How to write an award-winning submission

The cardinal rule for compiling submissions is ensuring that your answers strictly align with the awards criteria. While this might sound obvious, judges have reported that many past applicants have provided responses that were irrelevant to them.

The criteria have been created for a reason and they are the guidelines the judges will be using to assess your applications. Answer the questions with as much accuracy and clarity as possible to ensure you don’t hurt your chances of winning awards.

Following on from the previous rule, it is essential that you follow the ground rules set by the awards program and answer the questions.
This enables judges to compare and contrast you with other award entrants in your category.
Judges want your responses to knock their socks off! Use the narrative style (with a beginning, middle, and an end) to tell your story.

Make sure you structure your answers succinctly and coherently (avoid going off on a tangent).

Present your answers in an easily digestible format to leave an impact. Provide evidence such as data, statistics, quantifiable input (such as revenue increase, profit growth, or efficiencies gained through improved systems and processes), and testimonials and recommendations from your peers and clients.

No one can tell your personal story better than you. Take the time to write your own submission in the first person using your own words to ensure it is authentic and genuine.

While some award entrants delegate writing award submissions to marketing and PR professionals (who are masters of the written word), judges can distinguish between first person narrative and “marketing spiel” written in the third person.

Moreover, if more than one award entrant uses the same marketing or PR professional, the risk of them using a cut-and-paste approach increases, which could significantly diminish your chances of winning the award.

Make data and figures your friends. They make your success measurable and back your claims about your achievements. Showcase any increases you have seen in financial metrics, clientele, staff size, or efficiencies as a result of your initiatives.

This information makes it easier for the judges to gauge the scale of your achievements. Independent attachments can go a long way in swaying the judges on the merits of your entry.

Sticking to the word limit for each question can lead to powerful and compelling answers. Judges will struggle to mark you well if your answer says very little, is repetitive, or uses strategies like “see above”. Conversely, responding with “see attached” and annexing a lengthy document will disengage the judges. You are allowed to use a limited number of words. Use the word count wisely!

Providing references from established and well-respected sources is critical to impressing the judges. Choose your referees wisely!

Judges could mark you down if you don’t attach references. They will also not look favourably upon entrants who supply the name and phone number of the referee and instruct the judges to contact them directly for a reference. This approach not only threatens the anonymity of which criteria judges are reviewing, it could also be off-putting for them.

In addition, attaching references from an independent “third-party” will build your credibility, compared to first-party or second-party references from your supervisor or colleague.

Don’t let spelling and grammar errors or other minor mistakes blemish your otherwise stellar submission. Starting your submission early will leave you with plenty of time to walk away from it for a few days and come back with a fresh perspective. You can then proofread and polish it.

Moreover, just because we encourage you to compile your own submission does not mean you cannot ask somebody else to read it. Ask your colleagues, friends, or even a writer to review and proofread it.

Once you are sure that your spelling, grammar, punctuation, and tone are perfect, you can then press send.