Winning a pageant does not happen on the night itself. It is a series of winning away from day zero. The key to answering the question, “How to win in a pageant?” lies within the tactics and strategies enumerated herewith. This article shall serve as a complete and effective guide on how to properly conduct one’s self throughout the fundamental processes that make a beauty pageant. From screening, orientation, pageant activities, pre-judging or pre-competition, question and answer portion, to the actual announcement of winners – learn the essentials here and get started on your path to the crown.
This article contains pageant tips on how to win in a pageant from screening, orientation, activities, practices, pre-judging or pre-pageant, production number and introduction, casual interview, awarding of minor awards, swimwear competition, gown competition, question and answer portion up to the announcement of winners.
How To Win the Pre-Pageant Days
Screening
As all pageants start from screenings and auditions, to have the notion that one has to prepare after passing the screening is a big misconception. While it is true that candidates who officially pass the screening have a month or two to prepare for the scheduled pageant, having the correct attitude and mindset towards the screening process can make all the difference.
The statements: 1) “I am going to prepare after passing the screening” and 2) “I am going to prepare before the screening” are on completely different plains. The first statement warrants a candidate two months’ worth of preparation. In comparison, the latter allows for possibly four months’ worth of preparation, doubling the time frame to prepare for pageant night.
Understanding the difference between the two determines how prepared one candidate can be over the others. As is the logic, the more prepared you are, the more confident and better performance you can give. Achieving victory in any pageant boils down to preparation. Before you can be a winner, you have to be willing and be very much able to prepare like one. As they say, God will not give you the crown, if you are not prepared for the crown.
Points to remember:
1. Do not wear body make-up. The committee might interpret and conclude your wearing of body make-up as a sign that you are trying to conceal something.
2. Since a pageant screening is a closed-door close-up interview, fake eyelashes and heavy make-up will not do well for you.
3. Know yourself. Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses, list down all the things you want, and prepare an explanation for each.
4. Secure a copy of the form (bio-data) as soon as it is available for you to have as much time as possible to study and anticipate the possible follow-up questions that may arise from the things you plan to write on the form. Make certain that you very well know what is written on the form all the time.
5. Give the judges clear and concrete reasons as to why you should qualify and leave them with a feeling that they should let you in. Do not forget to thank them after the interview.
Orientation
It always pays to listen during orientations and briefings. As a contestant in any given competition, you should have a clearcut idea of the criteria from whence you are going to be judged from. For example, if personality is going to be measured by your attendance in rehearsals, then you know that coming to every practice is important. You may also want to consider going to the venue ahead of time to make a good impression.
Points to remember:
1. Knowing the criteria for judging is knowing how to win the beauty pageant.
2. Knowing your sponsors will give you a huge advantage over the other candidates.
3. Give a copy of the schedule of activities to your artist and your family.
4. Know the people who you will be working with, like the production staff, sponsors, and director. Be careful not to get on their bad side as they may have the power to drag you down.
5. As a general rule in any beauty pageant contest, be generously kind. When all the girls are beautiful, she who is the kindest is seen to be buoyant.
Activities
At times, the schedule of activities may be discussed during the candidates’ orientation. You have to take note and scrutinize the schedule of activities. If there are to be a lot of outdoor activities, then you might seriously want to consider buying a sunblock lotion with a higher SPF (Sun Protection Factor) to protect you from the harmful rays of the sun. You may also want to consider taking Vitamin E as your body will be needing this to regenerate lost tissues from the tedious activities and to help you stay blooming and most beautiful among the candidates.
During pre-pageant activities, it is of utmost importance that the committee see the effort coming from you voluntarily. Have you ever known a pageant to let an undecided candidate win? Say, a candidate who was forced by her friends to join or someone who was chosen for lack of a better person/candidate to represent their place. No committee would ever let a candidate like that win the pageant without changing her ways and demeanor for the competition she has joined. Attitude towards the pageant always matters.
Be enthusiastic and cooperative in any activity that the committee has scheduled. Keep in mind that you have applied to be a candidate in their pageant. You are privileged in comparison to those who applied but were not chosen.
