how to win competitions

8/7/2019 How to Win Competitions

1/9

A Competitors CompAnion GUiDe

HowtoWinComp

etitions

Your 7-step Guide to

WinninG Competitions 2.99


2/9

How to WinCompetitions

Im Lynne Hargreaves and I would like to share some o the

comping secrets that have helped me win 250,000 worth

o prizes.

A lot o people just think Im lucky, but thats not the case;youve got to know how to fnd the competitions that give

you the best chance o winning and o course you have to

actually enter them. My frst win was a modest pack o crayons,

then some playing cards my riends and amily laughed then.

But I kept at it and since those early days Ive won everything

rom cash and cars to luxury holidays.

HeresMyTopTipsforWinning1.Youvegottobeinittowin

2.Sticktotherules3.Neversaynever

4.Theharderitistoenter,theeasieritistowin5.Writegreatslogans

6.Beorganised7.Beintheknow

A Competitiors CompAnion GUiDe 3

1Youve got to

be in to winPrize competitions are everywhere. Even i you dont make apoint o looking out or them, you probably still notice them. Insupermarkets, newspapers and magazines, TV and radio the

act is that, at any given time, there are probably THOUSANDS

o competitions and prize draws on the go throughout the UK!

And the chances are that i you take a little more time to look

out or these winning opportunities, then the prizes really will

start coming your way. Why am I so condent? Well, believe it or

not, entries to competitions especially those where an element

o skill is involved are on the way down these days, while the

number o valuable prize opportunities remains very high. In act,

its not unusual or a competition with a large number o prizes

to have more prizes than entries... so make the eort to enter,

and sometimes your success is guaranteed.

So my rst tip is the most important one or any potential winner.

I you dont enter a competition, then its 100% certain that

you wont win a prize. But i you DO enter, then who knows?

Especially i you ollow the other tips in this booklet, to improve

your winning chances even more.

ReadontodiscoverhowtobeasuccessfulComper!


3/9

2Stick to

the RulesThe small print or any competition is very important. Quite otenit can even hide a ree entry route to save you some money, soyou should always get into the habit o reading it thoroughly.

Never all into the trap o thinking that, since the writings so

small then it cant be important. Trust me - nothing could be

urther rom the truth!

Pay special attention to the closing date o the competition, and

always make sure that your entries arrive on time. Take special

care to attach the correct proo o purchase i one is needed.

Look out too or any entry restrictions, and whether you must

enter the competition in a particular way using a postcard, or

an ocial entry orm or example. I the competition has a skill

task, answering a question perhaps, then read the instructions

careully to make sure theres not a trick.

Ive heard o competitions where less than one-third o entries

have made it through to the judging stage. The rest were

disqualifed or, in most cases, the most minor Rules inringement.

So i you want to improve your own winning chances, it couldnt

be easier to give yoursel a fying start. Simply read the rules!

4 How to win Competitions A Competitiors CompAnion GUiDe 5

MyhusbandStevehasbeenconverted,andovertheyearswehavemadeanexcellentcompingteam.Stevehasalwaysexcelledatslogan-writing,whilstIhavebeenresponsibleforrecord-keeping;observingrulesanddeadlines;checkingthattheall-importantqualifier(eg.tillreceipt)isenclosed;generallyensuringthatspelling,punctuationandgrammararecorrect;makingsurethattheentryformisreadyforposting.

Jen RichaRds

FRom tenby


4/9

3Never

say neverThe comping scene is always changing, but its very easy or evenregular compers to get stuck in a rut. A decade ago, the most

common orms o competition were slogan contests, postcard

draws, and other skill tasks such as orders-o-merit, estimations

or seeing how many words you could make rom a given phrase.

Nowadays, new technology has brought us instant wins, internet,

phone and text competitions. Its always a good idea to keep

up with changing trends, and to try as many dierent types o

competition as you can. But we still hear o old school compers

saying that they would never try or an instant win prize, or

newcomers to the hobby shuddering at the thought o writinga slogan. Well, look again at our number one tip! The more

competitions that you enter, the more chances you have o

winning a prize its as simple as that. And i other people are

put o by having to text a code, or writing a slogan, then it only

improves your own chances.

IopenedaletterandtomyamazementitsaidIhadwon3,000intravelvouchersintheCo-opUncleBensCompetition.IhadbeencompingforthreeyearsandonlywonafitnessDVD,abottleofperfume,apaperbackbookandaTshirt.NotthatIamcomplaining,becauseIalways

keptsayingthe

BigOneiscoming.AboutaweeklaterIreceivedavoucherfor3,000andinFeb2006IwentonatwoweekcruisetotheCaribbeanandinOctoberaweekscruisetotheMediterranean.IfIeverhadanydoubtsaboutenteringcompetitions,itwentawayafterIreceivedtheletterfromUncleBens.Iwillnevergiveupnowandhaverealisedadream.IhavealwayswantedtogoonacruiseandthoughtIneverwould,

buttwoinsixmonthsisjustunbelievable.

Iamthankfulforanywinwhichcomplementswhatisforme,thebesthobbyintheworld.

