Building Award Programs that Drive Customer-Led Growth: Lessons from Talkdesk’s Strategy

Award programs are powerful tools for elevating customer achievements and strengthening industry credibility. When structured strategically, award programs can fuel customer-led growth, provide ongoing lifecycle marketing content, and drive long-term engagement. Here’s how Cate Vanasse, Director of Customer Marketing at Talkdesk created a customer-centric awards program that is impactful, scalable, and positioned as an industry standard.

Why Invest in a Customer Awards Program?
Building an awards program requires a significant investment of time and resources, but the benefits are considerable. For Talkdesk, a well-executed awards program provides several key advantages:

• Elevates Customer Credibility: When customers look good, so does the brand. Award programs offer a platform for customers to showcase their achievements, enhancing trust and credibility in the marketplace.
• Supports a Steady Content Pipeline: Award nominations and customer stories generated through the program provide invaluable content that can feed the brand’s lifecycle marketing efforts for months.
• Boosts Industry Influence: A well-respected awards program solidifies the brand’s position in the industry, creating opportunities for stronger partnerships and increased customer-led growth.

Key Steps to Building a Successful Awards Program
Talkdesk’s approach to award programs is guided by a strategic framework that prioritizes customer marketing, fairness, and sustainability. Here are the essential steps they follow:

1. Build the Program at an Industry Level

The first step in crafting an effective awards program is to establish a theme that resonates with customers’ professional goals. Talkdesk carefully curates award categories that align with industry trends, like AI innovation and transformation. They’ve also kept category names consistent over time, ensuring the program’s scalability and relevance.

2. Establish Fair and Transparent Judging Criteria

Talkdesk prioritizes impartiality in its awards program. Judges include a blend of industry analysts, partners, and even past award winners, all of whom bring credibility and expertise to the selection process. This approach ensures that winners are chosen based on merit and that the awards hold significant industry weight.

3. Simplify the Submission Process for Maximum Participation

Many customers may be unaware of the award-worthy initiatives they’re already undertaking. To ease participation, Talkdesk offers a marketing-supported nomination process where Customer Success Managers (CSMs) identify candidates and collaborate with marketing to submit polished entries. This helps bring in high-quality nominations while reducing barriers for customers who may feel hesitant about nominating themselves.

4. Align with Key Industry Events for Seasonality

Seasonality is crucial for maintaining program momentum. At Talkdesk, award cycles align with their annual user events and fall marketing campaigns. This consistency allows the company to build anticipation and integrate awards-related content seamlessly into their customer marketing platform, Base. The result is a predictable content cycle that enhances Talkdesk’s lifecycle marketing efforts and keeps the spotlight on customer achievements.

5. Keep the Focus on Customers

An award program’s true value comes from elevating customers’ stories rather than the brand itself. Talkdesk emphasizes their customers’ successes in every aspect of the program. Additionally, they encourage customers to apply for other industry awards, maximizing recognition for their accomplishments and further validating the program’s impact.

6. Repurpose Award Content for Ongoing Customer Marketing

Award nominations serve as a rich source of content that Talkdesk repurposes across various customer marketing channels. This content is adapted into webinars, eBooks, customer success stories, and even quotes for social media, which serve Talkdesk’s lifecycle marketing strategy and help maintain customer engagement year-round.

7. Refresh Winners and Expand Participation

To avoid repeating the same logos year after year, Talkdesk strives to bring in new award nominees. They work with CSMs to identify standout candidates from different industry segments, ensuring fresh perspectives and promoting a diverse range of customer stories. By prioritizing unique achievements, Talkdesk keeps the awards program dynamic and inclusive.

Results: A Customer-Led Growth Engine

Talkdesk’s awards program has evolved into a robust engine for customer-led growth and industry credibility. By following a structured approach and leveraging Base, their dedicated customer marketing platform, Talkdesk has:

• Built a Strong Customer Marketing Foundation: The awards program’s continuous content generation feeds Talkdesk’s lifecycle marketing initiatives, keeping customer engagement high and ensuring a constant flow of fresh stories.
• Enhanced Customer-Led Sales: Customer award winners become brand advocates, sharing their successes within their networks. This organic growth supports Talkdesk’s sales pipeline and positions them as a leader in customer experience solutions.
• Increased Participation and Customer Advocacy: Through a streamlined nomination process and strong internal support, TalkDesk has seen growing interest in their awards program, both from internal teams and customers who submit independently.

Building the Future of Customer Marketing with Award Programs

Talkdesk’s award program exemplifies how customer-centric initiatives can drive customer-led growth and support a broader customer advocacy strategy. With careful planning, fair judging, and consistent execution, award programs become more than just a showcase of excellence—they serve as catalysts for customer-led growth, industry credibility, and continuous engagement. As the program grows, Talkdesk remains committed to refining its structure and delivering value that resonates with customers, making award recognition a natural part of their lifecycle marketing journey.