Trophy Tips: In the words of our judges

Thanking our judges at an Awards ceremony | Photo by Rebecca McMillan Photography

We asked our judges for some insider advice and tips to pass on to people considering entering the Awards.

And as usual, they were more than happy to help out!

We asked our judges:

• what aspects of an entry makes them think ‘this one is a winner’
• what their top piece of advice was for someone entering the Awards
• what common missteps they see that quickly let them know an entry won’t be a finalist
• what they thought were the most notable features of winning entries from past Awards.

This type of entry is a winner

One judge liked entries that surprised them and surpassed their expectations.

Others said, ‘First impressions are crucial. For me, if the structure is helpful and logical, the language simple and clear, and the tone friendly and engaging, then the authors will definitely be in the running to be winners’.

‘The language will be the equivalent of plain speaking — ordinary, everyday language throughout the text. The document will do the job the writer describes to us.’

‘I think for me that’s when I can feel that the writer has put the effort in to realise that they are writing for a reader. It might not be perfect, but you can tell that they are thinking about the receiver of the message.’

‘It’s how the authors weigh and balance the various aspects and elements of the communication — the audience and its needs, the situation and its urgency or characteristics, the political charge of the situation and people’s reaction, and how all of that has an impact on the message, tone, word choice, sentence construction, images — and when they tell me that they have talked to the intended audience, instead of just assuming they got it right. When all of these things are cohesive, I know I have a winner.’

‘Simplicity and clear evidence of designing the information for the audience.’

Our judges’ top pieces of advice

Our judges want entrants to put themselves in their readers’ shoes. They want you to forget about yourself and your message. Just ‘focus on your readers’, one said, and we agree. Your audience is, after all, what really matters.

Always put yourself in your readers’ shoes. You wouldn’t want to wade through dense, long-winded, jargon-filled reports. Neither do your readers!

Another common theme from our judges was:

Keep it simple!

Here are some other top tips from our judges.

• Don’t get in your own way.
• Leave your ego at the door.
• Brevity is the currency of good comms.
• Think outside of the box, talk to talk to your customers, ask them what they want and need, get to know them. And … surprise yourself!
• Avoid bureaucratic language, particularly impersonal, passive, or pompous sentences.
• Keep it short, sweet, and simple! (No one wants to read lots on a screen.)
• Make a human connection. Show that your piece reaches its audience and has results. Show that every decision was carefully made based on evidence, not assumptions. And even better, try to show documented results — fewer phone calls, more returned surveys, bills paid sooner.

Common missteps judges see in entries

Here’s more on what to avoid, with some examples from the judges of missteps in entries that didn’t make the grade.

Lack of focus on the intended reader

• Too much focus on their own story
• Using their company name over and over again, instead of using ‘us’ and ‘you’
• Text that suggested that the writer wanted the message or the organisation to seem important

Unclear purpose

• A lack of attention to the purpose of the entry. ‘With no ‘care’, probably no need to share…’
• Failing to talk about the goal of your piece in terms of what you want your audience to be able to do with the information

Language-related problems

• Using unfamiliar words in place of everyday words that most people will easily understand
• Too many words, repetition
• Vague language, jargon, or management clichés

Lack of testing or evaluation

• Not being able to show that you tested your piece with your intended audience, no matter how limited the testing
• Not being able to show how you used feedback to improve the document or website

Stronger editing or design needed

• Clumsiness in the writing
• Too much text and not enough white space
• Not being able to explain why you made a choice about design or word choice based on your intended audience.
• Overwriting — including information that just dilutes the purpose of the document — and a lack of tailoring

The most notable feature of past winning entries was putting the reader first

Judges all agreed that putting the reader first was the way to a winning entry. ‘Clarity and consideration of the audience’, said one judge.

Winning documents were thoughtfully and helpfully laid out, using clear and simple language, and in an engaging tone that inspired trust.

‘They all really moved into the heads of their readers’, one judge said. ‘What questions do they have? How can we answer those questions as clearly as possible? How can design help us? What tone of voice is needed?’

‘We have been unanimous in selecting entries that showed unusual skill, such as explaining bowel cancer with sensitivity and clarity. Others have explained complex topics in everyday language.’

‘I’ve only judged the Best Plain English Sentence Transformation before … ‘short and active’ were the two main ingredients!’

‘One of the most memorable entries I judged several years ago was a newsletter updating residents about a major road closure that was going to last several months. The details were highly technical; the inconvenience was very high for anyone who used the road. But the newsletter used similes and metaphors to explain the technical aspects; for example, ‘We need to remove the equivalent of two soccer arenas of rock’. The writer used humour and truth and, as a result, built the trust of those who read it. It could have been a boring weekly update, but instead was an engaging read in terms that even a non-engineer — who didn’t live anywhere near there — could understand. That was understanding the audience and the situation and creating something more.’

‘A conversational tone. And good design (white space, colour, graphics, and so on).’

Some extra wisdom from our judges

Our judges wanted entrants to enjoy the process. ‘The standard has been rising over time’, one said. ‘Even to be chosen as a finalist is impressive and should go in your CV.  The ability to write in plain English is in demand around the world.’

Another judge added, ‘It’s a great way to get valuable personal feedback on your writing! And you support plain language for everyone, no matter what someone’s abilities or background are. A great cause.’

‘No matter the outcome for your entry this year, read the comments of the judges with interest. For the most part, they will give you insights on how to approach about your next communication in a richer way.’

‘Plain English is not an add-on to good business writing — it is good business writing.’

Read Trophy Tips: Top tips from past winners

Find out more about this year’s judges

Watch videos by some of our judges in our gallery

Nicola Welby July 5th, 2021

Posted In: 2021 Plain English Awards, Communications, Judges, Plain English Awards, Trophy Tips

Tags: clear communication, clear thinking, clear writing, Finalists, improved writing, insights, plain English, Trophy Tips Seminar, winners