Wow the Judges with 3 Tips to Give Your Award Nominations the Winning Edge

Hollywood’s awards season culminates with the Oscars, and the coveted golden statues can launch unknowns to movie stardom and generate big box office returns for the winners. Like the magic surrounding gold statuettes in the entertainment industry, awards and accolades in any field can lead to career boosts and new business opportunities.

In the professional world, well-crafted award nominations are key to success in gaining that winning edge over others in your field. When businesses make decisions about whom to hire, they consider and compare reputations and results. Most importantly, they look for the unique aspects that set you apart from the rest.

Whether you’re considering an award nomination that provides recognition for “Best Of,” “40 Under 40,” “Rising Star” or “Lifetime Achievement,” our Poston Content team welcomes the opportunity to help you put your best foot forward.

Here are three recommendations to help your award nomination stand out:

1. Tell your story like a journalist: Many awards are sponsored by publications, so it’s important for you to tell your story the way a journalist would. Find a compelling hook by highlighting the unique ways you have made a significant, positive impact on your area of practice, client base or community. Judges are people, too, and a good story will grab their attention. After sorting through dozens or even hundreds of nominations, they are most likely to remember stories that sound authentic and resonate on a human level.
2. Focus on how you make a difference: Leadership isn’t just about formal positions; it’s the influence that matters. Don’t shy away from submitting legal awards just because you don’t hold leadership roles such as being president of your bar association or leader of pro bono efforts. Perhaps you are active in diversity and inclusion efforts and can talk about why that’s your personal passion. Maybe you have served as a mentor to younger professionals. Find the activities – not just titles – that differentiate you. Think about actions and outcomes that have led to innovation or noteworthy deals, helped unsung heroes, caused an upset victory for an underdog, brought justice to a long-fought battle, enriched the community or shaped the law in pivotal ways. Emphasize those in your award nomination to show your influence as a leader.
3. Demonstrate with data: Anybody can say that he or she does excellent work. Skip the superlatives and include specifics that show the scope of your achievements. Backing up your submission with data is the verification for them to trust that you are the shoe-in for an award. Describe who you’ve worked with to get things done and the stakes that were involved.

Pro Tip: Keep a log throughout the year where you record and celebrate your successes. What deals did you win? What results did you achieve? Where did you make a difference? How many millions or billions did you save the company in litigation? How many cases did you take on in a certain area or for pro bono causes? Reference emails from clients who let you know how much money you saved them or how much more their business is now earning year over year. Tally up the entries for another data point that quantifies the scope of your success. If you haven’t tried this approach before, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised by the number of successes you’ve had in the past year.

Poston Communications has an expert team of writers, including former journalists who together have more than 187 years of newsroom experience, to help award nominees highlight their accomplishments and identify differentiators that can position them for success. With a focus on leaders and rising stars in professional services, Poston Content has prepared successful submissions for candidates at international, national and mid-market firms in a variety of industries. Professionalism and experience matter, and we provide support and guidance throughout the process.