6 A Competitiors CompAnion GUiDe 7

philip denham

FRom yoRkshiRe


5/9

4

The harder itis to enter, theeasier to win

By hard here, we dont necessarily mean a task that will take

you weeks to complete. The act is, a simple ree prize draw that

can be entered on a postcard is going to have many more entries

compared to a similar ree draw where an entry orm is needed

rom a particular supermarket. Typically around 50% more entries,

in act even though, or most people, making an eort to visit

a dierent store to pick up the entry orm in question is well

not really much o an extra eort at all! Likewise, a requirement

to collect labels or tokens rom a particular product to enter a

competition will put o a huge number o people, either because

they simply cant be bothered, theyre not organised enough to

see the task through, or theyve bought Brand X baked beans

or the last 50 years and habit alone stops them buying Brand Z

or a couple o weeks to collect the necessary labels!

To be rank, the eort required in comping tends not to be a

real eort at all... more a willingness to do things a little dierently

once in a while. Visit dierent shops occasionally, buy dierent

magazines, dierent brands o products and sometimes even

new and dierent products i a prize really takes your ancy. Who

knows, you might even discover something new that you like...

and this, ater all, is why companies usually run competitions.

TomecompingisalltheATIONS.IlovesearchingforproductsforQUALIFICATION.IlovetheDELIBERATIONoverslogansandtheFRUSTRATIONwhenyoucantgetthemquiteright.MyASPIRATIONistowin.IliketheCREATIONinvolvedindifferentwaysofenteringandtheEVALUATIONneededtomakechoices.


kaRen gammon

FRom walsall


6/9

5

Write greatslogans

Leading on rom the last tip, the type o competition that gets by

ar the ewest number o entries these days is one that needs a

slogan. Which means that i you make an eort to enter a slogan

comp, then your chances o a win are statistically the best ever!

Dont think that you cant write a slogan. Even seasoned comping

pros will tell you that theyve probably won as many prizes with

last minute eorts as they have with entries that theyve spent a

lot o time on. The simple act is that no-one knows what judges

might be looking or. Indeed, they might preer a charming

amateur eort rom the heart compared to a more proessional

sounding line so EVERYBODY really does stand a chance in a

slogan competition.

Some slogans known as chestnuts win prizes over and

over again. Experts perect them, connoisseurs select them is

probably the most amous chestnut o all, and this continues to

win prizes to this very day. A generic, one size ts all slogan like

this remains the Holy Grail or slogan writers, but dont be put o

i you think that this sounds out o your league. Just try to praise

the product and promoter, tie this in with the prize on oer to

make the line apt and original, and you wont be going ar wrong.

Judges today also tend to preer rhyming slogans, so perhaps

write the headings Product, Promoter and Prize on a piece o

paper, write down all o the related words you can think o in each

column, and i youre lucky a rhyme or recurring theme will jump

out. Its easier and much more un than it sounds honest!

Ihavecollectedthesaurusbooks,rhymingbooksandevenpoetrytohelpwithslogans,whicharemyfavouritechallenge.IenterobscuremagazinecompetitionsandendedupwithfiveSwissArmyknivesoncehavingwonalltheprizes!Charityshopraffles,gardenfetetombolas,villageeventdrawscanallbehandytotestyourluck,andbringasurpriseortwo.Thinkawayfromtheobviousatalltimeswithentriesandslogansandyouwillattractthepriz

eyoudreamof,Iknowasitworkedformetimeandtimeagain.Keepyourinstinctsonhighalertatalltimes.

anne eggleston,

noRthumbeRland

10 A Competitiors CompAnion GUiDe


7/9

POSTCARD

Cmpitos

183HghStre

CmpitonTown

AB1cD2

Cmpitos

183HghStre

CmpitonTown

AB1cD2

6

Be organisedOrganisation and strategy will make your comping hobby

easier and more un. In act, or some people, keeping records

on what competitions theyve entered and ticking them o

when the prizes roll in is all part o the excitement! But even i

spreadsheets arent your idea o un, once again there are plentyo little things that you can do to improve your chance o a prize.

Most importantly, make sure that you never miss a closing date.

I multiple entries are allowed in a competition and you ancy

extra attempts, then plan to spread these out right up until the

closing date. Always pick up entry orms as soon as you see them,

as they wont be around or ever. Likewise, i you need a certain

number o promotional labels or tokens, buy these as soon as you

can even i it means buying more products at once than you

normally would. Dont be ooled by a long closing date on some

on-pack competitions... Ive known them to sometimes disappear

within a week, especially on resh or seasonal products.

At home, always make sure that you never run out o essentialcomping stationery (pens, plain paper, postcards, stamps etc.),

and its also a good idea to always carry a pen and a couple

o stamps, cards and envelopes around with you in case you

come across a comp that needs entering urgently. The shorter

the closing date, the lower the number o entries therell be!

Also think about getting yoursel some name and address labels

made to save having to write out your details on entries over

and over again.

miss m. madge

FRom middlesex


Ihaveasystem,mygoodieboxcontainspostcards,envelopes,PrittStick,pens,pencils,rubbers,stampsbutmostofalladaytodaydiarywhichIusetorecordeverycompetitionthatIenteronadailybasis.

Ispendprobablyacoupleofhoursadaycomping,andmostlyalldayonSundays.IbuyalotofSundaypapersplusmagazinesbutovertime,IhavebecomemoreselectiveoverwhichcompsIdonow.


8/9


9/9

Visit our website at.accladublhg.c.uk

CG-GUI-0107-v1

how to win competitions

Documents