SMA 2020 - Vendor Criteria
Follow this advice to help you write a winning entry
Below is the full criteria for all the Vendor categories:
Best Partner Programme
Criteria
Who can enter? Any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a UK channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking and software in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the UK to qualify and obviously a channel programme that has been in place for more than a year. This can be a single or two-tier channel programme. The period covered for the awards is Jan 2019 to Jan 2020 so bear in mind when talking about additions/changes to programmes and the entry MUST be UK centric.
- Briefly describe your partner programme - ie length of time in operation, how it works, size of partner base, how rebates work, how partners get involved, what it offers partners?
- Do you have a partner portal? If so can you give some details of the benefits it provides partners?
- How user friendly is it? Why do partners want to work with you?
- How much time/money do you invest in your partner programme each year?
- Why does it stand out from the competition/why have you entered?
- How does it help your UK partners? Do they enjoy working with you? Why?
- What have been the main benefits to you as a vendor with your partner programme?
- REQUIREMENT: Provide a UK partner testimonial within the entry
Written entries must be no more than 1,000 words, and try to think about the judges when composing them. They must be UK RELEVANT ONLY. Use plenty of spacing, bullet points and paragraphs to construct your entry to make them easier on the eye. PDF and other multimedia entries are encouraged, and you can add personality to your entry too to make it stand out. If you are submitting a video, please keep it to FIVE minutes or less.
Best Partner Event
Criteria
Who can enter? Any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a UK channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking and software in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the UK to qualify. The event mentioned can be a brand-new event launched in the past year, or an existing regular annual event. It MUST be a CHANNEL focussed event and not one aimed at end users. It can be a UK based event or one abroad that you took UK partners to. But bear in mind the awards cover the period Jan 2019 to Jan 2020 when talking about events.
- Please describe the event (including duration/location) and why you are entering it for this award
- Please reference any outstanding results in terms of attendance
- What benefits did it offer your reseller/distribution partners?
- What fun/social elements did the event have? Was it tweeted about? What sort of buzz did it create?
- Why did partners attend? How many attended?
- What do they take away with them after the event? Have there been any significant business wins as a result?
- What do you get out of it as the organiser?
- REQUIREMENT: Include testimonials from UK partners attending the event within the entry itself
Written entries must be no more than 1,000 words, and try to think about the judges when composing them. They must be UK RELEVANT. Use plenty of spacing, bullet points and paragraphs to construct your entry to make them easier on the eye. PDF and other multimedia entries are encouraged, and you can add personality to your entry too to make it stand out. If you are submitting a video, please keep it to FIVE minutes or less.
Best Company to Work For
Criteria
Who can enter? Any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a UK channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking and software in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the UK to qualify. The company must pride itself on being a great place to work both in terms of results/growth, staff/employee satisfaction/motivation, CSR and general company culture. The period covered by the awards runs from Jan 2019 to Jan 2020, so please bear in mind when talking about particular activities, trips or incentives offered to staff. Images can also be used if required.
- How many staff do you employ in the UK? Where are they based?
- Why is your company such a great place to work?
- What do you think makes it stand out from your peers?
- How are you addressing the gender pay/skills gap in the industry?
- How does company culture help generate results?
- Has your company used internal social media campaigns to generate a fun working environment? How has this enhanced the staff morale? Give examples.
- How does your company empower staff to do their jobs better? Give examples.
- Can you give examples of CSR activities? ie Charity events etc
- How do you motivate staff and engender loyalty? This can include outlines of bonus/commission schemes, extra leave, holidays, prizes etc
- REQUIREMENT: Please provide testimonials from your staff in the entry
Written entries must be no more than 1,000 words, and try to think about the judges when composing them. They must be UK RELEVANT. Use plenty of spacing, bullet points and paragraphs to construct your entry to make them easier on the eye. PDF and other multimedia entries are encouraged, and you can add personality to your entry too to make it stand out. If you are submitting a video, please keep it to FIVE minutes or less.
