Could this be the year you gain recognition at the 2018 Audiologist of the Year awards?

Now in its eleventh year, the competition invites patients from across Europe to nominate their hearing practitioner by describing the difference they have made to their lives. These heartfelt stories highlight the hard work of audiologists and explain why they deserve to be rewarded on an international stage.

Following a robust, independent judging process, the winning audiologist will join an exclusive circle of hearing care professionals who have won the coveted title over the past decade, including 10 European winners, 65 country winners and 264 commended audiologists from across Europe.

Paula Brinson-Pyke, Director of Marketing at Rayovac, which organises the competition in partnership with Audio Infos, a leading international hearing publication for the audiology industry, the European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (EHIMA) and the European Federation of Hard of Hearing People (EFHOH), has some advice for audiologists thinking about getting involved.

Paula said: “We surveyed previous winning or commended audiologists to gain insight into their thoughts on the competition and they told us the many benefits to their businesses, including more networking opportunities, new customers, recognition by international hearing associations, local and national media interest and validation by your peers. It’s clear that the prestige and recognition the competition can bring is something that audiologists find of great value.

“We recognise that it can feel a little uncomfortable for audiologists asking patients directly to nominate them, but that doesn’t have to be the case. New for this year, we have created an updated pack for audiologists and digital support including posters, display boards, banners and social media posts, to promote the competition in their practices and through their networks.

“The entry packs include everything that patients need to know, so audiologists don’t have to feel that they’re asking people to nominate them. There are plenty of promotional materials too, that audiologists can introduce to their waiting rooms and offices to encourage entries, including table talkers, business cards, posters and entry forms. It’s really easy to add a link to the competition from a practice website, add the details to a regular newsletter, or it can be something the customer care team is tasked to mention when booking appointments.

“As well as the kudos of winning or being commended, there are many benefits for both audiologists and patients of getting involved. Each country winner receives a trophy, framed certificate, a £250 cash prize, annual subscription to Audio Infos and a PR package to publicise the award, while the overall European winner receives £2,500 and an all-expenses paid trip to the annual EUHA event where the award will be presented at a special Evening of Excellence, in front of their industry peers. The winning nominee will also receive a special prize package, including £250 and a gift bundle to the value of £200.”

After the country winners are announced in September, the winners will then go head-to-head before one overall European winner is revealed at the annual Evening of Excellence taking place at the EUHA event in October.

Previous European winner of the Audiologist of the Year Competition, Jaspreet Bahra from Harley Street Hearing in London, said: “Winning has also had positives for the practice, in that it serves as a great endorsement of the work we do. When patients come into the practice and see the certificate it gives them more confidence that they are going to get a good service from us and many have congratulated me, which has been very nice to be on the receiving end of!

“At our practice we left plenty of literature in our waiting room, so patients could read it through while waiting for their appointment and take it home if they wanted to. We didn’t try and push people into entering as this can be off-putting, but we made sure we knew all about the competition and the prizes on offer so if patients had any questions about it we could answer them straightaway.

“Many patients often have lost a lot of confidence because of their hearing difficulties when they come to see you. It is a great feeling when you can see the difference you have made. To me, this is the most important thing; being able to make a real difference to the lives of my patients.”

The competition will close on 6th July, 2018. For more information or to download the Audiologist of the Year materials, visit: www.audiogistoftheyear.co.uk

Like the Audiologist of the Year on Facebook at @AudiologistoftheYear or follow us on Twitter at @AOTY_EU.

Audiologist of the Year is run by Rayovac in conjunction with Audio Infos, EFHOH and EHIMA.