Early Bird Deadline for the energy awards from Energy Manager Today arrives July 29. Awards prove to potential customers, existing clients, investors and other stakeholders the worth of your product or the project you implemented. Writing a tight, informative entry for the energy awards, being precise about why your product or project deserves recognition as tops in the field, increases your chances of winning an Energy Manager Today Top Product or Top Project of the Year Award. As you craft your entry, bear in mind some of these tips from our judges.
Tip #1. Include economic data. An entry is not successful if it is not economical. Don’t simply include dollar amount increases in performance. Show percentage increases. Share financial numbers or percentages from before and after the project.
Tip #2. Tell a story. What does the customer need? How is this an opportunity for growth? What is the solution to meet this need? What is the evidence that the need was met/goal achieved/problem solved?
Tip #3. Be concise. Scrupulously cut extra words, descriptive words that don’t mean anything (“very,” “really”), and promotional words that don’t tell anything about your submission (“unique,” “ground-breaking,” “game-changer”). Telling judges your submission is a game changer won’t convince them. Show them, with details and results, how your are changing the game.
Tip #4. Include testimonials from happy customers. These paint a picture far more clearly than saying, “Our product is a success.” When possible, source the company giving the testimonial rather than writing, “One customer said…”
Tip #5. Be clear in your explanations. If the product or project is complicated to understand without a demonstration, make it as simple to follow as possible. That doesn’t mean dumbing down the language. Rather, show step-by-step how it works. Use diagrams or flow charts.
Tip #6. Don’t compare to others unless you can back it up. If you write, “We are the only solution that…,” be sure to explain exactly how you are different.
Tip #7. Don’t waste space telling judges how energy conscious your company is. Beginning an entry with language such as, “At our company, we take energy savings seriously…,” will just annoy the judges. If your company didn’t take energy management seriously, you wouldn’t be entering the awards program.
Early Bird deadline for the Energy Manager Today Awards is Wednesday, July 29. Final deadline is August 19. Click here to find out more on what to submit, entry fees, submission form, and more info. Or click here to enter.
