How to Win Stevie Awards: 4 Ways to Find Awards Candy

Posted by Michael Gallagher on Thu, Jan 31, 2013 @ 10:14 AM

Chris Robinson, Managing Director of Boost Marketing, outlines some of the ways that this UK-based international award-entry consultancy helps its clients to select what to enter into an awards competition.

Chris RobinsonIn a meeting with your CEO it’s agreed that your company will enter one of the Stevie® Awards competitions. Decision made. Your CEO then walks out of the meeting, so now all you have to do is make it happen.

A Bigger Decision

Although the initial decision to enter has been made, now you have to make an even more important decision, perhaps the most important one of all when it comes to any awards strategy: You have to decide what your award-worthy story—or as we call it at Boost Marketing, your “awards candy”—is going to be.

For small businesses, the history of the whole business is often the story, so this is not such a hard decision; but for larger, well-established organisations the decision can be a much trickier. Larger organizations will have many individuals, teams, departments, strategies, projects, products, and campaigns, each with their own story to choose from.

Picking the Right Story

Any one of these stories could make a suitable entry, but they may not all be equally likely to win a prestigious award such as a Stevie.  Plus, pick the wrong story and you will not just be wasteful of the company’s time, money, and energy, you will also disappoint your CEO when it is not short-listed.   And if you are entering on behalf of a client, and the submission goes nowhere after all the hassle of getting that client’s approval, it can actually harm your business relationship.

Make the Extra Effort

Going by gut instinct or by who shouts the loudest are not ideal ways to decide which stories to enter for an award.  You’ll need to take a little more care in choosing your best stories. The extra effort will pay big dividends in the long term.

To decide which stories are worth entering into awards and which are not requires a fair and systematic approach that cannot be contested.  Such a system should be able to demonstrate clearly that while one person’s pet project may be a no hoper, another lower profile but ingenious story may be a strong contender for awards recognition.

Brainstorming

When we run brainstorming sessions with our clients on what to enter for an award, something that happens time and again is that a story is tabled which, when rated, gets very high marks and goes on to win.  Yet at the time of the session, people will say:  “I would never have thought of entering that.”

How to Filter Your Choices

There is no one-size-fits-all format for a brainstorming session. You can use anything from post-it notes scattered on a whiteboard to a flip chart.  Just remember that Ii doesn’t really matter about the format so long as the session has the following ingredients:

1.  Get everyone around the table who might know about the best stories.

2.  Before starting the brainstorming process, make sure all the stories are tabled—good and bad—without filtering out anything.

3.  Agree on a scoring system that everyone buys into, and then rate each story using this scoring system.

4.  Double-check the highest-scoring stories with the group to ensure there is consensus on which stories are chosen.

At this point the most important decision will have been made. Better still, everyone will leave the room happy with this decision.

Two examples of unexpected awards Candy have been a small initiative to help the long-term unemployed get call-centre jobs at a multinational organisation; and a partnership between the regional office of a British company with the local Citizen’s Advice Bureau, both of which were chosen over multi-million dollar corporate projects.  Yet neither of these stories had been considered for awards glory beforehand.

Remember: the obvious choices are not always the right choices.

The Final Decision

Having completed the step of deciding what stories to enter into an awards competition, you need to match your best stories against the categories and awards available. The Stevie Awards, for example, offer many categories to choose from across all of their awards competitions.  (See the schedule of Stevie Awards competitions in 2013.)

With the Stevie Awards there are a wide variety of categories to choose from, including many new and revised categories for 2013. The Stevie Awards staff are always happy to help with your category selection.  You can contact them at help@stevieawards.com.

There are hundreds of other awards and competitions out there for businesses, and you can find a list of most of them on various Boost web pages, but we strongly recommend you start by picking the most suitable categories within the Stevie Awards.

