Cleankill shortlisted for two Gatwick Diamond Business Awards

The Business of the Year Over £1m category recognises high-performing companies with an exceptional track-record of achievement that do the right thing for their clients, people and the Gatwick Diamond Community. The Award for Customer Delight recognises companies that consistently go above and beyond expectations in the delivery of first-class customer service.

Cleankill Managing Director Paul Bates said: “It’s a real privilege to once again be shortlisted in the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards. Over the years we’ve been lucky enough to be finalists several times and to have won the Responsible Business of the Year and Green Business of the Year (twice).

“As a company we always strive to go that little bit further, giving our customers that little bit more in terms of service and results. It is very encouraging to be shortlisted in both the Business of the Year Over £1m and Customer Delight categories. These categories go to the heart of what we are trying to achieve in terms of running a business.”

Paul believes entering awards should be a key part of every company’s marketing strategy.

“It’s invaluable to have someone looking at your business from the outside in, and being shortlisted or winning ratifies what you are doing. If we don’t win, then we look at the winners and what they are doing that we aren’t. To be honest it doesn’t matter whether you run a pest control business or an accountancy firm, the KPIs are all the same.

“There are many different types of awards. With some you simply submit an entry and then the organisers choose the winners. The Gatwick Diamond Awards are different as they carry out interviews to test and verify your entry. If you win you get the kudos; if you lose you get useful feedback from the judges. Admittedly entering awards takes a lot of effort and time especially if word counts are limited and you’ve only got a few hundred words to tell your story, but it’s worth it. If you don’t have the expertise to write your entries, consider asking for help from previous winners at networking events.”

Paul also says that companies shouldn’t forget the ongoing marketing opportunities that winning offers.

“A win is good publicity for the next 18 months (no longer as it becomes irrelevant). Put it on websites, trade journals and your email signatures – an award should give you year-round promotion and differentiate you from your competition. Winning is a badge of quality that is recognised by other independent business owners and often offers excellent networking opportunities.”

Five reasons for entering awards: n Brand awareness, PR and marketing. n Staff morale. n Sets you apart from competition. n Helps you improve. n Networking opportunities. www.cleankill.co.uk

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