Choosing the right incentive or recognition award can be easy depending on what you know and who you are working with. If you are well informed and have the right awards company by your side, then the process might be easier than if you are just getting started. However, this shouldn’t scare you – after all, even the most experienced buyers were once amateurs trying to sail through the murky waters.
The idea is to take time to educate yourself about what you need to be looking at in terms of quality solutions, and the rest will fall into place. In this article, we will guide you through the steps to help you find the right awards for your various recognition and incentive programs to help show your team that their contributions are appreciated and valued.
Understand your needs
You need to have an idea of whatever it is you are looking for to find the perfect award for your team. Since different occasions call for various awards, you cannot pick an award because it’s simply beautiful or because you saw it someplace else. Just as an example, while trophies can be awarded during corporate events, they are usually perfect for sports. Engraved plaques, on the other hand, are widely used to recognize and motivate employees. Knowing why you need a recognition award is a significant step towards finding the right solution.
Find the right shop
The market has no shortage of companies creating corporate and employee recognition awards and engraved plaques. However, none of them is similar to the other – they differ based on a range of aspects, including quality of solutions, price tag, experience, customer service, creativity, location, among other things. The right vendor for you should not only offer the product you are looking for but also have a keen eye for details, a good industry reputation, incredible customer service, a track record for delivering on their promise, and an exceptional team of creative behind the scene.
Go for quality
Whether you are buying a single award or hundreds of them, it’s always best to consider the quality of the pieces over quantity. Keep in mind that an award isn’t just an award for someone who is receiving it – it is a memory. Something they will proudly show off to their family and friends for years to come. That’s why you want to get a plaque that is uniquely crafted from quality materials.
Pick the right size
Another crucial element to bear in mind when choosing an award is the size. You want to look at the venue of the event – whether it’s going to be a small gathering at the conference hall or a large venue with a big audience. The idea is to find an award that’s big enough for people to see – one that matches the size of the venue. Again, you want to think about where the award will be displayed – if it’s an office award that will be displayed in the office, the good idea is to find one that fits on a desk or bookshelf.
Be thoughtful with style
Plaques and awards come in wide-ranging styles and designs. It’s important to find pieces that are relevant to the event. It can be awkward presenting a sports award to the employee of the year and vice versa.
Involve your team
If you aren’t sure what your employees will like, you can choose to involve them in the process. By this, we don’t necessarily mean that you shop with them – something as simple as a survey can give you a general clue of something that fits. A good idea is to have them prioritize criteria like the perception or meaningfulness of different award options.
Pay attention to engraving
Depending on the event in question, you might have to engrave before or after the function. Business awards are best engraved before the event because the awardees are known. But for games or tournaments, engraving is done once the event is done. It’s also a good idea to ensure that the award (like the trophy) has an adequate amount of space to engrave the recipient’s name.