How to Enter Bookkeeping Awards (And Actually Win): 6 Tips from an Award-Winning Coach

Why you should bother entering in the first place.

Entering bookkeeping awards is one of the best investments you can make in your business, whether you win or not.

I've had a lot of bookkeeper clients who have been finalists and winners at these annual awards over the years, and I have won a couple of them myself, so you could say that I have some idea of what it takes to enter.

As well as your professional bookkeeping association awards, there are usually annual awards held by local and regional business associations that you can enter too.

I'd love to see more bookkeeping businesses entering, and winning, awards.

I want to see the good work of bookkeepers being more visible so that collectively we raise the profile of bookkeepers everywhere.

The work of a good bookkeeper is so impactful for businesses and quite frankly I think that we all should be celebrated for it.

1. First, let's talk about why you should even bother

Before we get to the how, let's talk about the why. Because a lot of bookkeepers talk themselves out of entering before they even start.

Whether you win or not, though, the process of entering awards can be a fulfilling and rewarding experience.

It's a structured opportunity to look back and to reflect on what you've accomplished - your progress, your goals and the impact you've had on your clients.

Too often we don't do this. Instead, we're so focused on just how much work we still have to do to get to where we want to go that we forget to look up once in a while and look back at how far we've come.

It's also a brilliant marketing exercise. The process will prompt you to gather client testimonials and write up client success stories that you can then use on your website, in proposals, and across social media.

And if you make it to the finals or win? The visibility and credibility that comes with it is hard to replicate any other way.

2. Start with your testimonials

Start here, before you do anything else.

Reach out to a handful of clients and ask if they'd be willing to write a short testimonial in support of your entry. Most will usually be only too happy to do so. They want to support you and they're rooting for you.

Their words will help you answer the award questions, and they'll lend real weight to your entry.

As a bonus, you will usually be delighted and touched by what they say about you.

3. Actually answer the question

This seems like such an obvious piece of advice but I've seen so many awards entries where the intended answer to the question did not really answer the question at all.

It's actually quite easy and very common to go off on a tangent when writing. You need to be mindful of this and keep bringing yourself back to the topic at hand.

Think about the judges who will be reading your entry. Re-read the question and your answer. Will the judges be satisfied that you have answered the question?

Get someone else to read what you've written and ask them to be brutally honest - is it easy to understand, and have you answered the question?

4. Don't waffle - and yes, spelling matters

The judges have a lot of reading to do, and you want to capture and keep their attention.

Be succinct. Say what you need to say and not a word more. Re-read your entry over and over, asking yourself: where can this be tighter? Where does my brain stumble? Fix those spots.

Break up long paragraphs and use headings or bullet points where they help. And check your spelling and grammar carefully. Bookkeepers are known for attention to detail — your entry should demonstrate exactly that.

5. Stop talking yourself out of it

I've talked to many bookkeepers who are a bit scared to enter awards because they see other bookkeepers who seem to be doing much better than them, and they think they're not good enough to win, so why even bother entering?

Firstly, what you see is not always what's going on. In fact, they might be thinking the same thing about you!

Seriously, I hear this kind of thing all the time from bookkeepers new to my coaching group, From Bookkeeper to Business Owner. They're amazed and relieved to find that bookkeepers they looked up to are actually just the same as them.

Don't underestimate yourself. You are doing great things too!

6. Celebrate Your Achievements. This Is Your Time to Shine

This is not a time to be shy about what you've achieved, the lives you've impacted, and the work you've done.

Shout it out. Mention it all. This is your opportunity to recognise yourself - and your team if you have one - for all the good work that you've done. Be proud of it!

So those are my six tips. I hope you'll use them to enter awards this year — and if you win or make it to the finals, you have to let me know!

Stephanie Crawford
Bookkeeping Business Coach

PS: Interested in working with me as your bookkeeping business coach? Your next step is to schedule a Bookkeeper Breakthrough Session with me.

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