Best Marketing Campaign
Criteria
Who can enter? Any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a UK channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking and software in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the UK to qualify. The period covered by the awards runs from Jan 2019 to Jan 2020, so please bear in mind when writing entries and referring to particular campaigns.
- What was the campaign and when did it run? How did it work? Please describe the campaign itself and its title. NOTE: This can be a social media-based campaign, email campaign, print campaign or any other form of campaign.
- Why are you entering this particular campaign? Why does it stand out?
- Were any distribution partners involved? Please elaborate if so.
- Who was it aimed at? ie SMBs, Enterprises, Public sector (or other specific sectors)
- How successful was the campaign - use facts and figures to back up claims. How many resellers benefitted from the campaign?
- Was there anything quirky or unusual about the campaign that really got it noticed?
- REQUIREMENT: Please provide partner testimonials within the entry itself
Written entries must be no more than 1,000 words, and try to think about the judges when composing them. They must be UK RELEVANT. Use plenty of spacing, bullet points and paragraphs to construct your entry to make them easier on the eye. PDF and other multimedia entries are encouraged, and you can add personality to your entry too to make it stand out. If you are submitting a video, please keep it to FIVE minutes or less.
Technology Innovation Award
Criteria
Who can enter? Any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a UK channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking and software and related services in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the UK to qualify. This award is aimed at a particular technology or technology set that has revolutionised business for channel partners and their respective customers over the past 12 months.
PLEASE NOTE: This is not an opportunity to market or sell a particular product or descend into techie speak, the award is aimed at describing how a product has actually helped make YOUR CHANNEL PARTNERS money. Bear in mind the awards cover the period Jan 2019 to Jan 2020.
- Briefly describe the product you are entering and why it is being entered for this award. Why do you consider it to be innovative? What effect is this innovation having on partners and customers?
- How does it differ/standout from the other similar products that are on the market in terms of innovation - again keep it brief and focus on the business benefits, not the complexity of the technology.
- What benefits has this product or product set you are entering provided for your channel partners in the past year - facts and figures are a must.
- Demonstrate how sales of this product have increased through the channel in the past year and why (facts and figures needed)
- Why does this particular technology innovation deserve this award? ie because it has made a huge difference to partners' business, customer take up has been phenomenal etc
- REQUIREMENT: Back up your claims with testimonials from actual channel partners in the entry, and how this technology has helped their business in the past year. Get them to explain why they think this particular technology should win.
Written entries must be no more than 1,000 words, and try to think about the judges when composing them. They must be UK RELEVANT. Use plenty of spacing, bullet points and paragraphs to construct your entry to make them easier on the eye. PDF and other multimedia entries are encouraged, and you can add personality to your entry too to make it stand out. If you are submitting a video, please keep it to FIVE minutes or less.
Best Graduate and/or Apprenticeship Scheme
Criteria
Who can enter? Any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a UK channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking and software in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the UK to qualify and the graduate/apprenticeship scheme needs to have been running or further developed since at least January 2019.
- The skills gap is the number one problem many tech firms are facing. Describe how your company is looking to plug that gap with a dedicated Graduate and/or Apprenticeship scheme.
- Tell us about your particular scheme and why you launched it/how long it has been running. Where do you recruit your Graduates/Apprentices from - how do they apply and how do you select them?
- How many Graduates/Apprentices have you trained so far and are you planning on increasing this?
- Are you doing anything in particular to encourage more female graduates into your schemes?
- How long is the process and what do they do once it is finished?
- What have been the biggest challenges in running your scheme?
- Describe any particular success stories - ie, someone who has gone on to become a senior manager within your own company or has been headhunted somewhere and has done really well for themselves.
- REQUIREMENT: A testimonial from a graduate/apprentice within the entry itself - either a current one, or one that has flourished after completing their training with your company.
Written entries must be no more than 1,000 words, and try to think about the judges when composing them. They must be UK RELEVANT. Use plenty of spacing, bullet points and paragraphs to construct your entry to make them easier on the eye. PDF and other multimedia entries are encouraged, and you can add personality to your entry too to make it stand out. If you are submitting a video, please keep it to FIVE minutes or less.