Nomination

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. 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, beat the rush and reach out to your judges as soon as you receive your assignments. Be respectful of their time. Demos should last no more than 1 hour.
  • It is best to schedule a live demo. This allows your judges to ask questions in real time. If you can coordinate it, try try to schedule a demo with both judges at the same time.
  • Keep it fresh, don’t give a canned sales pitch. Think of your judges as a top prospective client and prepare for the meeting. Read the judges bios to get a sense of their background and customize your presentation for your judging audience.
  • Keep it simple – with one or two presenters. Giving a virtual demo can be confusing with multiple speakers.  Avoid having too many people on the call. 
  • Before the presentation begins, ask how the judges would like to handle questions. Check in throughout the presentation to make sure they are seeing what they need/want to see.
  • Review the judging criteria for the category before your presentation and make sure to touch on all applicable criteria.
  • Instead of “product training” think of this presentation as your “awards story.” The judges want to be wowed. Show them why your product is great and how it is different from others.
  • Highlight any new features, especially if you have nominated in the past and explain why those features are important, interesting, different, helpful, etc. 
  • Let your excitement about the product shine though. If you have a favorite feature, show it off. This isn’t a sales pitch or a product training, this is an opportunity to show the judges why your product should win a CODiE award.
  • After the demo, follow up offering additional resources and a recording of the demonstration so the judges can re-review it if needed. It helps to drop the recorded demo right into your nomination portal. 

How to Prepare for the Second Round of Review

After the first round of reviews, the heavy lifting is done! Congratulations on becoming a finalist!
Here are a few tips to help put your second round of review shine.

  • Tell the world you are a CODIE Award Finalist! Post to social media, tell your customers know, add the finalist logo to your email signature and website, and put out a press release. If you travel to trade shows, add the CODiE Finalist logo to your booth and presentation slides.
  • Before the member voting begins log back into your nomination and make sure all of the nomination information is still as accurate. Review your product description and confirm it is 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.