One piece of feedback from The Negotiator Awards judges that crops up time and time again when reviewing entries – “need more evidence”.

Not because the businesses aren’t doing great things. Quite the opposite. Many submissions describe exceptional customer service, impressive growth or innovative ideas. But without something to back those claims up, judges have little choice but to mark down an otherwise strong entry.

The good news? Finding evidence is often much easier than entrants imagine.

With today’s CRMs, property management software, marketing platforms, review sites and business dashboards, most agencies and suppliers are already sitting on a wealth of valuable data. It’s simply a case of knowing where to look.

You don’t need to produce a glossy report or spend days pulling together complicated spreadsheets. Sometimes, a simple screenshot of a performance dashboard, a Google review trend, a CRM report or a customer testimonial is all it takes to turn a claim into a compelling piece of evidence.

Throughout this guide, we’ve highlighted the kinds of evidence judges consistently respond to, where you might find it within your business, and practical examples of how to strengthen your entry with proof rather than promise.

Estate & letting agencies

Your CRM is probably your strongest evidence

One of the biggest misconceptions about award entries is that evidence has to be created specially for the judges. In reality, most agencies already have everything they need sitting inside their CRM and reporting platforms.

If you’re talking about growth, show it. Rather than saying instructions increased significantly, include a year-on-year comparison. If you’re proud of reducing fall-throughs, demonstrate how your sales progression process reduced the rate from 32% to 18%, and explain that the figures were taken directly from your CRM reporting.

The same applies to customer service. Instead of simply referring to “excellent reviews”, show your average Google rating, the number of reviews collected over the year, or improvements in your Net Promoter Score.

Useful evidence can often be found in CRM dashboards, valuation and pipeline reports, Google Analytics, review platforms and digital marketing reports.”

Useful evidence can often be found in CRM dashboards, valuation and pipeline reports, Google Analytics, review platforms and digital marketing reports.

The strongest entries read less like marketing copy and more like a business case, using measurable outcomes to tell the story.

Property & block management

Show how your business works, not just what it does

For property management businesses, operational excellence is often the story.

Judges respond well to entries that explain how systems, people and processes come together to improve the experience for landlords, tenants and leaseholders.

One standout submission didn’t simply mention excellent communication; it demonstrated how a resident portal reduced repetitive enquiries, while another supported an outstanding Net Promoter Score with screenshots from its customer feedback platform.

Real operational examples, including how difficult situations such as major building incidents were managed, also helped bring entries to life.

Useful evidence often comes from property management software, maintenance systems, resident portals, customer surveys, compliance records and operational dashboards.

The detail doesn’t need to be complicated. It simply needs to demonstrate the impact your processes have on the people you serve.

Suppliers & proptech

Show the outcome, not just the technology

Property businesses buy products because they solve problems and that’s exactly what judges want to understand too.

Rather than describing features or functionality, explain what changed for your clients after adopting your product or service.”

Rather than describing features or functionality, explain what changed for your clients after adopting your product or service. Did onboarding become quicker? Did agencies save time? Did users increase productivity or generate more instructions?

The most compelling supplier entries support these claims with customer case studies, measurable improvement reporting and testimonials that explain the difference the product has actually made.

Useful evidence can often be sourced from client onboarding reports, product analytics, customer surveys, helpdesk metrics, usage dashboards, retention data and independent testimonials.

The more specific the outcome, the more credible the claim becomes.

Community & culture

Show the scale of your impact

Categories such as Community Champion and Employer of the Year naturally lend themselves to storytelling, but stories become much more powerful when they’re supported by evidence.

If you’ve raised money for charity, explain how much, over what period and through which initiatives. If you’ve invested in employee wellbeing, include participation rates, retention figures or staff feedback alongside the description of the programme.

One particularly strong entry last year demonstrated not only the amount raised for charity, but the breadth of community initiatives undertaken.”

One particularly strong entry last year demonstrated not only the amount raised for charity, but the breadth of community initiatives undertaken throughout the year, allowing judges to understand both the scale and the consistency of its contribution.

Useful evidence might include fundraising totals, volunteer hours, employee surveys, wellbeing data, retention figures, charity testimonials and community feedback.

The emotion is important, but the evidence gives it credibility.

Top tips

When judges ask for “more evidence”, they usually mean…

– Quantify your claims with figures or percentages.
– Include screenshots, reports or dashboards where appropriate.
– Use testimonials that explain measurable outcomes rather than general praise.
– Explain how improvements were achieved, not simply that they happened.
– Show the impact on customers, clients or the wider business.

Your evidence already exists

The hardest part of gathering evidence often isn’t finding it, but recognising what counts.

Every CRM report, review platform, marketing dashboard, customer survey and operational system contains information that helps tell the story of your business.

You don’t need to include everything, but you do need to select the evidence that best supports your claims.

The most successful award entries don’t overwhelm judges with data. They use the right evidence, in the right place, to demonstrate real impact.

Start your entry here.