award and categories is essential. | Be tempted to ‘scan read’ through the award documentation. You run the risk of missing some key information (something which the judges will most possibly notice!) and exhibiting any degree of laziness does not stand you in good stead when you are being judged for your achievements.
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| Set aside some quality time for thinking through your entry. Before you put pen to paper (or, more likely, fingers to keyboard) have a think through everything which could be relevant to your application; more recent activities are always front of mind but there may be other things of equal greatness which you’ve simply forgotten – a symptom of being successful and busy! | Leave the submission of your entry to the last minute. As well as there being a risk of you sending the entry with errors (yes, unfortunately some people leave no time even for a proof read) you may have totally missed out something vitally important. Ideally, you should craft your entry and then come back to it a number of times to check and re-check until you are 100% happy.
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| Feel entirely proud of your achievements. Be prepared to highlight exactly what makes your actions so remarkable and do not assume that the judges will know what is and isn’t ‘the norm’ within your field. Think of the award application as being akin to a job interview for a role you would really like to get and present yourself as the best possible candidate. | Be too humble about what you have done. There is a balance to be struck between modesty and boastfulness but remember it is your responsibility to give details of the amazing things you have done and to elaborate on why those activities stand out amongst those of your fellow entrants. An entry which borders on the bashful side will not allow you to shine!
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