EP 28 - ENTERING AWARDS - STORY OF YOUR SUCCESS OR MARKETING GOLD
If you are in the salon industry you will, at this point of the year, be seeing the marketing posts from organisers at various points of their awards calender. Some are already closed, some are due to close and some have yet to begin their call to action. I've listed below some of the key industry and national business awards that you can enter and there are many others, these are just a few that that you could enter (other awards are available).
Remember that for you or your business the taking part is a huge part of the process and enables you to consider you market position, business skills, practical skills and where you fit in your local, national or even international area of expertise.
Reflective practice opportunity, business opportunity, marketing opportunity - all these are possible and make up part of the journey.
Winning awards should not be easy. It should take hard work, dedication, resilience and patience. You may not win first time out, it may take a few times, but the experience will always allow for your personal and business growth.
Including your clients in your journey from taking their testimonials, sharing your finalist and/or winner status with them is important and is a great way of shouting from the rooftops about how great you and your business are. Using the marketing gold that being part of any awards programme is essential and is an opportunity not to be missed. You get these chances once a year with each award scheme so make it count and use the assets of the award scheme to reach out to existing and potential clients and tell them all about why you are entering and why you want to win.
If a potential client is looking for a new business, who are they more likely to be pulled by - a business that plods along doing the same old thing year after year or one that tells them they're good, tells them they care so much about how the level of service they offer that they enter awards to prove it. I know which I'd choose.
Award-winning status is not to be overlooked as a huge lead generator for potential clients allowing you to convert them to build your business. Being an award-winning professional or business may give you a step above your competitors that shines a light on what you do so brillliantly. Use those skills to promote yourself and your business.
Being an award winner can be part of your success story so have a look around your sector of the salon industry and see what you can enter.
Here are a few examples of industry and national business awards you could look at entering....
Federation of Holistic Therapists Awards
British Hairdressing Business Awards
National Hair & Beauty Federation Awards
Federation of Small Business Awards
British Business Excellence Awards
