As 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, approaches on January 15, 2013, we wanted to highlight three marketing awards that should be of interest. (If you haven't yet done so, you can begin your submission process by requesting an 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. The 2013 awards will recognize achievements since July 1, 2011.

Three categories in particular that should be of interest to marketing professionals include:

1. Outbound Marketing Program of the Year
   Recognizing marketing programs that use advertising, promotions, public relations and sales.
2. Inbound Marketing Program of the Year
   Recognizing marketing programs that rely on content generation, lead development, and prospect cultivation.
3. Demand Generation Program of the Year
   Recognizing sales organizations (and their colleagues in marketing) for their demand generation programs.

Entries in these categories require 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.

2012 Gold Stevie Award winners include Nationwide Financial (Demand Generation Program of the Year), CenturyLink (Outbound Marketing Program of the Year), and Monitronics International (Inbound Marketing Program of the Year), among others. A complete list of 2012 honorees is available at www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

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 with any 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.

We have added two new sales achievement categories to The 2012 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service to honor marketing individuals for their sales excellence. Showcase your organization's best marketing practices and submit your entries today. (Be sure to submit your entries before the January 18th deadline; request your entry kit here.)

Our new marketing awards categories are:

• Outbound Marketing Program of the Year
  Recognizing marketing programs that use advertising, promotions, public relations and sales.
• Inbound Marketing Program of the Year
  Recognizing marketing programs that rely on content generation, lead development, and prospect cultivation.

The following information should be included in your marketing award submissions:

• An essay of up to 500 words describing the nominee’s accomplishments since July 1, 2010 in the area covered by the category;
• A brief biography (up to 100 words) of the leader of the nominated team or department; and
• Links to online news stories, videos, photographs, press releases, etc. that support your nomination (optional).

All Finalists will be announced on January 25. Finalist benefits include:

• Free Networking Opportunities
  Those who attend the 6th annual sales and customer service awards banquet will have several opportunities to meet other business leaders as well as celebrate business success. 
• Opportunities to Gain New Clients
  Gold Stevie Award winners will have the opportunity to make a 30-second acceptance speech before an audience of hundreds of executives from across the globe during an awards dinner that will be broadcast and streamed worldwide over the Internet - a great opportunity to gain new clients.
• Free Publicity
  The publicity that comes with winning a Stevie Award is well-worth the low entry fees.

Starting in 2012, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the start of the Stevie Awards movement, all Finalists will be recognized as Gold, Silver or Bronze Stevie Award winners. Winners will be announced at the 6th annual sales and customer service awards banquet on February 27th at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.

Which of your organization's marketing programs will win a Stevie?