Marketing awards can stimulate your business’ growth.
Customers and clients, regardless of the product or service being offered, are powerfully influenced by third-party recognition. Who doesn’t like to walk into the lobby of a business they patronize and see plaques on the walls and gleaming trophies?
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Awards marketing is a two-step process. The first one is obvious. The second one is essential.
1. What you do to win an award?
2. How you make the most of the award after you have won?
Entering for an award
Organizations such as the Arizona Small Business Association (ASBA) have awards programs honoring and recognizing businesses of all shapes and sizes in the region. Depending on the requirements of each application, you will likely be asked to:
• Write a brief essay
• Describe your business
• Provide financials
Entry may be free or require a nominal charge.
As flattering as it is to be nominated by someone else, few small business owners realize it is equally appropriate and effective to nominate yourself. Modesty is a perfectly fine personality trait but not when your company is trying to win an award, so go for it. Leave plenty of time to complete the application and have someone with an eagle eye that you trust to review your answers. Spelling does count!
Winning an award
So you win your award. You thank your folks and your third grade English teacher. Now what?
Often business owners are so focused they forget to step back and smell the roses. Celebrate! Awards are an acknowledgement of your achievements and hard work. Spread the news with family and friends.
Become a media resource and increase your exposure. Print, TV and radio outlets rely on experts for insightful information and commentary. Winning an award positions you as a valuable resource for journalists. In many cases, media representatives are even some of the judges!
Stimulate sales. Endorsements add credibility when selling a product or service. Studies have shown that award winners see more than 30 percent greater sales than non-winners. Use the award as a verification of your quality and organization’s commitment to excellence.
Attract talent. The best talent wants to work for the best companies. Highlight your awards when you recruit. Show you are committed to keep getting better. You will not rest on your laurels. You intend to win year after year.
What else can you do?
Here’s what award winners in ASBA have told us they do to keep their award working for them:
• Send a hand-written thank you note to all suppliers and customers for their support of your business. It’s worth the time, the ink and the sore wrist.
• Throw a celebratory staff meeting.
• Update all promotional and sales materials with award logos: your website, business cards, media releases, brochures, biography, etc.
• Use article reprints as sales material. What do your customers read when they are waiting to meet with you?
• Seek speaking opportunities to reinforce that you are an industry leader.
• Contact the news media or invest in a public relations agency to increase exposure.
• Train all staff (not just salespeople) to use the win as a credibility tool.
• Work with ASBA to highlight your award achievements as a result of winning the award.
We urge you to use these cost-effective marketing tactics right now. There are surprisingly few local businesses taking full advantage of an awards marketing strategy.
SASIE Awards
The Arizona Small Business Association’s fourth annual SASIE - Southern Arizona Smart Inspiring Enterprise - Awards are coming up in February. Drop me an e-mail (address is at the end of the column) and I’ll send you information on how these awards can work for you.
Contact Suzette Colley, regional director for the Arizona Small Business Association, at scolley@asba.com or (520) 327-0222. The Tucson office is at 4811 E. Grant Road, Suite 262. The Small Business column appears the second week of each month in Inside Tucson Business.
Comments
Guest wrote on Nov 13, 2009 5:36 PM:
Is this a joke? "