3 Compelling Reasons to Enter Business Awards Shows

Posted by Michael Gallagher on Mon, Jan 31, 2011 @ 03:35 PM

The following independent research findings came through to us today from Awards Intelligence, a UK-based consultancy.

  • Smaller award winning companies were shown to have experienced a 63% increase in operating income, and a 39% growth in sales when compared to non-winners. Large award winning companies enjoyed a 48% increase in operating income and a 37% growth in sales when compared to non-award winners. Source: British Quality Foundation based on experience in the USA.
  • A study compared the financial performance of 120 award winning companies across Europe that met specific criteria against comparison companies of a similar size and operating in the same industries. The financial performance was tracked over 11 years. The study found that the award winning companies showed improvements in financial performance after just a year of winning their first award. Source: University of Leicester for the British Quality Foundation and the European Foundation for Quality Management.
  • Three years after receiving an award, the 120 award winning companies outperformed the comparison companies by an average of 17% for sales and 36% for share value. During the final year that performance was tracked, the award winning companies experienced even greater increases as compared to comparison companies with sales growing by an average of 77% more and operating income by 18% more. Source: As above.

These facts and figures relate to the British Quality Foundation's UK Excellence Awards and European Foundation for Quality Management's Excellence Awards.

Add to the financial benefits all the other advantages award winners enjoy such as enhanced reputation, increased trust, a higher profile and better staff moral and the question is:

Can you afford not to be an award winner?            

Topics: business awards, Awards Intelligence

3 Must-Attend Webinars About Winning Business Awards

Posted by Michael Gallagher on Fri, Jan 21, 2011 @ 12:06 PM

The Stevie Awards have three webinars planned for the next 60 days, and they're all about the options available to you for applying for - and winning - 2011 Stevie Awards in one or more of our four Stevie Awards programs.  Registration is free.  Each will last approximately 45 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of Q&A.

February 8: 1:00 pm ET Webinar, How to Enter The American Business Awards.  Register
In this webinar we'll provide you with an overview of the ABAs - the premier business awards show in the U.S.A., honoring achievement in every facet of the workplace - including everything you need to know to have the best chance of impressing the judges.  The ABAs feature many opportunities to win PR awards, marketing awards, management awards, customer service awards, HR awards, and more, and we'll cover it all in this webinar.

March 1, 15:00 GMT/10:00 AM ET Webinar, Creative Media Awards in the 2011 Stevies Register
Winning a Stevie Award has become one of the top honors for organizations and professionals around the world.  There are many opportunities for creative professionals in advertising, digital media, video production, event production, and other creative industries to be recognized in the Stevies.  But how can you and your organization participate?

In this webinar we'll provide you with an overview of the creative media awards opportunities in the four Stevie Awards programs in 2011, which include The International Business Awards, The American Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.  We'll discuss available categories, and how to review and select categories, how the judging process works, and how to prepare and submit entries.  You'll come away with a good understanding about how to compete for - and win - 2011 Stevies for web awards, advertising awards, video awards, event awards, annual report awards, and more.

March 8, 15:00 GMT/10:00 AM ET Webinar, How to Enter The International Business Awards  Register
In this webinar we'll discuss:

* The history of The International Business Awards, which are open to all organizations worldwide
* 2011 awards schedule
* What's new and different for the 2011 IBAs
* How the judging process works
* How to review and select categories
* How to write and submit entries

We'll review some best (and worst) practices, to help ensure that you submit the best entries possible.

All three webinars will be recorded and latest posted on the Stevie Awards Channel on YouTube, but you should plan to sit in on the live webinars so that you have a chance to get your questions answered about how your organization can participate - and win.

Topics: hr awards, business awards, video awards, marketing awards, PR awards, web awards

5 Women in Business Stories You Have to Read

Posted by Michael Gallagher on Thu, Jan 20, 2011 @ 02:59 PM

The full-text of the Stevie Award-winning nominations in the 2010 Stevie Awards for Women in Business have been published on the awards' website.

SAWIB10 PresentationThe Stevie Awards for Women in Business are the world's premier awards honoring the achievements of women entrepreneurs, executives, and the organizations they run. Honorees in the 7th annual Stevies for Women were celebrated at an awards dinner in New York on November 12.