About Chris Robinson

Chris Robinson is Managing Director of Boost Marketing, the world’s first award-entry consultancy, which now has a team of 15 awards-entry consultants based around the world. The Boost website lists awards for the U.S., United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand. Since the company was founded in 2006, Boost Marketing consultants have helped over 200 businesses win over 400 awards.

 

Topics: business awards, stevie awards, boost marketing, chris robinson, how to win

Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco to Host ABA's New Product & Tech Awards Banquet

Posted by Liz Dean on Tue, Jan 29, 2013 @ 12:47 PM

The Stevie® Awards are pleased to announce that this year's American Business Awards' new product and technology awards banquet will be held at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco, CA on September 16.

Recognized as the nation's top business awards program, The American Business Awards honor all facets of the workplace, our award categories include: app awards, company / organization awards, customer service awards, HR awards, IT awards, management awards, marketing awards, new product awards, PR awards, and website awards.The American Business Awards

Categories being celebrated in San Francisco include:

Awards in the company / organization awards, marketing awards, and management awards categories will be announced either on June 17 at the 11th annual awards banquet, for non-tech categories, at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago, IL or on September 16 in San Francisco, depending on the category. See a complete list of all ABA categories.

2013 nominations should cite achievements during our eligibility period: January 2012 through April 24, 2013, the last day that late entries will be accepted. There is no eligibility timeframe for web site entries - it does not matter when the web sites were first published.

March 27 is the entry deadline and April 24 is the last day that late entries will be accepted with payment of a late fee. Finalists will be announced on May 8, 2013. If you haven't yet done so, you can request your entry kit here and it will be emailed to you right away.

If you have any questions regarding the 2013 ABA banquets, please email us at help@stevieawards.com or call us at + 1 703-547-8389.

Topics: customer service awards, hr awards, business awards, app awards, website awards, marketing awards, PR awards, American business awards, it awards, Julia Morgan Ballroom

2 Months to 2013 American Business Awards Entry Deadline

Posted by Liz Dean on Mon, Jan 28, 2013 @ 11:40 AM

Wednesday, March 27, is the entry deadline for The 2013 American Business Awards, the top business awards competition in the U.S.A. (If you haven't yet done so, you can request your entry kit here and it will be emailed to you right away.)Stevies 2013 Logo

All individuals and organizations in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. The American Business Awards honor organizations and individuals in a wide variety of categories, types of business awards categories include: app awards, company / organization awards, customer service awards, HR awards, IT awards, management awards, marketing awards, new product awards, PR awards, and website awards. See the full list of business awards categories.

The 2013 ABA nominations should cite achievements during our eligibility period: January 2012 through April 24, 2013, the last day that late entries will be accepted. There is no eligibility timeframe for web site entries - it does not matter when the web sites were first published.

To help you make the most out of your entries, we suggest reviewing our past winners' entries for guidance. 2012 ABA Gold winners include Bloomberg Law (Best New Product or Service - Business-to-Business Services), Carlisle & Gallagher Consulting Group (Communications Department of the Year), Fazoli's Italian Restaurants (Human Resources Department of the Year), Ford Motor Company (Company of the Year - Automotive & Transport Equipment), HubSpot (Website of the Year - Computer Software), iolo technologies (Marketing Department of the Year), Northwestern Mutual (Best House Organ/Publication - Print), SquareTrade (Customer Service Department of the Year - Financial Services), and Vemma Nutrition Company (Best App of the Year - Lifestyle), among others. You can see the complete list of 2012 Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie® Award winners here.

If you have any questions about the 2013 ABAs, please email us at help@stevieawards.com or call us at + 1 703-547-8389.

Topics: customer service awards, hr awards, business awards, app awards, website awards, marketing awards, PR awards, American business awards, it awards

STEVIE® AWARDS FOR SALES & CUSTOMER SERVICE ANNOUNCE FINALISTS IN 7TH ANNUAL COMPETITION

Posted by Liz Dean on Thu, Jan 24, 2013 @ 10:28 AM

Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Winners to Be Announced in Las Vegas on February 25

Fairfax, VA – January 24, 2013 – Finalists in the 7th Annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, an international competition recognizing excellence in disciplines that are crucial to business success, were announced today.    

Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service LogoA diverse group of organizations and individuals around the world are among those recognized in the customer service awards, contact center awards, and sales awards categories.  Organizations with Finalists in multiple categories include AllClear ID, Turkey’s Avea Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S., Delta Air Lines, DHL Express, the United Kingdom’s EE, Heartland Payment Systems, John Hancock Signature Services, L-com Inc., Marriott Vacation Club, OppenheimerFunds, Richardson, Sundance Vacations, SurePayroll, Inc., VIZIO, Inc., and Wyndham Vacation Ownership, among others. For a full list of Finalists by category, visit www.StevieAwards.com/Sales

Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners will be announced during a gala banquet on Monday, February 25 at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Tickets are now on sale

The awards are presented by the Stevie® Awards, which organizes several of the world’s leading business awards shows including the prestigious International Business Awards. The Stevies are widely considered to be the world’s premier business awards.

More than 1,100 entries from organizations worldwide were submitted to this year’s competition, an increase of 10% over 2012. Finalists were determined by the average scores of 120 professionals worldwide, acting as preliminary judges.  Entries were considered in 30 categories for customer service professionals, including Contact Center of the Year, Award for Innovation in Customer Service, and Customer Service Department of the Year; 41 categories for sales and business development professionals, ranging from Senior Sales Executive of the Year to Sales Training or Coaching Program of the Year to Sales Department of the Year of the Year; and categories to recognize new products and services and solution providers. 

More than 100 members of eight specialized judging committees will determine the Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award placements from among the Finalists during final judging, to take place January 28 - February 8.  

Beginning today, the general public will be able to cast their votes for their favorite providers of good customer service in the People’s Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite Customer Service Department.  Voting is open at http://www.stevieawards.com/Service.peopleschoice.  Winners of the People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Customer Service in multiple industries will be determined in mid-February and honored at the awards gala in Las Vegas on February 25. 

About The Stevie Awards
The Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.  Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.  Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com,  and follow the Stevie Awards on Twitter @TheStevieAwards.   

Sponsors and supporters of the 7th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include the Business TalkRadio Network and ValueSelling Associates.

Topics: sales excellence, best customer service, customer service awards, business awards, Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, call center awards, sales awards

2013 International Business Awards Entry Kit Now Available

Posted by Liz Dean on Thu, Jan 17, 2013 @ 01:09 PM

The entry kit for The 2013 (10th Annual) International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition, is now available. Request your entry kit here.

All individuals and organizations worldwide -- public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small -- may submit nominations to the IBAs, recognized as the world's top honors in business and the only completely international business awards competition.

The International Business Awards recognize achievement in every facet of the workplace. Stevie® Awards are conferred upon top-scoring nominations in each category, as chosen by an international judging panel of more than 150 business leaders.

Our business award categories include:

See the full list of international business awards categories.

Nominations should cite achievements during our eligibility period: January 2012 through 12 June 2013, the last day that late entries will be accepted. There is no eligibility timeframe for web site entries - it does not matter when the web sites were first published.

The early-bird entry deadline, with discounted entry fees, is 10 April. The entry deadline is 15 May, but late entries will be accepted through 12 June with payment of a late fee. (Note that the website will not be ready to accept entries until Monday, 21 January. Please do not attempt to submit entries before then.) Entry details are available at www.stevieawards.com/iba..

Results will be announced on 14 August and 2013 honorees will be celebrated at the 10th annual awards banquet on 14 October in Barcelona, Spain.  

Don't hesitate to contact us with your questions about how to participate in The 2013 International Business Awards.

