Tips for Nominees

Tips on Nominating

• Complete your nomination in Word or notepad first, so you have a copy of the nomination in the event the form times out.
• Be as succinct and clear as possible in your nomination.
• Add supporting materials to the application, it is also helpful to have a recorded demo listed for the judges too.
• Make sure at least one person from the nominating company is listed as a contact in the nomination form.
• Nominate early to save money!
• If you are a first-time nominee, be sure to attend the Tips Webcast, and read through the awards process.
• Add the timeline and deadlines to your calendar.

How to Prepare an Award Winning Demonstration

Your CODiE Award demo can make or break your path to a CODiE Award victory. The first-round expert review accounts for 80% of your overall CODiE award score, so it is important to put your best foot forward. Here are 10 tips to a great judging experience and presentation:

• Reach out to your assigned judges ASAP to schedule a time for the demo. Schedules can be tricky to coordinate, so beat the rush and reach out to your judges as soon as you receive your assignments. Demos should last no more than 1 hour.
• It is best to schedule a live demo if at all possible . That way your judges can ask questions they have in real time. You are welcome to try to schedule a demo with both judges at the same time if schedules permit.
• Don’t give a canned sales pitch. Treat the judges as a top prospective client and make sure to put your best foot forward. Reading the judges bios to get a sense of their background can be very helpful when customizing your presentation.
• Avoid having too many people on the call. Giving a virtual demo can become confusing when there are multiple speakers so it is best to keep it simple with one or two presenters.
• Check in with the judges before the presentation begins to ask how they would like to handle questions, and make sure to check back in throughout the presentation to make sure they are seeing what they want/ need to.
• Review the judging criteria for the category before your presentation and make sure to touch on each criteria that is applicable.
• Move away from a product training and instead create an awards story. The judges want to be wowed so make sure to show them why your product is great and what sets it apart from others.
• Make sure to cover any new features if you have nominated in the past, and why those features are important. 
• Let your excitement about the product shine though in your presentation , if you have a favorite feature make sure to show it off. Be careful not to have the demo turn into a sales pitch or a product training though.
• Follow up after the demo to offer additional resources and a recording of the demo so they can re-review it if needed. It helps to add the recorded demo right to your nomination portal.

How to Prepare for the Second Round of Review

The heavy lifting is done after the first round of review. Congrats on becoming a finalist! Here are a few tips to help put the best foot forward in the second round of review.

• Tell the world you are a CODIE Award Finalist! Post to social media, let your customers know, add the finalist logo to your email signature and website, and be sure to put out a press release. If you travel to trade shows make sure to add the logo to your booth and presentation slides.
• Before the member voting begins log back into your nomination and ensure all of the nomination information is still as accurate as possible. The product description should be well written and concise.
• Remove any links you would not want to be seen by the voters, or swap them out for new ones.
• If you are an SIIA member, be sure to vote! You are also able to join SIIA to participate in the second round of review.