Awards set your career & business alight
Are you a quiet achiever and not comfortable it talking about your successes and achievements? You’re not alone BUT, if you don’t talk about your skills and abilities, someone else will be talking about theirs AND being awarded the recognition meant for you.
The G8 Ladies were honoured by Belinda Dolan from Clariti Group and her fabulous panel of four multi international award winning superstars who shared insights and tips to ensure we have an award winning business that stands out and makes a difference.
5 things that entering an award will help you and your organisation with:
Opportunity to pause, evaluate, to collect data, evidence and testimonials
Increase in business connections and the ability to promote your business.
Your submission has been peer reviewed - so it’s not just you saying that you’re awesome.
Increase in your personal / professional profile. The ability to stand out from the others. Everyone has a story and a journey, sharing it makes you different.
Global exposure and recognition by fellow business leaders through award promotions, global PR releases, Increase in the number of opportunities in social media, radio, podcasts, print magazines
Are you ready to take 5 steps to enjoy all the opportunities entering awards can give you?
Follow these 5 steps: Step 1 – Get out of your own head – Dream big Step 2 – Commit to entering Step 3 – Find the awards or source help to find them Step 4 – Execute, gather the evidence, complete the application and APPLY Step 5 - Publicise any nominations, use social media to add value, wait for the results and celebrate your success.
Annette Densham from the Publicity Genie shared with us some great advice:
“Everyone of you here is an expert”
“There’s no room in small business for modesty”
“You can’t get business when you’re the best kept secret”
Annette can help each of us to write our submissions AND our acceptance speeches. She points out that key advantages of submitting a nomination are:
It causes you to pause and reflect
To find out who your target audience is
To find out what will make them feel secure about engaging and working with you?
Hellen Paddon from Tradettes shared with us her incredible story and how she disrupted the male dominated plumbing industry, used the awards to gain the recognition she deserved and to silence those who attacked her. She asked us to think about the words we commonly use:
I want to do
I’m going to do
I’m doing
Awards give you traction to generate more opportunities. They gave her the platform to ‘call out’ the builders on the lack of females in the industry, now they come to her asking how they can engage women in the trades.
Anahita from Clariti Group spoke of her parents’ brave decision and choice to move to Australia which enables her to have the education and choices that she would not otherwise have had.
“We have a choice in life and if we’re not cheerleading for ourselves then no one is?”
“Be seen as an industry leader”
Do it for someone else - “By nominating for awards, you set an example for other who would not normally have the strength to do so”
Excellent advice on how to write a submission:
Write in the 3rd person
If you’re presenting at a speaking engagement, record it and write it down
Write about someone else, it’s easier
Pay someone
If you’re struggling, then ask the 5 closest people in your life “What is so unique about me that inspires you?”. Sometimes you need to hear it from someone else.
Our final advice from Meredith Parrish “Expose the product to the danger of being sold”