3 Ways a Stevie® Awards Winner is Helping Women in Business

Posted by Liz Dean on Thu, Jan 17, 2013 @ 12:20 PM

Kristin Luck, president of Decipher, Inc., in Fresno, California, USA, won a Gold Stevie® Award for Women Helping Women in Business at the 2012 Stevie® Awards for Women in Business in connection with the organization that she founded, Women in Research (WIRe). (Entries for the 2013 Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's top honors for female entrepreneurs, executives and the organizations they run, will open in May. Join our mailing list and the entry kit for the 2013 awards will be emailed to you when entries open.)

Kristin Luck, President, Decipher, Inc.In 2007, after more than a decade in the market research industry, Kristin Luck founded Women in Research (WIRe) as a means of introducing friends and research colleagues to other industry women in the Los Angeles research community. The group began informally when Kristin invited about 20 of her business colleagues to join her for cocktails.

Since then, WIRe has grown to an organization with more than 300 members worldwide. WIRe events are now hosted quarterly in Los Angeles, New York, and London. Here Kristin describes in her own words how WIRe is helping women succeed.

Networking
Says Kristin: “WIRe events facilitate networking, leadership, entrepreneurship, and other career development goals to meet the needs of professional women in the market research industry. Today, our mission is to encourage the establishment of empowering and nurturing relationships among women in market research.”

What started off as a few informal cocktail hours among female research colleagues has evolved into a non-profit industry organization that provides women in market research with a support network that includes mentoring and education opportunities.

Industry-wide Study
Although WIRe originated as an informal way of connecting women in the industry, most recently the group has garnered attention for conducting, in partnership with Lieberman Research Worldwide, Decipher, and Research-live.com, the first industry-wide study on gender and diversity in the workplace.

Gender inequality, especially as it relates to compensation, has been under scrutiny for several decades; particularly in the United States where on average women are paid 77 cents to the dollar that men are paid for the same work.

WIRe’s industry gender and diversity study, which was released in October 2012, uncovered data that helped provide insight not only into the disparity between male and female earnings in the market research industry, but also the underlying reasons behind that disparity.

Commented Kristin: “With this study, we wanted to explore earnings inequality specifically within our industry.  What we found was interesting: the study suggests that companies need to focus on salary parity and to make a shift to equalize the balance between personal life and work for their employees. This is especially important for women with children, who are less likely to progress into senior management positions.”

Gender Diversity=Success
Why should businesses care about gender diversity in senior level roles? Because studies have confirmed that companies with more women in senior management meet with greater financial success.

  • McKinsey’s Organizational Health Index (OHI) reports that “firms with three or more women in top positions score higher than their peers—findings supported by studies by Columbia Business School and University of Maryland, among others.”
  • Fast Company recently reported that Catalyst, a nonprofit focused on expanding opportunities for women in business, “found a 26% boost in return on invested capital in companies with lots of women on their boards versus companies with no women.”
  • A study conducted by MIT also found that diversity leads to better products and services.

In short, diversity improves performance, morale, and end product. Women are perceived as more empathetic and emotionally driven and they have a unique perspective on how products and services should be developed.

Concludes Kristin: “Considering these studies, if you take women out of the equation, out of the board room, out of the research process, there’s a fundamental perspective that’s being seriously missed. This WIRe study serves as a reminder that employers, no matter the industry, need to find ways to help ALL employees find a better work/life balance in order to be successful.

“Employers need to focus on creating working environments that are conducive to a healthy family life—whether or not that includes children, and regardless of an employee’s gender. “

Dialogue
Adds Kristin: “Make no mistake: Men are an important part of this dialogue. Men are welcome at all WIRe events—our most recent event in Los Angeles boasted double-digit male attendees in a group of over 60 women—and our biggest corporate sponsors (ESOMAR, The Advertising Research Foundation, uSamp, MRops) are organizations led by men. A big part of creating awareness about gender inequity in the industry is to educate BOTH men and women that it exists. We need to collectively support and encourage more women to progress to senior positions.”

Mentoring
WIRe’s first industry-wide mentoring program launched earlier this year and pairs female mentors and mentees based on their goals, interests, experience, and location.

