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Lights blazing, as I straighten my bow tie and take one last sip of Dom Perignon before I glide onto the stage to judge the ACE Award finalists while the orchestra plays Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries... oh, that was the pre-pandemic scenario. Now, as I don my slippers and favorite torn t-shirt and snuggle down with some hot chocolate, dogs at my feet, I will be reviewing this year’s entries.
Well, it never really was about the glitz; it always was about the substance, the practical application of learnings to move the business forward. So as you start noodling on your ACE submission for this year, allow me to share a few thoughts based on my experience judging this and other CX contests.
- At the risk of stating the obvious, be sure to answer the questions. All too often people write around the questions or allude to the required points without hitting the issues straight-on. The questions provide the rubric or grading structure for comparing and assessing submissions. Make it easy for the judges; don’t force them to interpret your answers or infer conclusions.
- Be specific and provide details. There is nothing worse than reading or listening to soft-and-fluffy submissions with vague platitudes.
- Try to tell a story. The protagonists are your customers and your firm. What was the problem, how did you solve or manage it and what was the result? Whenever possible, quantify that result, preferably in terms of business impact, not just scores.
- Don’t assume that the judges know details about your firm or program that you haven’t provided. This includes avoiding (or explaining) any internal or industry jargon or abbreviations that may be cryptic to an outsider. You need to provide all of the necessary contexts for the judges.
- At the same time, write your responses as if your answers will be read by your executive leadership and you are presenting to them on the successes and effectiveness of your CX program. Imagine that this submission is the justification for the budget for the program: have you made the case that justifies the investment? (If not, change your submission or start looking for a new job!)
- Finally, have someone read, edit and comment on your submission for all of the items above, as well as for grammar, spelling and tone.
When you’re done, break out the champagne, as if you adhere to the recommendations above, you no doubt will be a winner.
Submit your ACE Awards entry by the new deadline, Monday 29th March. Good luck!