Would Trump ace it as an awards writer?

I was recently judging an awards entry for the category of “Best company to work for”. The entry was brilliant. It had catchy headlines. Jaw dropping claims. Lots of bravado. And absolutely no substance.

If the entry had a theme tune it would be “Everything is awesome”. I knew something was wrong. Google confirmed my suspicions. Current and past employees claimed that the founder was controlling, bugged common areas, paid friends to write employee reviews and created brilliant benefits that they weren’t entitled to.

And that made me think. How would the undeniably gifted, headline grabbing Donald Trump fair as an awards writer? Donald Trump. Real estate mogul. Reality TV star. Twice US President. And self-proclaimed master of, well… everything.

I’ve used my AWARDS framework to see which areas Trump would perform well at, and which may prove to be a struggle. You may be surprised by the answer!

Donald Trump Vs My AWARDS framework

My AWARDS framework is simple. Six sections, each beginning with a letter from the word AWARDS. Let’s crack on, shall we?  

A. Approach with Caution - Create an awards strategy with a clear plan.

Trump’s approach: I think that Trump would rush in, caps lock blazing. Read the actual instructions? Nah. Trump has learned to trust his instincts. While that can work in business and politics, awards judges tend to frown upon entries that read like a late-night Twitter rant.

Trump verdict: 2/10. Trump would rush in, confident, but absent of a crystal-clear plan.

W. Write with care - There is a skill to writing awards entries and this section of my framework covers everything you need to know.

Trump’s approach: Trump does have a way with words—if by “way” we mean excessive use of “tremendous,” “huge,” and “the best.” But he also has an instinct for catch-phrases that will stick.

Trump verdict:  8/10. He can be a master wordsmith. I think the writing would be succinct with some compelling headlines, though it may at times go off message.

A. Argue with evidence - Never make a claim that isn’t supported by evidence.

Trump’s approach: Trump’s style is often more “Because I said so” than “Here’s the data.” Judges want graphs, statistics, and case studies—not just a lot of confidence and hand gestures.

Trump verdict: 1/10. Evidence? Now why would judges want to be troubled with the detail?

R. Review - It’s all too tempting to submit your entry without properly checking it. Within this part of my framework, I explain what you need to do once the entry has been written, and before you send it off to the organisers.

Trump’s approach: A strong awards entry requires proofreading and fine-tuning. Given Trump’s history of typos (covfefe, anyone?), a final review might not be high on his priority list. And while awards judges can overlook a small mistake, an entry riddled with misspellings and random capital letters (“This AWARD is going to be HUGE. The biggest WIN ever!!!”) might not make the cut.

Trump verdict: 2/10. Spellcheck is for Losers

D. Don’t… Ignore the Brief – Avoid the traps that entrants fall into. These include recycling old award entry answers, ignoring the judge’s guidelines and breaking the word count limits.

Trump’s approach: Awards entries have strict guidelines. Trump, however, isn’t exactly known for sticking to the brief.

Trump verdict: 2/10. Trump is at his best when he is polishing one-liners. Not playing by the rules.

S. Sell More - Awards suck up valuable resources. But the time and money you spend on entering awards should make awards a lucrative marketing tactic. Awards should help you sell more. Make sure they do.

Trump’s approach: If there’s one thing Trump excels at, it’s selling himself. Awards are ultimately about boosting credibility and exposure, and he knows how to turn any win into a headline.

Trump verdict: 10/10. Sell yourself? Now this is his forte!

The Verdict?

While Trump could write an entertaining awards entry, would it actually win? With a score of 25/60 (42%), my AWARDS framework suggests not. Unless there’s an award for “Most confident submission with the least supporting evidence.” In that case, he’d definitely take home the gold. As would the recent applicant for “Best company to work for”, who to my relief, didn’t make the shortlist.

If you would like a free copy of my AWARDS framework then go to www.HowToWinAwards and download my free e-book. It’s in chapter 5.

Note: In writing this blog, I’m treating a serious subject (award winning) with some fantasy/fun. There is no political intention towards this topic. As a writer I have enormous respect for President Trump’s ability to create attention grabbing headlines and craft succinct social posts. I’ll leave the judgement of his Political endeavours to others far more qualified than me.