The do's and don'ts of crafting a great award entry...
Posted on 25th July 2024 at 14:47
'Dear Mainspring, How do I write an award winning entry?' is one of our most popular questions at this time of year. So to help you craft that winning entry we have used our 18 years of experience to help you negotiate the most common do's and don''ts of Global Light Rail Award entry writing...
Winning a Global Light Rail Award (or any award!) means that you have been recognised by the experts for your service excellence and innovation, lets you show off to the world just how good you are and why organisations should choose to work with you.
But where do you start when starting to pen your entry? Knowing what the judges are looking for enhances your chances of doing well on the night - and could save you lots of time. Therefore, we asked some of our expert judging panel to offer their views on the main do's and don'ts of a successful entry...
1. Do include an executive summary
Answer the judge's most basic questions about your entry. Who? What? Where? When? And, most importantly, what?
Try to not to answer these questions in too much detail - it is a SUMMARY after all! The perfect length is no longer than two pages.
2. Do include photos, maps or other visual supporting evidence
It's true that 'a picture is worth a thousand words' when it comes to GLRA entries. These could be 'before and after' images included with your entry, photos of smiling customers or passengers or a diagram. Anything that showcases your entry to its best effect will work well here.
3. Do include testimonials
The judges will want to see that your project, product or staff member has had a positive impact and there can be no better way to show this than by having other people communicate this! Whether a colleague, project leader or customer, a testimonial can be a simple way to showcase the quality of your entry.
4. Do show tangible impact
If your product or initiative has made people's lives better, saved weeks of work or thousands in costs, tell us about it. Better yet, show us some data to prove it!
5. Do demonstrate the solution
The best entries show a clear need, a solution and the methodology taken to get from one to the other. Basically what was the problem you identified, what solution did you find and how exactly did you achieve it?
Our Global Light Rail Award trophies are a coveted prize amongst all light rail operators
6. Don't use more space than you have to...
Remember your audience. The people judging these awards are experts and don't need to be told everything about how a tram, a metro system or an OLE works. Remember to focus on the most important aspects of your entry and do try to keep it between 6-10 pages long.
7. Don't make it too complicated
Hang on, you might be saying, you just told us not to make it too simple. Well yes. Our judges are experts but they do not know your product as well as you do!
Do try to avoid using unnecessary technical jargon or acronyms (unless you explain them of course!)
So there you have it! Some of our top tips on what makes up a winning entry.
To enter this year's Global Light Rail Awards, or to find out more about how you could be a sponsor of this fantastic celebration of LRT excellence, click here!
Share this post: