This article shares practical advice for awards entrants, based on real judging experience across multiple international award programs.
This article is part of our Life at Work Series — where we explore the practices, challenges, and lessons that shape our professional lives.
I Like Judging Industry Awards
This year I’m scheduled to judge awards entries in Dubai, London, Amsterdam and Wiesbaden (Germany).
I’m a big believer that the benefits of judging are enormous for any industry practitioner.
Even if you work across industries and geographies — and even if some of your Clients have entered and won awards — your exposure can still be narrower than you realise.
Judging gives you a front-row seat to what organisations are actually doing: initiatives you may never work on, approaches from markets you don’t serve, and solutions you would not otherwise see.
And it’s not always the “big names” that put forward the best work. There is a lot of gold in smaller and local organisations too.
A Few Suggestions for Industry Awards Entrants
I tend to judge categories involving Customer Experience, Contact Centres, Digital Experience, and Employee Experience — so the examples here come from those disciplines. That said, most of these principles apply to almost any category.
And with tips like these, it’s not only what to do — it’s also what not to do.
Group Award or Individual Award? Use the Right Pronouns
I recently judged a face-to-face presentation for a group award. The presenter used “I” constantly:
“I did this. I did that. Because of me.”
I checked the judges’ timetable — yes, it was a group category.
If you’re presenting a team or group entry, “we” goes a long way. It signals shared ownership and makes the story credible.
On the other hand, if you’ve entered an individual award, then “I” is appropriate — but it still needs to be grounded in evidence: what you delivered, how you delivered it, and what changed because of it.
Practical test: If the entry is a team award, make sure the audience can clearly answer: Who did what? and How did the team work together?
Don’t Lead with Past Wins
In another judging experience, entrants opened by listing how many awards they’d already won.
It felt awkward. And it can read like entitlement: “We’ve won so many awards — surely we deserve this one too.”
If previous awards are genuinely relevant, reference them briefly and at the right moment.
For example:
“I have been building my leadership approach since winning Team Manager of the Year in 20XX — and that experience motivated me to enter this year’s Manager of the Year award.”
In that case, the past award adds context. It supports the narrative instead of replacing it.
Superlative Deeds Matter More than Superlative Words
Nearly every Judge will tell you this: many entries go overboard with superlatives.
“Our unparalleled, dynamic, values-oriented dream team…”
When everything is “world-class” and “exceptional,” none of it feels real. Over-inflated language can actually reduce credibility — especially in written submissions, but also in live presentations.
What should be superlative is the work — the results, the change, the discipline, the impact.
So focus on the deeds:
- What was the problem or opportunity?
- What exactly did you implement?
- What changed — and how do you know?
Use strong, plain language — and let the evidence do the heavy lifting.
Rehearse Your Presentation
Judges can tell when you haven’t rehearsed.
No one expects Shakespeare — but Judges do expect clarity, structure, and timing.
I’m a fan of award formats where the timing is explicit (for example: 20 minutes uninterrupted presentation, then 10 minutes Q&A). Those formats reward entrants who can communicate a compelling story inside a tight window.
When teams rehearse, they:
- land their key points within the time limit
- keep the narrative clean
- avoid rushing at the end
- handle Q&A without scrambling
When teams don’t rehearse, presentations often run long, get cut off, and then the Q&A becomes an awkward attempt to show slides that didn’t fit.
If you are presenting live: don’t wing it.
Get Creative
One of the best live presentations I’ve seen was modelled as a talk-show panel.
The team created an engaging narrative: the initiative lead was the “guest,” and the host and panel asked structured questions that highlighted the project’s story and outcomes.
What made it effective wasn’t only the format — it was that the message came through clearly and you could feel the team’s shared energy.
There isn’t one presentation style that always wins. Creativity can be a strength — as long as it helps the Judges understand and score your work.
Follow the Directions
Every now and then, an entry ignores the required structure or misses key information the Judges need to score.
You can be a world-class presenter — but if the Judges can’t easily map your content to the criteria, you won’t score as well as you should.
Take the brief seriously:
- follow the required headings or categories
- answer what is actually being asked
- make it easy to score you
A final thought: you often learn as much through building the entry and shaping the story as you do from winning. And some entrants tell me they re-use their awards presentation internally afterwards — which is a smart way to extend the value of the work.
Thank You for Reading
I regularly share stories, strategies, and insights from our work across Contact Centers, Customer Service, and Customer Experience. If this resonates, I’d love to stay connected.
You can drop me a line anytime, or subscribe on our site.
Daniel Ord
[email protected]
www.omnitouchinternational.com