Says Kristin: “64% of businesswomen see the absence of female role models as a barrier to their development. We need to encourage and invest in the leadership of women; mentor; and personify the characteristics you hope to see in the world around you.”

You can learn more about WIRe at www.womeninresearch.com, where you can also find detailed results from the gender and diversity study, as well as additional information about the mentoring program.

About Kristin Luck:
Kristin Luck has conquered several challenges over the years, initiating significant change in an industry steeped in tradition. She was a pioneer in the multi-media online research business, heading the fastest-growing research company in the world in the early 2000s and starting her own company in 2005. She currently serves as president of Decipher, which has appeared as one of the INC. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies, a GRIT Top 50 Innovative Firm, and on the Lead411 Tech 200 List.

In addition to founding WIRe, Luck is active in multiple industry and charitable organizations, constantly pushing the envelope to create products, solutions, and methods that benefit her industry. Luck shares this passion by speaking at events around the world, writing in-depth articles for international publications, and teaching as a guest lecturer at university level.

About Decipher:
A marketing research services provider, Decipher specializes in online survey programming, data collection, data processing/reporting, and custom technology development. Utilizing Web-based applications, Decipher integrates state of the art technology with traditional research techniques. For more information, go to www.decipherinc.com.

Topics: business awards, female entrepreneurs, female executives, the stevie awards for women in business, women helping women, Decipher, Kristin Luck, Women in Research

Final Day to Enter the Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service

Posted by Liz Dean on Tue, Jan 15, 2013 @ 10:19 AM

Today, January 15, is the final entry deadline for the 2013 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the world's top business awards for contact center, customer service, business development, and sales professionals.

Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer ServiceAll entries are submitted online. You can begin your submission process by requesting your entry kit here. The entry kit contains all of the instructions you need about how to prepare and submit your entries.

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service feature more than 125 sales awards, customer service awards, and call center awards categories honoring sales excellence and best customer service practices for individuals, teams, and departments, plus categories this year for products and service and solution providers.

Information generally required for 2013 entries include an essay of up to 525 words describing the nominee’s achievements since July 1, 2011; links to any online materials that support the nomination; and a brief (125 word) biography of the nominee.

To make the most out of your entries, we suggest:

  1. Reviewing past winners' entries.
    Winners of the most recent edition of the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service included New York Community Bancorp, Inc. (Customer Service or Call Center Training Practice of the Year), Rob Jeppsen, Zions First National Bank (Sales Director of the Year), International Checkout Inc. (Telesales Team of the Year), Office Depot, Inc. (Customer Service Complaints Team of the Year), OppenheimerFunds Inc. (Contact Center of the Year), and SquareTrade Inc (Customer Service Department of the Year - Financial Services), among others. A complete list of 2012 honorees is available at www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

  2. Downloading our 5 Tips for Winning Sales Awards in the 2013 Stevie® Awards tipsheet.
    Our tipsheet will provide helpful tips and tools for making the most out of your entries.

  3. Watching our short video, How to Enter the 2013 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service.
    The brief video offers a comprehensive overview of the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

Finalists will be notified on January 23 and winners of the 2013 edition will be announced at an awards banquet at Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on February 25, 2013.

Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any last minute questions regarding the 2013 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Email us at help@stevieawards.com or call us at + 1 703-547-8389 and we'll get back to you right away.

Topics: sales excellence, best customer service, customer service awards, business awards, Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, call center awards, sales awards

One Day to Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service Final Entry Deadline

Posted by Liz Dean on Mon, Jan 14, 2013 @ 09:55 AM

Tomorrow, January 15, is the final entry deadline for the 2013 (7th annual) Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the world's top business awards for contact center, customer service, business development, and sales professionals. If you haven't yet done so, you can request your entry kit here.

