News Munchies

How to Win a Communications Competition

Originally Posted Monday, 03 July 2006 at 12:00 AM
Updated Friday, 10 October 2014 at 04:48 PM

IABC's communications competitions are Quills: Gold Quill, Silver Quill, Bronze Quill. IABC's Southern Region is accepting entries for the Region's Silver Quill competition.

Whether you enter IABC competitions, or PRSA's, or those of some other organization, you might be interested in dropping in to a free live audio session on Thursday, 06 Jly 06, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Central Time.

It's billed as "Meet with the Quill Gurus," but, actually, it will be packed with information that any communicator can use to enter objective-based professional communications competitions.

Call 1-866-650-0635, access code 77477, to listen in.

If you want to submit questions for the Gurus to deal with in that session, email our Chief Curmudgeon.

Additional information about the 2006 Silver Quill competition is available on the IABC Southern Region Silver Quill Web site.

No time to call in for "Meet the Quill Gurus"? The Southern Region Silver Quill chairs have posted FAQs that reveal the tips 'n tricks to entering -- and winning -- communications competitions.

Yes, our Chief Curmudgeon wrote 'em, but, even so, there may be some valuable hints that would help you do better in competitions. For the FAQs, see "You Don't Want Me as Your Judge, Unless ..."

If you want to know the mistakes to avoid and the tricks that will help you stand a better chance of faring well when your work is reviewed by some faceless judge, drop in.

You can't do better than FREE.

About The Author

Richard B. Barger, ABC, APR

Richard B. Barger, ABC, APR, is well-positioned as CornerBarPR's Chief Curmudgeon; he's our version of Andy Rooney -- loves words, particularly loves to complain about idiocy.

In his spare time, Rich runs the inventively named Barger Consulting, where he conducts strategic communications planning and research, and gives people advice whether they want it or not.

Through the years, Rich has tricked unsuspecting folks into giving him positions as managing editor of the public relations division of a 180-person agency, and as a wire service editor, an economic analyst, a federal investigator, and, bless his little muddy boots, a farmer. Really. He fancies himself a pretty fair country editor and at one time was famous among about half a dozen people as "The Voice of IABC."

At various points in what passes for a career, he's done time as a member of IABC, PRSA, and NSPRA, as well as the Gifted Association of Missouri, the University of Missouri Alumni Association, the Council of Better Business Bureaus (as a Senior Arbitrator), and a handful of church choirs.

Known as "Boom-Boom Barger" in Marching Mizzou, Rich refuses to answer the phone during University of Missouri football or basketball games, plays a hard-edged game of bridge, and is married to a woman he doesn't like to talk about much, because she's smarter and much nicer than he is.

Barger's motto: "Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once."