It is the Stevie Awards tradition to publish the full-text of Stevie Award-winning entries after a time in which honorees may redact any confidential or non-public information from their entries.

Reading Stevie Award winning entries is a great way to learn how other individuals and organizations are achieving success, and a great way to learn how to structure and compose entries that judges appreciate.

Just about every story in these winning entries in a gem in one way or another, but here are five we think you can't do without reading.

1. The story of Amanda Welliver, Stevie winner for Best Canadian Entrepreneur.  Amanda stirred the audience at November's awards dinner with her moving acceptance speech.

2. Ruth Elliott's (a Best Entrepreneur honoree) rise from rags to riches, which is just as riveting as her own acceptance speech.

3. A model of concise writing and achievement summarization: Teresa Poggenpohl of Accenture, a Best Executive honoree.

4. A great example of how well a PR agency can capture and express a client's achievements: Gutenberg Communications' entry on behalf of Blanca Treviño of Softtek in Monterrey, Mexico, another Best Executive winner.

5. One more rags to riches story to inspire you: Sandy Forster of WildlyWealthy.com in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia, a 2010 Stevie winner for Best Overall Company of the Year.

Those are five of our favorites.  Which are yours?

Topics: business awards, stevie awards, women awards, women in business awards

Sales & Customer Service Awards Finalists Announced

Posted by Michael Gallagher on Fri, Jan 14, 2011 @ 11:44 AM

Finalists were announced yesterday in the 5th Annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, an international competition recognizing excellence in disciplines that are crucial to business success.  

SASCS LogoOrganizations as diverse as Apple, Capital One Financial, India’s Tata Motors, and Telecom Italia are among those recognized in the customer service awards, call center awards, and sales awards categories.  Organizations with Finalists in multiple categories include CIGNA Government Services, Austria’s Competence Call Center AG, Direct Alliance, the UK’s Everything Everywhere, Marsh U.S. Consumer, PetRays, Canada’s SMART Technologies, and SurePayroll. For a full list of Finalists, visit www.stevieawards.com/sales

Stevie Award winners will be announced during a gala banquet on Monday, February 21 at the Eden Roc Renaissance Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida.  Tickets are now on sale

Entries were up 60% this year for consideration in more than 90 categories, including individual and team sales categories as well as individual and team customer service and contact center categories. Several new categories were added this year, including 12 categories to recognize new products and services for sales, contact/call center, and sales professionals as well as seven categories to recognize the achievements of solution providers to these professionals.    

Members of the Awards' Board of Distinguished Judges & Advisors will select Stevie Award winners from among the Finalists during final judging later this month.   Finalists were chosen by business professionals worldwide during preliminary judging.

Sponsors of the 5th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include American Support, Infogroup, The Sales Management Association and ValueSelling Associates.

Topics: customer service awards, sales awards, good customer service, excellent customer service, contact center awards

Who's Provided You With Good Customer Service?

Posted by Michael Gallagher on Fri, Jan 14, 2011 @ 11:40 AM

PCSAFCS LogoVoting is now open for the People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Customer Service.

Vote now for your favorite providers of good customer service at http://www.stevieawards.com/Service.peopleschoice

Winners of the People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Customer Service in eight industry categories will be determined in mid-February and honored at the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service gala in Miami Beach on February 21.  These are the world's premier sales awards, customer service awards, and contact center awards.

Last year more than 87,000 votes were cast and people's choice winners included FedEx, Hilton Worldwide, and Macy's, among others.

Who should win this year? You get to decide - vote now!

Topics: customer service awards, sales awards, good customer service, excellent customer service, contact center awards

Sales & Customer Service Awards Deadline Extended Through January 7

Posted by Michael Gallagher on Mon, Jan 03, 2011 @ 11:01 AM

Enter the 2011 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the world’s premier awards, with more than 90 categories recognizing call center, customer service, and sales excellence.  To enter,

1.    Review the online entry kit
2.    Choose your categories and write your nominations
3.    Submit your nominations

Questions?  Contact us at info@stevieawards.com.

Finalists will be notified and announced next week, and this year's Stevie Award winners will be announced at a banquet in Miami Beach, Florida on Monday, February 21.  (Attendance is not required to win.)

Topics: sales excellence, customer service awards, sales awards, customer service excellence, sales award, customer service award, award sales