Capitalising on Success: What Winners do Next

While companies that win business awards have clearly demonstrated excellence in their field and worked hard to secure such status, it is often what they do next that counts most. Maintaining the success story can be the hardest part for an award-winning company; history teaches us, after all, that many a successful team has fallen by the wayside having reached a long sought after pinnacle of achievement.

“One of the ironies of success is that at the very point of victory a change is often required,” comments Chris Travis, chief executive of Enterprise North East Trust (Enterprise). “This change, as many a successful, award-winning company will acknowledge, is best realised by capitalising on previous successes.”

Enterprise organises the annual Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise, now established as the business awards for ALL north east companies, which recognise business achievement in companies of all sizes and enterprising individuals. The Awards are to be held this Thursday (8 June 2006) at Ardoe House Hotel by Aberdeen. 

“What many companies fail to realise is that the glory of winning goes beyond the ceremony itself,” continues Chris. “The rewards of awards are numerous.
Winning an award can be a very powerful PR and marketing tool. One of our hi- tech winners from a previous year received a call from a drilling manager in the United States as a result of an article which appeared in an international oil and gas publication following their win at the Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise.”

“This reflects the fact that the recognition our winners receive is not merely confined to the north east,” continues Chris. “Our winners have found that the free media coverage which they have received is invaluable in helping their marketing efforts globally.”

Chris outlines some of the key ways in which to reap the benefits of winning awards in business:

• Tying entries into business objectives
By incorporating the award entry into part of your business model, you are giving staff a bigger incentive to work towards a successful result. This ‘killing two birds with one stone’ approach means the outcome can have a positive effect on both your business and your ultimate placing in the awards.

• Re-vitalising and re-energising your team towards scaling a new peak
Seizing the opportunity to first congratulate your team, then inspiring them to achieve still greater things is often an effective way to build on success. Encouraging your staff to come up with ideas for the next stage of the journey will ensure that you are fully equipped for the next peak achievement.

• Develop innovative approaches within the business
Developing a new vision for your business is important, but it’s helpful to review the smaller picture as well. Examples of this include improving internal communications, or re-structuring staff training and development. Changing the way you operate can be an effective way in which to inject new life into your company and ensure that old methods aren’t becoming stale.

• Re-visit the company brand
Developing a fresh image is timely following a major success. This can be achieved by re-visiting the company brand and employing marketing techniques both internally and externally as a means of fostering pride, increasing self esteem, and attracting quality people.

• Careful targeting of which awards to enter next
Continuing to set a standard by entering further awards is a good way of keeping your company in the spotlight. It’s important to be selective about the awards you enter though, and you certainly don’t want to be entering every award under the sun as this can have the effect of cheapening your brand. You should really choose those which are going to help your business; all awards will help raise your company’s profile, but entering those within your company’s industry will earn you more respect and recognition from peers.

“Soldiering on after the high of a success wears off isn’t easy,” admits Chris. “Those companies that do continue to drive towards excellence however, and strive to maintain their reputation as leaders in their field by employing strategies such as those outlined above, will be the ones that ultimately go on to greater things.”

Enterprise delivers business support and advice through the Business Gateway service which is supported by Scottish Enterprise.  Telephone 01224 289725 for any aspect of business advice or visit www.enetrust.com.

Ends

Picture Caption:  Chris Travis, chief executive, of Enterprise says businesses need to capitalise on the success of winning awards to ensure they maintain their position as leaders in their field.

For further information contact:
Sally Wallis
Tricker PR
9 Victoria Street
Aberdeen
Telephone  01224 646491
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Email   swallis@trickerpr.com