Top tips

10 Top Tips

1. Take your time with your nomination

Please don’t sell your company short by leaving it to the last day. There is ample time between the Nominations opening and the closing date to marshal your most effective case.

Use that lead-in time to gather your thoughts and position your company’s success over the past year persuasively.

What truly marks out the year for your company? What have you done or achieved that is so much better than you’d expected, or had done last year, or is better than your competitors?

2. Give measures of success

Saying “We’ve had a great year” really isn’t enough. Everyone says that. The Judges will want to know more precisely what has been great. For example, are sales up? Have you taken on more people? Or entered a new business area, launched a new product or opened up another outlet? Or increased marketing successfully? Or acquired a company? Or won an award?

Anything which makes it clear that your success is based on something tangible.

3. Awards are open to all

The Awards are free to enter and can be won by any company which fits the criteria. If you’re in the area and have had a strong performance in one of our categories, then you can win.

4. Make sure you qualify

Winners need to be based or have a project within 20 miles of the Cardiff area (but not including the Cardiff area). If you’re close enough and much of your business is here, then you’ll be in. If in doubt – ask us!
You can enter any category into which your business fits. So you might be both a Developer and Transformation. You decide: it’s free!

5. If you’re using social media, then be active!

Imagine a pitch which says, “We’ve successfully used social media to build our customer base” – and then the reality that you’ve tweeted only twice since the summer! Again, Judges will be looking at any and all aspects of your business.

6. Testimonials: gather them from clients

It’s one thing for you to say you’re great. But it’s often more persuasive if customers says that. Please share up to three testimonials you are most proud of. The more specific the better. And please make sure all testimonials are from the past 12 months.

And please don’t just say, “Check out our website/social media Do the legwork yourself and include or quote the best examples in your submission. (Besides, there are usually some ropey critiques on the internet, even on the best regarded places!)

7. Put yourself in the shoes of the judges

The Awards are decided by our independent Judges. They’ll look at your Nomination and visit your website.

And then they – and they alone – will decide.

The Judges will be faced with a number of Finalists in each category. Imagine what it’d be like wading through a big pack of info. Make it easy for them. Write clearly with key points. Short sentences are good. Bullets also. Please don’t let it be a bit of a ramble about your life in business!

Try to create some empathy with those judging you. Emotion is fine. If it really would mean the world to you to win this Award – steady! – then say so.

8. Use LinkedIn and Twitter to build support for your bid

If you know you’ll be entering for the Awards, then put it out there on social media, making sure you tag @CardiffPropertyAwds and use the hashtag #CardiffPropertyAwards. You’re likely to gain some comments you can use in your Nomination. But please do not lobby the Judges, either on Twitter or elsewhere: it’ll be counter-productive.

9. Enjoy the nomination process!

This is one of the very few opportunities in professional life to tell people about just how and why your business or organisation is exceptional. And also it’s a rare occasion to dwell with your team on your year and why you do what you do. We all work so hard, all believe so hard in what we do. So enjoy the chance to assemble your arguments and to say EXACTLY why you are great!

10. Keep 10 November clear!

Just imagine how great it would feel to win one of the Cardiff Property Awards…