How interested are you in carpets of a crimson hue?
I’m particularly thinking about what your level of interest is in awards ceremonies. Do you glance at the Oscars or the BAFTAs? Glaze over at industry awards? Scroll on by when faced with another photo of people wearing fancy clothes and brandishing a trophy?
So why do we bother with awards? Is it a scam to keep trophy makers, high-end boutiques and red carpet dyers in business? Or could there be a good reason to put this cynical attitude to one side?
How about starting with this take on it; we’re all starring in the movie of our own lives.
The problem is that no one else seems to realise that we’re that star and we have a weird reluctance to tell them how great we are.
Star Quality
This lack of confidence isn’t just hampering your ability to win awards (more on that in a minute), it’s stopping your business from standing out. Unless you do something very unusual (do take a minute to Google ‘really weird businesses’ and get inspired), there’s every chance that a lot of other people also do what you do. You’re probably very good, but the very idea of telling people this fact feels just as uncomfortable as saying that you’re a potential film star.
This is where we get to the awards bit.
Awards, like reviews, help you to find your customers and enhance your credibility, no matter what size your business is.
Part of the reason we are so uncomfortable around awards, particularly in the UK, is that it feels like boasting. Either someone else will have to nominate you, which feels embarrassing, or you nominate yourself. That’s even worse because social etiquette says that boasting about how great you are is a bad thing.
Why would you go through all that red-cheeked shame to spend an evening wearing such uncomfortable clothing and having photos taken? You might not even win!
For me, awards have value for many of the same reasons it is good to share reviews and testimonials. No matter what size your business is, you are there to help people and you can only do that if they know you exist and also trust that you have the right skills for the job. It’s a way of advertising what you do while announcing that you believe in yourself.
Being shortlisted for The Small Awards has given me an amazing opportunity to talk about small businesses (even more than I usually do). It’s also been a way to connect with businesses I might not otherwise have come across.
“Hi, we’ve both been shortlisted for an award,” is a great conversation opener.
“Hi, we’ve both been shortlisted for an award,” is a great conversation opener. It’s a reason to reach out to find out what others are doing, what you have in common and what you will learn. Remember networking isn’t about sales; it’s about becoming a valuable member of a community.
Boost your confidence and your credibility
If you’re still not sure that putting yourself out there is for you right now then don’t panic, I have some ideas.
⭐Find an award (even if the idea of entering isn’t something you’d consider in a million years). Have a look at the category for your business and see who has been shortlisted. Look at previous years. Get curious about what these businesses are doing. See what you can learn from each of them.
⭐Write a practice entry for an award. Take the questions from an entry form and have a go – just for you. Here’s the deal though; no false modesty. No playing down what you’ve done. Take the time to look through your client files, review your projects and look at how you’ve progressed. Find the things that you can justifiably be proud of.
⭐Think about what might give your confidence a boost. I’d suggest working with the right coach, mentor or consultant as a way to do that. It’s a benefit that my clients always comment on whatever aspect of their business we’ve been looking at. An easy way to get an idea of what this approach could do for you is to sign up for my free webinar on 5th June. It’s called The Business Therapy: Finding Your Way to Success.
I’m presenting it with two of my clients because while I might be the the star of my own life, my clients are definitely the stars of my business.
There are a couple of useful links below to help you on your journey as you learn that it’s ok to shine your light and be proud of your work no matter what size your business.
See you on the red carpet!
Useful Links
The Business Therapy webinar takes place on Thursday 5th June. Find out more and sign up now.
Blog post – Why Reviews Matter For Everyone