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer ServiceThe Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service feature more than 125 sales awards, customer service awards, and call center awards categories honoring sales excellence and best customer service practices for individuals, teams, and departments, plus categories this year for products and service and solution providers. Entrants may submit any number of nominations to any number of categories, which include:

  • Sales Individual categories such as Senior Sales Executive of the Year and Sales Operations Professional of the Year
  • Sales Team categories like Global Sales Team of the Year and Field Sales Team of the Year
  • Sales Achievement categories such as Sales Turnaround of the Year and Outbound Marketing Program of the Year
  • Sales Department of the Year categories in 13 industry groupings
  • Customer Service and Contact Center Individual categories such as Front-Line Customer Service Professional of the Year and Customer Service Leader of the Year
  • Customer Service and Contact Center Team categories like Contact Center of the Year and Customer Service Management Team of the Year
  • Customer Service and Contact Center Achievement categories such as e-Commerce Customer Service Award and Award for Innovation in Customer Service
  • Customer Service Department categories in 11 industry groupings
  • New Product and Service categories like Best New Business Intelligence Solution and Best New Relationship Management Solution
  • Solution Provider categories such as Sales Consulting Practice of the Year and Incentive, Rewards, or Recognition Provider of the Year

Information generally required for 2013 entries include an essay of up to 525 words describing the nominee’s achievements since July 1, 2011; links to any online materials that support the nomination; and a brief (125 word) biography of the nominee.

To help prepare your entries, we suggest downloading our 5 Tips for Winning Sales Awards in the 2013 Stevie® Awards tipsheet, reviewing past winners' entries, and watching our short video, How to Enter the 2013 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

Finalists will be notified on January 23 and winners of the 2013 edition will be announced at an awards banquet at Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on February 25, 2013.

Have questions regarding the 2013 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service?  Email us at help@stevieawards.com or call us at + 1 703-547-8389 and we'll get back to you right away.

Topics: sales excellence, best customer service, customer service awards, business awards, Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, call center awards, sales awards

W Hotel in Barcelona, Spain to Host 2013 International Business Awards

Posted by Liz Dean on Fri, Jan 11, 2013 @ 11:28 AM

It's official: The 2013 (10th Annual) International Business Awards will take place on Monday, October 14 at the W Hotel in Barcelona, Spain. On the beach.

W Hotel, Barcelona, SpainRecognized as the world’s premier business awards program, The International Business Awards honors all facets of the workplace, our award categories include: annual report awards, app awards, company/organization awards, customer service awards, human resources awards, information technology awards, management awards, marketing awards, new product awards, public relations awards, support awards, and website awards, among others. See all corporate awards categories.

Entries for the 2013 competition open in late January, join our mailing list and the entry kit will be emailed to you once it becomes available. All individuals and organizations worldwide – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small – may submit nominations.

More than 350 entrepreneurs, executives, and their guests from around the world attended the 2012 IBA gala celebrated on Monday, October 15th, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Seoul, South Korea. Watch the October 15th International Business Awards presentations here.

Will you be joining us on October 14 in Spain?

Topics: hr awards, business awards, app awards, website awards, International business awards, PR awards, it awards, The International Business Awards, W Hotel

One Week to Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service Final Entry Deadline

Posted by Liz Dean on Tue, Jan 08, 2013 @ 01:09 PM

The final entry deadline for the 2013 (7th annual) Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the world's top business awards for contact center, customer service, business development, and sales professionals, is Tuesday, January 15.

Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer ServiceIf you haven't yet done so, you can begin your submission process by requesting your entry kit here. The entry kit contains all of the instructions you need about how to prepare and submit your entries.

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service feature more than 125 sales awards, customer service awards, and call center awards categories honoring sales excellence and best customer service practices for individuals, teams, and departments, plus categories this year for products and service and solution providers.

Information generally required for 2013 entries include:

  1. An essay of up to 500 words describing accomplishments since July 1, 2011.

  2. A brief biography of up to 100 words of the nominee or the leader of the nominated department or team.

  3. Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges.

