Articles by Sara Yirrell
The 2021 Channel Awards are launching TODAY!
As the country starts to get back to normal, we are delighted to announce that the Channel Oscars will return in November
Why is winning a CRN Sales and Marketing Award so important?
With just over a week to go before we hit the 2021 Sales and Marketing Awards (SMA) deadline, some of last year's winners explain why it has made a difference to them in a tough year and why it is so important to enter
VIDEO: Vendors must help smaller channel businesses more with diversity and inclusion strategies
In this exclusive CRN roundtable in association with Lenovo to celebrate International Women's Day, the panel discusses how far the channel has come in terms of eliminating stereotypes, how we can work together more to encourage young women to pursue...
Catching up with the SMA Judges - Part Two
In this second article talking to the Sales and Marketing Awards judges, a few of our panellists discuss why it is so important to enter the awards this year, and even reveal a few hints about what they will be looking out for
Catching up with the SMA judges - Part One
A handful of our Sales and Marketing Awards judges discuss why the awards are so important for the industry, why they enjoy being part of the panel, and what they are hoping to see in this year's entries
SMAs 2021 - FAQs
If you have any questions about the 2021 Sales and Marketing Awards, hopefully they will be answered below. Some of the answers may be a little tongue-in-cheek, but we all need a bit of humour in our lives, right?
The 2021 Sales and Marketing Awards have launched TODAY!
It is with great pleasure that we can announce that the CRN 2021 Sales and Marketing Awards are now open for entry
SMA 2021 - Vendor Criteria
All you need to know for entering the Vendor categories of the CRN 2021 Sales and Marketing Awards
Channel Awards 2020 - WINNERS!
After the winners were announced at the first ever Virtual CRN Awards last night, see who scooped the trophies this year in one of the closest-run competitions we have ever seen
Sales and Marketing Awards 2020 - Winners!
Below is a list of all our winners and Judges' Commended winners that we have announced over the last three days.
The virtual SMAs are one week away!
We explain how it will all work this year as we continue to celebrate channel sales and marketing success
The Channel Awards 2020 are launching TODAY!
An important message from CRN about the eagerly awaited Channel Awards 2020
Channel Awards 2020 - Top Tips for Entering
Some handy hints and tips to help you create that winning entry
Sales & Marketing Awards go virtual: View the shortlist here and see how it works
For this year ONLY, the SMAs will be celebrated in living rooms and offices around the country rather than as a face-to-face event. We explain how it will work below
Sales and Marketing Awards 2020 deadline is TODAY
Please submit your entries for the SMAs by 5pm on Friday 17 April
SMA deadline extended until 17 April
In these unprecedented times, we feel the decision is right to give people a few more days to get their entries submitted
Coronavirus update: SMAs postponed until September but still open for entries
The deadline has moved to Wednesday 8 April and the event itself will take place on Thursday 17 September
Building the best SMA entry - how to score points with the judges
Because we are asked the same questions each year, we thought it would be good to hear from the judges on what they are looking for in an entry and what will score extra points. They also share what makes them turn off and mark down as well
Flying high after an SMA win
Winners explain how taking home a trophy has given them a boost
Why everyone should enter the SMAs - Part One
In the first of a two-part article, hear from the CRN Sales and Marketing Awards' judging panel on why all companies that are serious about building their brand and attracting customers should be entering these awards
What's new in the 2020 Sales and Marketing Awards?
A quick run through of category additions, tweaks and what has been dropped this year
Sales and Marketing Awards 2020 launched TODAY!
Entry process for the longest-running sales and marketing awards in the channel is now open
Sales and Marketing Awards Hub 2020
Tips on entering, all the categories, interviews with judges and much more
A sneaky peek into the Channel Awards winners' judging day
Channel Awards winners are selected via a two-stage judging process. Now, for the first time, Sara Yirrell shares how stage two of the process works
Channel Awards 2019 deadline is TODAY
Just hours left to get your entries in on time
Sales and Marketing Awards 2019 - WINNERS!
Congratulations to all those who won and also to those who were commended by the judges
Five reasons to enter the Channel Awards
Below we explain why it is worth entering the longest-running awards in the channel
Roll up! Roll up! The 2019 Channel Awards are GO!
Today is the day we launch the 2019 Channel Awards, and this year there are some old favourite categories returning this year by demand
SMA Judges' Spotlight: Part Two: Avoiding a shortlist miss
All too often, there are firms that submit awards entries that fail to even make the shortlist. Where are they going wrong? What can they do to avoid this happening? In the second of our two-part feature, we ask our judging panel what would stop them...
SMA Judges' Spotlight: Part One: Creating a winning entry
Every year CRN is asked what the judging panel actually looks for in an entry. Read about what will get this year's judges scoring top marks in the first of this two-part judging spotlight
Will you love our new SMA categories this year?
Awards categories are just like Marmite - but there will always be something new and exciting to enter with the SMAs, writes Sara Yirrell
Sales and Marketing Awards launch TODAY
It is once again time to start sharing your success stories as the entry process for the 2019 awards officially opens
Key takeaways from Dreamforce 2018
A round-up of Salesforce's conference in San Francisco
Channel Awards 2018 - SHORTLIST
The first judging day took place in August and we are delighted to announce the 2018 shortlist.
'Diversity is a wider prism than just gender'
Apay Obang-Oyway, director of cloud and software at Ingram Micro, believes diversity is a broad issue, but it should not outweigh meritocracy
Customers Vs the channel
What is it that CIOs/MDs/CEOs actually want from their IT suppliers? What technology is top of their wishlists for the future? Find out at an exclusive CRN event in September.
'This will be our best year ever' - Microsoft channel boss on FY19
Vendor talks up partner relationship at Inspire global conference
In stitches at the Channel Awards
Who remembers all the comedians we have seen over the years? Sara Yirrell mulls over some of the big names the CRN Awards have attracted
The Evolution of the Channel Awards
How did they become what they are today and why do they still matter?
Vendors: Are you really doing a good job in the channel? Then prove it!
If your partners are not nominating your channel chiefs for CRN's newest award, then it doesn't look that way
Emma de Sousa: 'I would love to see more female candidates coming forward for jobs'
Insight's UK managing director and senior vice president of EMEA marketing talks to CRN about the value of diversity, the importance of meritocracy, and the many initiatives her firm supports to ensure a balanced workforce
Are you a Channel Awards aficionado?
Have you attended the Channel Awards multiple times, or experienced your first ever awards in the past year? We want to hear from you!
The jury's out - part two
In this second part of our 'meet the judges' articles, we ask our panellists how they feel entries have improved over the years, and also what their reply to the dreaded phrase "the awards are a fix" actually is. If you are of a sensitive nature, be warned....
The jury's out - part one
As the CRN Channel Awards gears up to celebrate its 25th birthday in November - we catch up with some of our judges - several of whom have been involved for multiple years since the judging process was introduced - to see what they enjoy about judging,...
BT boss Helen Slinger: 'Coaching, mentoring and sponsorship are key elements in helping women progress up the career ladder'
BT's director of Product Supply Business (PSB) explains why encouraging other women is very important to her
'Trust and fear are the biggest issues for some employers after childbirth'
Lindsey Fish, founder of Mums Enterprise and a CRN WiC judge, explains how perceptions about working mums are slowly changing, in part due to Brexit