Awards Are A Great Marketing Tool
Awards Are A Great Marketing Tool
So why do people enter awards? I guess the reasons vary, but I know of businesses that have in their marketing plan that they will enter awards. In fact, most do not enter to win. They enter to force themselves to look carefully at the structure, goals and outcomes of their business. Others enter because it offers them the opportunity to network with fellow business operators who also ‘think they run successful businesses’ (or they would not have entered for an award in the first place). These fellow businesses are often open to joint venture partnerships and alliances. Still others enter to meet the dignitaries who present the awards, offering great photo opportunities for future marketing and promotional content.
If you do enter an award, don’t waste the effort. Make sure you start using that information immediately as part of your marketing strategy. On your web site; in your email signature; in your e-zine; on flyers and advertisements - simply state that you are an entrant in the ‘XYZ Award’. This lets potential customers and suppliers know that you are a confident business operator and are prepared to put your business up for scrutiny to experts outside of your field of acquaintances.
Then if you become a finalist – quickly change your promotional material to include this information. And of course if you win a category – another quick change. I know a motel operator who put a great banner across the front of their motel saying that they were State winners in an Award. Two weeks later they became the overall National winner and had to rush to change the banner.
But they did more than that. They then sent a card to every one of their past clients with a small blue sash enclosed – congratulating them – as they pointed out they would not have had the courage to enter had it not been for the support and testimonials that their customers constantly gave them. They also held a party and invited all their suppliers and local dignitaries. Of course they had on display their certificates and trophies – but again, they put an emphasis on the importance of good suppliers and the support they received from the local press, Government, Tourist Authority etc. The marketing strategy worked – their business dramatically increased and the owner was invited to sit on a State Government Small Business Council to discuss issues relating to small business.
Entering awards can certainly add to your credibility and winning is the icing on the cake. So perhaps the question should be ‘why don’t people enter awards?’ There are many business awards available and you can find one or more to suit your type of business, so don’t procrastinate. Get your act together and decide to enter an award this year!
Barbara Gabogrecan won 7 Gift of the Year Awards and judges Micro Business, International Marketing and Government Training Awards. You can get a free e-book telling you how your business can be a ‘super winner’. http://tinyurl.com/foccy
Awards Are A Great Marketing Tool - To learn more about this author, visit Barbara Gabogrecan's Website.
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When we hear of others winning business awards, we tend to think that they are people who have really got ‘their act together’ and are very good or very lucky or both. We don’t realise that because so many business operators feel this way, that in fact, very few actually will take the trouble to enter awards – they don’t think they have a chance. Wrong! With such low numbers of entrants in most awards, the chances of winning are much greater than you think.
So why do people enter awards? I guess the reasons vary, but I know of businesses that have in their marketing plan that they will enter awards. In fact, most do not enter to win. They enter to force themselves to look carefully at the structure, goals and outcomes of their business. Others enter because it offers them the opportunity to network with fellow business operators who also ‘think they run successful businesses’ (or they would not have entered for an award in the first place). These fellow businesses are often open to joint venture partnerships and alliances. Still others enter to meet the dignitaries who present the awards, offering great photo opportunities for future marketing and promotional content.
If you do enter an award, don’t waste the effort. Make sure you start using that information immediately as part of your marketing strategy. On your web site; in your email signature; in your e-zine; on flyers and advertisements - simply state that you are an entrant in the ‘XYZ Award’. This lets potential customers and suppliers know that you are a confident business operator and are prepared to put your business up for scrutiny to experts outside of your field of acquaintances.
Then if you become a finalist – quickly change your promotional material to include this information. And of course if you win a category – another quick change. I know a motel operator who put a great banner across the front of their motel saying that they were State winners in an Award. Two weeks later they became the overall National winner and had to rush to change the banner.
But they did more than that. They then sent a card to every one of their past clients with a small blue sash enclosed – congratulating them – as they pointed out they would not have had the courage to enter had it not been for the support and testimonials that their customers constantly gave them. They also held a party and invited all their suppliers and local dignitaries. Of course they had on display their certificates and trophies – but again, they put an emphasis on the importance of good suppliers and the support they received from the local press, Government, Tourist Authority etc. The marketing strategy worked – their business dramatically increased and the owner was invited to sit on a State Government Small Business Council to discuss issues relating to small business.
Entering awards can certainly add to your credibility and winning is the icing on the cake. So perhaps the question should be ‘why don’t people enter awards?’ There are many business awards available and you can find one or more to suit your type of business, so don’t procrastinate. Get your act together and decide to enter an award this year!
Barbara Gabogrecan won 7 Gift of the Year Awards and judges Micro Business, International Marketing and Government Training Awards. You can get a free e-book telling you how your business can be a ‘super winner’. http://tinyurl.com/foccy
Awards Are A Great Marketing Tool - To learn more about this author, visit Barbara Gabogrecan's Website.
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Enjoyed the article on the benefits of entering awards. Good advice.
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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