Please don’t make this costly pageant mistake. If you are competing in a pageant where you have to submit paperwork for the judges to see, have two other people and finally your coach look it over a couple of weeks before your forms need to be turned into the director. All too often I find what a contestant meant to say and what comes across on the paper are conflicting. Once the pageant paperwork is turned in, it’s too late to change things.
My heart sinks when people send me their paperwork to review and when I see items that need to be changed, THEN they tell me “but I’ve already turned it in.” At this point, you’ve gone from playing offense, where you score points, to defense.
Misspelled words, punctuation errors and improper grammar are just the tip of the iceberg of the mistakes I see on contestants’ fact sheets. Formatting, word choice, and tone on your paperwork will make or break you in the interview room.
Your photo and paperwork create your first impression. Your second time to capture the judges’ attention is when they see you face-to-face. If the contestant they see in person is inconsistent with the woman on paper (or in her headshot), you’ve just created doubt in the judges’ minds. That’s not what you want. You want the judges to be looking for you, and eager to meet you.
The quality of the information on your judge’s sheet will determine the type and quality of the questions you are asked during your interview. Think of your contestant fact sheet as bait. You want to lure the judges in to ask the specific questions you need so you can catch their hearts and votes with your answers.
It takes hours and more than one draft to create a judge’s bio that will get the highest scores in the pageant. Haste makes waste. If you wait until the last minute to start on your paperwork, I guarantee you will not create the proper first impression you want or do your best.
Start a month before it is due. Work a little bit on your paperwork each day. Then when you have it to the point where you think it is perfect, have an English teacher proof read it. Once she is finished with it, have another professional adult look it over. Finally, have your pageant coach read it before you submit it to your director. By taking the time and going through many filters, not only will typos be caught, but your message will be clearer.
