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Let’s be real—staying top of mind with customers can be tricky, especially when the conversation is usually about products, renewals, or performance reviews. But there’s a more personal, rewarding way to reconnect that helps everyone on the team: nominating your customers for awards.
These five ideas are all about creating meaningful reasons to reach out, start conversations, and build stronger, more trusted partnerships. Whether you're in marketing, PR, or sales, these are practical ways to build momentum and reinforce the value your company brings to the table.
Celebrate Their Wins With Award Nominations
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Reaching out to a customer with the message, "We think what you're doing is worth recognizing" goes a long way. Awards give you a reason to connect, a reason to collaborate, and a reason to talk about outcomes. Marketing and PR teams can take the lead by identifying relevant award programs and helping write nominations. It's a smart way to show appreciation and position your customer as an industry leader.
Often, this is as simple as sending an email with a link and a few supporting bullets. It’s low-effort, low-cost, and high-impact.
Start here: How to Win Business Awards and Influence Revenue.
Use Benchmarking That Sparks a Real Conversation
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One of the best ways to reconnect is to share benchmarking data that actually matters to your customer. For example, First Call Resolution (FCR) rates in customer service are a goldmine. If your customer handles support or service, helping them see how they compare to peers on FCR opens the door to meaningful conversations about impact, efficiency, and improvement.
You may need to compile internal or third-party data and format it for sharing, but it’s usually manageable with existing tools.
Source: SQM Group on call center benchmarking
Share Industry Updates With Real Consequences
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Your customer doesn’t need another update about who got promoted. What they do need is information that could affect how they operate. For instance, changes in state-level data privacy laws or upcoming compliance deadlines can be critical. Sharing those types of insights shows your team is not only aware but looking out for your customer's future.
You’re already reading the trades and monitoring news—pass it along. It’s a low-effort way to provide high-value content.
Invite Customers Into Your Process
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Involving your customers in beta tests, advisory councils, or early access programs can be a great way to build engagement. These opportunities create dialogue, show trust, and make customers feel valued. They also give your teams valuable feedback. Sales can follow up on these experiences with thoughtful conversations that go beyond standard check-ins.
At Business Intelligence Group, we’ve taken this approach even further by launching advisory boards made up of judges and past award winners. These groups provide ongoing feedback and guidance on how we design and evolve our awards programs. It’s been incredibly successful—not only for improving our offerings, but for building deeper, long-term relationships with key customers and nominees.
Co-Sponsor Something That Means Something
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Sometimes the best touchpoints aren’t about business at all. Collaborating on a local event, a cause they care about, or an industry panel can create shared visibility and goodwill. A great example? The Broadview Networks YAI Central Park Challenge, where Broadview co-sponsored a customer-driven charity event supporting people with disabilities. This type of partnership creates strong emotional ties and shows customers that you're aligned on more than just business.
These efforts typically require budget, logistics, staffing, and PR planning—but the loyalty and brand value generated can be unmatched.
More on the event: YAI Central Park Challenge - Broadview Networks
Recognition Builds Relationships
Awards are more than a pat on the back—they're a strategic way to deepen relationships and create lasting goodwill with the customers you already value most.
So here’s your next best move: pick up the phone or open that email draft and nominate a customer. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. It just needs to be real.
Start with something like the BIG Awards for Business, the Sustainability Awards, or the BIG Innovation Awards. They’re open, relevant, and easy to get involved with. Better yet, they give you and your customer something to celebrate together.
A few minutes of your time today can spark a conversation, show your appreciation, and strengthen the partnership for months to come.