To make the most out of your entries, we suggest:

  1. Review past winners' entries.
    2012 Gold Stevie Awards winners include: Adam Bain, Chief Revenue Officer, Twitter, Inc. (Senior Sales Executive of the Year), Direct Alliance (Government Sales Team of the Year), Joey Romaine, Customer Service Role Model and Innovator, Groupon (Young Customer Service Professional of the Year), United Parcel Service, Inc. (Front-Line Customer Service Team of the Year), and eCornell (Customer Service Department of the Year), among others. A complete list of 2012 honorees is available at www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

  2. Download our 5 Tips for Winning Sales Awards in the 2013 Stevie® Awards tipsheet.
    Our tipsheet will provide helpful tips and tools for making the most out of your entries. 

  3. Watch our short video, How to Enter the 2013 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service.
    The brief video offers a comprehensive overview of the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

Don't hesitate to contact us with your questions about how to prepare and submit entries to the 7th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Email us at help@stevieawards.com  or call us at + 1 703-547-8389 and we'll get back to you right away.

Topics: sales excellence, best customer service, customer service awards, business awards, Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, call center awards, sales awards

Two Weeks to Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service Final Entry Deadline

Posted by Liz Dean on Wed, Jan 02, 2013 @ 11:22 AM

January 15 is the final entry deadline for the 2013 (7th annual) Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the world's top business awards for contact center, customer service, business development, and sales professionals. If you haven't yet done so, you can request your entry kit here.

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer ServiceThe Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service feature more than 125 sales awards, customer service awards, and call center awards categories honoring sales excellence and best customer service practices for individuals, teams, and departments, plus categories this year for products and service and solution providers.

Entrants may submit any number of nominations to any number of categories, which include:

  • Sales Individual categories such as Senior Sales Executive of the Year and Sales Operations Professional of the Year
  • Sales Team categories like Global Sales Team of the Year and Field Sales Team of the Year
  • Sales Achievement categories such as Sales Turnaround of the Year and Outbound Marketing Program of the Year
  • Sales Department of the Year categories in 13 industry groupings
  • Customer Service and Contact Center Individual categories such as Front-Line Customer Service Professional of the Year and Customer Service Leader of the Year
  • Customer Service and Contact Center Team categories like Contact Center of the Year and Customer Service Management Team of the Year
  • Customer Service and Contact Center Achievement categories such as e-Commerce Customer Service Award and Award for Innovation in Customer Service
  • Customer Service Department categories in 11 industry groupings
  • New Product and Service categories like Best New Business Intelligence Solution and Best New Relationship Management Solution
  • Solution Provider categories such as Sales Consulting Practice of the Year and Incentive, Rewards, or Recognition Provider of the Year

Information generally required for 2013 entries include:

  1. An essay of up to 500 words describing accomplishments since July 1, 2011.
  2. A brief biography of up to 100 words of the nominee or the leader of the nominated department or team.
  3. Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges.

To make the most out of your entries, we suggest reviewing last year's Gold winning entries. 2012 Gold winners include: Adam Bain, Chief Revenue Officer, Twitter, Inc. (Senior Sales Executive of the Year), Direct Alliance (Government Sales Team of the Year), United Parcel Service, Inc. (Front-Line Customer Service Team of the Year), and eCornell (Customer Service Department of the Year), International Checkout Inc. (Telesales Team of the Year), Office Depot, Inc. (Customer Service Complaints Team of the Year), OppenheimerFunds Inc. (Contact Center of the Year), and SquareTrade Inc (Customer Service Department of the Year - Financial Services), among others. A complete list of 2012 honorees is available at www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

Winners of the competition will be announced at an awards banquet at Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on February 25, 2013.

Need help deciding which categories to enter?  Email us at help@stevieawards.com  or call us at + 1 703-547-8389 and we'll get back to you right away.

Topics: sales excellence, best customer service, customer service awards, business awards, Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, call center awards, sales awards