Toast of the Resume Industry Awards

Sharon Williams shares in 90 seconds why you should want to win:

Since the TORI nominees were posted five weeks ago, I have received an unprecedented 15 inquiries from that source alone. The SEO for the TORIs is eye-opening and a real business builder.

In talking with a few of these potential clients, I learned that several of them were ONLY interested in working with nominees in the Classic Executive category. This surprised me at first, but then I realized it’s on-trend with the way executives want to be presented these days—big impact with clean, ATS-friendly design. The Classic Exec category is a perfect fit for the majority of executives out there.

“I just won my 7th TORI Award! Unreal! These awards have changed my business and my life, and words can't express how thankful I am.”

The TORI was a game-changer for my business. Almost immediately, I had more engaged clients from the market that I am continually seeking to attract. In fact, many of my clients find *me* because they are seeking a resume writer whose expertise has been impartially validated. Also, I find that mentioning the TORI helps in marketing me effectively on my web site and when cold calls come in. Overall, the TORI has given me more visibility and more professional credibility than I had prior to the win.

I honestly believe winning a TORI award has been instrumental in catapulting my business to the next level.

Being nominated or winning an award says to a potential client ‘Wow this person is a cut above, I want some of that to rub off on me!’

Whether people have heard about TORIs or not is immaterial. It’s all about education. I proudly display my TORI awards on my website and TELL the client of their value by saying, ‘Hey look no further! I’m an award-winner!’ It’s one of those things that is little work for great rewards.

It takes no time to fictionalise an existing resume and provide a synopsis, but if you WIN or even if you are nominated, you have strong marketing collateral that you can repeatedly use to sing your own praises and give you that extra edge for years at no additional cost.

Thanks in part to a whole paragraph on the TORI awards I received, I landed a contract for my company to provide outplacement to 134 employees. Many of the employers are impressed that there is such a thing as resume writing awards and a body such as CDI that oversees it. The TORIs helped to elevate our credibility. In my office, I proudly display the nomination and winning certificates for all to see.

What ‘blew me away’ (about the TORIs) was the overwhelming feedback from prospective clients. I always ask in initial communications how others heard about me. I keep track. More than one third have indicated they contacted me after learning of my TORI wins. The links to find out my status varied, i.e. my own website, LinkedIn, Twitter, referrals, etc. But the message was clear; they indicated they ‘wanted the best’ and my awards cemented their trust in my capabilities to perform to this level. The TORI has been an ROI that is quite simply, phenomenal!

The TORI Awards have increased my client base dramatically. Since winning the TORI for Best Technical Resume, I have had a flood of tech clients wanting their resumes written. When I asked why they have chosen my services they usually tell me that they want the best!

Since receiving a nomination for a prestigious TORI award in the category of Best New Graduate Resume, I received free publicity in the newspaper, and saw my business increase three-fold among college seniors seeking to put their best foot forward upon graduation. 

Two years ago, I took the leap and decided to enter into the TORI competition after following it for several years and building my graphic design and writing skills.

I was so glad I did.

I was hoping for just one nomination and thought I stood a chance. That first year I took 5 wins, including a first place win in the hospitality category. The following year, it was a sweep: 5 first-place wins and 7 in total.

Looking back at the sweep, I was probably ready to enter much sooner and at least grab up a nomination or two.

As to the ROI, there are a few things to note.

First is the quality of the prospects that hear about me through the TORIs. They are not out seeking the most affordable service they can find. They are looking for the best and are willing to pay for it. I am now charging over $2K for a resume, LinkedIn profile, and cover letter package.

Secondly, selling is easier no matter how the prospect comes to me. If they heard about me through the TORIs, in large part, they are already sold. They’ve scoured the list of winners and chosen me because they prefer my style. When they come to me through referrals or other efforts, the wins solidify my expertise in their minds as I share my award-winning resumes (which I’m not shy in pointing out), screen-sharing my wins with them during the consultation.

Finally, my referral business has grown considerably as the TORI wins have strengthened my profile within the industry.

Since my investment in the low hundreds of dollars, I’ve bought in at least $25K in project fees, directly attributable to the TORIs in the last couple of years. Note that this is not for a massive number of projects, but a smaller number of high-priced ones.

This return doesn’t reflect: the clients who come from referrals from those TORI-sourced clients; the many projects that have been referred to me by other writers since winning; or the amount I’ve earned in referral fees from sending prospects away who aren’t willing to way 6 – 8 weeks to get on my schedule. What I can’t estimate is the number of non-TORI prospects who I’ve converted based on my wins, which I suspect is much higher than the $25K.

