The #1 Mistake in Award Nominations & How to Write a Winning Entry

It takes more than a great product to win an award… it takes a great story.

In this must-listen episode of TAG’D: Beyond the Award, we sit down with Susan Turkell, The Awards Guru, of PAIRELATIONS, a specialist who has helped clients win hundreds of major industry awards. Susan shares the counter-intuitive reasons why even the best companies miss out on recognition and breaks down her proven “story mining” process.

What You’ll Learn to Write a Better Nomination:

• The Story Mining Secret: Why an outside storyteller is essential for finding the emotional anchor, strategic pivots, and measurable impact that internal teams are blind to.
• The Power of Third-Party Validation: How awards drive internal motivation, attract top talent, and function as a vital external proof point.
• Disciplined Writing: The core reason many submissions get “tossed out” and how to keep your narrative compelling while still answering the question precisely.
• Creative Metrics: How to communicate massive growth and results (think doubling, increasing 30%) using percentages and creative phrasing without oversharing sensitive financial data.
• The Psychology of Deadlines: Why rushing for a deadline leads to errors and why paying a late fee for a perfect entry is worth the investment.

Susan believes awards aren't about the trophies; they’re about positioning, validation, and masterful storytelling. 

Listen now to transform your next nomination from a mandatory form-fill into a winning narrative!