The Xero Australia Awards are again for an additional yr! That’s proper, this can be a probability to showcase your achievements, benchmark your online business in opposition to the business, and be within the operating to win an unique awards expertise.
Like final yr, we have now 13 main classes. These are designed to recognise the range (and expertise) of our enterprise neighborhood. So whether or not you’re a sole dealer, rising entrepreneur, app accomplice or advisor, there’s an award for everybody.
Should you haven’t submitted your nomination but, don’t fear – there’s nonetheless time. That will help you get impressed, we requested three winners (certainly one of whom can also be on this yr’s judging panel) what makes a successful entry. Learn on for his or her prime suggestions.
1. Be clear and concise
As you progress by means of your nomination, you’ll discover phrase limits connected to every query. Though it may be difficult to maintain your entry concise, it helps be sure that solely a very powerful info is included. Richard Jeffares of Two Bays Brewing – who took out the Small Enterprise of the Yr Award in 2021 – says, “It stops you from waffling. So my recommendation is to deal with the query and reply it as succinctly as doable.”
What’s one of the simplest ways to trim down the main points? By taking a state of affairs, motion and outcome method. Michael O’Neill of ServiceM8 – final yr’s successful app accomplice – says, “When the questions ask you to exhibit one thing, you actually need to do the legwork. Use examples and at all times come again to your worth proposition.” Finally, you need to make it as simple as doable for the judges to do their job.
2. Keep in mind your clients (and present, don’t inform)
Once we requested earlier winners what they have been most happy with of their nominations, the resounding reply was how they demonstrated buyer success. As an FY23 choose, Jason Robinson of Future Advisory – a agency that additionally took out final yr’s Accounting Associate of the Yr Award – says the bottom line is to spotlight how your online business is making a distinction in folks’s lives. He explains, “Present the judging panel that you simply actually care. We need to see the way you create five-star experiences to your shoppers.”
How greatest to do that? “Show buyer success each independently and thru your joint worth proposition with Xero. The place you may, leverage your clients to point out (not inform) what influence this has had. And you’ll want to use concrete examples – like occasions, initiatives, tasks or testimonials – to again your self up,” says Michael. Keep in mind, proof equals credibility.
3. Stand out from the group
In relation to judging, your award entry can be reviewed alongside hundreds of others. So contemplate what units you aside from the remainder and amplify this in your nomination. For instance, Jason made a aware effort to showcase his observe’s model voice, explaining, “Should you look and sound like everybody else, chances are high, you’ll get misplaced within the crowd. So it was actually essential for us to point out our persona to the judges.” Do the identical, and also you’ll be in with a successful probability!
4. Take a giant image method
In fact, the Xero Awards are a improbable alternative to showcase and have a good time your achievements. Nonetheless, it’s additionally an opportunity to mirror on every little thing that contributes to your success. Jason says, “We thought exhausting about why we existed. This meant taking a look at our mission, imaginative and prescient and values, in addition to our objectives, monetary targets, and the way we work with our shoppers – we realised how far we’d come ultimately.”
For Richard, his huge image method was extra private. He says, “Two Bays Brewing is a gluten-free brewery, and as an individual with Coeliac illness, this permits me and the workforce to deal with what our clients need. Each alternative we make is with this in thoughts, and it resonates in-market (and should’ve executed so with the judges too).” You should definitely inform your story as a result of, in any case, it’s what makes your online business what it’s at this time.
With lower than every week to go earlier than the FY23 Xero Award nominations shut, what are you ready for? Head right here for extra info and submit your nomination earlier than 11:59pm AEST on Monday 15 August to be within the operating. Good luck!