Entering into the TORIs is and will continue to be a top priority for me each year. There’s no way I will let the opportunity pass me by again.

Initially I was too intimidated to enter the TORI competition. You see, I had studied the TORI winners since beginning my resume writing career in 2015. I didn’t feel I had what it took to compete with all the talented writers who I had been emulating for three years.

In 2018 I took the leap of faith, entered, and won third place in the New Graduate category. Winning the TORI has expanded my clientele; many clients have told me the graphic elements of my TORI entry set me apart from other writers and prompted them to give me a call. Additionally, this award has helped me gain credibility when presenting to community groups on job search topics.

So much of our work as resume writers is advocating for our clients. We work hard to show evidence of how our clients stand out from the pack and differentiate from other candidates. Winning this award is just that for me; it’s proof that I am good at what I do – achievement supported by hard data.

So I’ve had a really good problem. Just being nominated last year doubled my business on average. I’ve had to revamp my production and project management processes and am looking to bring on a subcontractor.

Participating within the TORI’s and having my work recognised among the vastly talented group of writers around the globe has been an absolute thrill for me. My nominations and awards continue to play a pivotal role in my marketing regime, and will allow me to continue building my credibility with both existing and potential clients, for years to come.

Being a TORI Nominee has definitely stepped up my competitive stature within the résumé writing market. When I use the TORI Nominee logo on my outreach materials, when my clients see the certificates on my wall, and, perhaps most important of all, when I realize internally that my work has gained national recognition from my peers, I am able to command higher prices and achieve greater respect for my work.

I won the TORIs and my business doubled.

I made the most lucrative marketing investment in the 14-year history of my company when I entered the 2017 TORI Awards. Since I submitted resumes for all 8 categories, I only paid $200 for all my entries. Of those 8 submissions, 6 went on to win nominations and subsequent TORI Awards.

Since then, I consistently get at least one ready-to-order client per month, willing to spend an average of $2,500 for my services. They have only heard about me through the TORI Awards and nowhere else. These clients often place online orders without any kind of phone engagement.

But let me tell you about the surprise type of customer that tends to contact me on a (roughly) quarterly basis. These are clients who have already worked with TORI-winning resume writers. Sometimes, they want to change out their existing writer for the new hot shot. Other times, they return to the website of their existing writer, see that they won a TORI Award in 2011, and then go look at the TORI Award page out of curiosity to find me, the newest winner. When they find out their writer hasn’t won an award since 2011, they call on someone who has.

That’s right – you can’t rest on your laurels. Discerning executive job seekers want the newest and hottest champions. Each and every year.

These ‘TORI-snob’ clients have opened another steady revenue stream. Again – I don’t need to pitch them. They see the awards and the samples, and they are ready to order.

My $200 investment has already made me tens of thousands of dollars from customers who are already excited and ready to buy my services – no sales pitch needed. I can’t even calculate how many sales my TORI Awards have generated by convincing on-the-fence prospects to invest thousands of dollars for my services.

Part Two:

So after 10 years of my primary or total income coming from contract writing, I’ve now had to completely end all of my treasured contract relationships because contractors cannot pay me nearly as much as my direct clients. This is because of the TORIs.

I just got off the phone with a client who was elated that I was willing to take the job. This was tough to squeeze in though, as I am extremely busy. This is because of the TORIs.

All the other resume writers this client contacted (all TORI winners) were too overwhelmed with work to accept his assignment. This is because of the TORIs.

He’s hoping I can make his resume as good as his wife’s resume, which is being developed by Tiffany Hardy, who she found through the TORIs.

The biggest problem I currently have is managing all the clients who learn about me through the TORIs, and then also squeezing in the extra time needed to prepare samples for the 2019 TORIs.

This is the catch-22 of the TORIs.

I received more press coverage for the NOMINATION than I have received for virtually any other publicity over the course of my first 11 years in business. I can only speculate what kind of media attention winning a TORI would have garnered.

Winning my first TORI was a watershed event for me. I know I’m a good writer and I know I can produce high-caliber resumes but winning a TORI Award lets customers and colleagues know the same. That little icon says a lot. Yes, my business has grown and the TORI serves as my personal affirmation and instills the boldness I need to quote premium prices – that my service is worth it. My TORI also reminds me that I have taken a place among the elite, best of the best resume writers on the market. No one can take away that accomplishment.