IT and telecoms industry awards are annual events and we’re now near the end of the 2023 calendar. Which means there’ll be dozens on offer in 2024, and most will be free to enter. Winning them is worth its weight in gold. They feed column-inches that keep on coming. And they boost morale. Raising the bar above competitors, they also offer a better chance of hiring and retaining people eager to work in well-respected firms.

Time is of the essence

According to US magazine, business.com, small businesses that win awards see a 63 percent increase in income and 39 percent sales growth, while for large companies those figures are 48 percent and 37 percent respectively. The difference is simply the size of the pool they’re fishing in. So, pick the right pitch and the results will pour in.

For example, you can take your choice of Comms Business Awards, CRN Channel Awards, UC Awards, UK IT Industry Awards, Comms National Awards and CRN Women & Diversity in Tech, to name just a few. Further guidance can be found on our website, where there’s a curated list chosen for our IT and telecoms clients.

So, please be quick. For each award entry there’s lots to do, far more than meets the eye. And we’d hate to think you might not be ready for any opportunities presented. Also, we’ve noticed the competition’s getting tougher, which is why it’s worth starting to invest the time and effort today.

You’ll not only do great things for your company’s reputation, but you’ll also attract the attention of top managers. After all, who doesn’t love attending an annual awards ceremony and stepping up to the rostrum to snatch the prize in front of one’s peers?

Reasons our customers win

Here are the top six reasons our clients choose GoRefCo LLP to help produce winning award submissions:

• Know what judges want– we’re great storytellers and know how to make award entries memorable.
• Focus firmly on target markets– all our customers are in IT and telecoms, which means we always know how to hit the hot buttons.
• Cut the fluff, make every word count– most competitions have strict word limits so don’t waste precious chances.
• Ask the right questions– we know how to do that. It’s a critical skill we’ve honed and developed over many years in the business.
• Hunt down hard facts– winning entries always feature solid proof points and we’re adept at winkling them out.
• Strike the balance between substance and style– judges see lots of entries and they favour the well-written ones.

Stay up with the times

Winning an award usually means doing three things better than the also-rans. First, you’ve got to be in it to win it, so get moving. Then, to reach the shortlist you’ve got to produce a convincing fact-filled award submission. In-person pitches and face-to-face site visits for shortlisted candidates are becoming popular again.

Also, award bodies are welcoming video and multimedia entries, which make the judging process more varied and allow your personality to shine through. So, the third rule is if you’re a fun company, show it. Think about using soundbites to sway the judges. Written entries are still welcome, but judges aren’t huge fans of long attachments. So, keep most of your entry in the body copy and easy to read.

Get help with the hard work

Of course, doing the copywriting is only half the game and, unless you’ve got your eye on the ball, you might miss opportunities others don’t. So read the entry doc carefully and don’t make errors of omission.

GoRefCo offers the following additional services:

• For free sign-up to our award entry service email connect@gorefco.com.
• We keep a watch on things on your behalf and provide submission date alerts.
• For a curated list of IT and telecoms industry awards through’ 2024, click here.
• We match awards to our customers’ businesses and keep track of them.
• As part of our offer, we produce compelling case studies.
• Running customer advocacy and awards programmes together we help you plan ahead.

Furthermore, when it comes to production of award-submission PPT decks, we’ll help your people do their homework. Like brushing up on facts and figures for best winning chances.

Sharing winning secrets

Yes, competition has got tougher, but we’re raising our game for 2024. That’s why, for the first time, we’ll share our internal GoRefCo award entry guide with customers who sign up to our service. They’ll be welcome to share it with their award production team (if they have one) or compare it with what other agencies do (or don’t do).

Second, we’ve provided a separate blog on how and why one needs to link winning awards with customer references, click here. As Sir Michael Caine might have said, “Not a lot of people know that.”

Finally, in 2023, GoRefCo produced 27 award entries for our clients, of which 18 were shortlisted, seven won big, and six are still awaiting decision. We aim to improve that 26 percent win rate this year by further improving our clients’’ case studies.

Understanding your products and technologies and showing how they deliver quantified business benefits is what we do. So, let’s help get you even more hard-won recognition in 2024. Contact us to join our winning band.