At some point, pageant activities can get tiring and be a bit stressful. Be careful not to flare up at anyone – especially the pageant staff – at all times. Always keep your cool, stay poised, and exude an aura of optimism and confidence but do not lose touch with humility.
Points to remember:
1. Be sociable, but always be on guard.
2. You may meet people who you might not know very well and ask for your contact number. Always be cautious.
3. You must be prepared to handle beauty pageant problems like indecent proposals graciously.
4. Read books on how to present and introduce yourself in different situations. A personality development trainer will be helpful, or your ramp and question and answer trainer should know how to teach you the basics.
5. While your mobile phone is important as it serves as your communication line, be mindful of when and where you bring it out for use. In some instances, it can be unethical to take your mobile phone out during a pageant activity such as visiting other places, especially when you are expected to socialize and participate without being distracted.
Practices
While countless hours for rehearsal can be very tiring with the added stress from the pressure of the actual pageant night’s approach, being a candidate is rewarding as it is enjoyable.
In this part of the competition, the choreographer takes front and center. All attention is expected to be given to him as it should be. It is strongly advised that you – as a candidate – should listen to the choreographer’s instructions and execute his dance steps properly. Being inattentive and distracted will not help you. If you do not perfect the dance steps, blockings, and routines prescribed by the choreographer, then how do you expect to perform well?
Looking at the other candidates to mimic their moves or to get a clue as to what the next step will be would be very obvious to the judges. As esteemed members of the panel, the judges are given the privilege to be seated at the best seats of the house – even better than that of the president of the organization financing the pageant. Every nuance in your facial expression and any wrong move on your part will be hard to miss. Be very careful so as not to commit mistakes and always to show confidence in your every move.
Keep in mind that you have to be able to perform well, to dance the number perfectly, even when you are to do it alone. This mindset is a great motivation to get you to strive harder. Aim to perform well – to dance well – to stand out from out of twenty, thirty, or even more candidates. How were the past winners able to achieve that? It is a notable opportunity to be able to ask the past pageant victors yourself if and when you get the chance. What I can tell you, though, is to listen to the choreographer. Do the number right and dance gracefully for the judges to notice you above anyone else. Dance like the winner you are – be the rhythm and grace the judges long to see and crown as the most deserving of them all.
Points to remember:
1. Look and listen attentively. Have your body become familiar with the steps. Remember that executing and practicing the dance steps well is far better and will look more natural than just performing the steps by memory.
2. Commit to knowing the whole stage platform well, but be prepared to make the necessary adjustments. At times, during the actual pageant night, there might be unexpected adjustments and corrections as influenced or necessitated by stage layouts and props. If this situation arises, you will find yourself having to perform in an unfamiliar set-up. Adapt accordingly. Additionally, study about pageant walks so that you will know how to gracefully recover if you stumble or commit a mistake.
3. Find a chance to practice the steps while on the rehearsal area with other candidates who dance well.
4. Do not be afraid to ask the choreographer’s or his or her assistant’s help if you do not get the movements.
5. Find your beauty angles by practicing the dance at home in front of a mirror. Make-up poses that show your best angles.
Pre-judging vs. Pre-pageant
“Pre-judging” is often mistaken or associated with the word “Pre-pageant.” Pre-judging is an offset of the casual interview portion. It is usually set days or hours before the pageant night, depending on the pageant committee’s decision. It is held for the judges or the committee to see and rate the candidates – either in a panel interview or a face-to-face interview in a closed-door set-up – to select the semi-finalists to be announced during pageant night. Prejudging also helps the pageant director to make the pageant night shorter.
On the other hand, “Pre-pageant” pertains to the Talent Night Competition, where the candidates are to introduce themselves in their casual wear and then proceed backstage to prepare and change for their talent presentations. At times, the pageant committee does away with talent competition during the pre-pageant. Some omit talent presentation as they deem it a waste of time and just a minor award without bearing to the selection of the semi-final candidates or the top winners.
The Pre-Pageant is sometimes held to select and award the different winners for the sponsor awards. It is done to save time for the pageant night since pageant night’s ideal duration is from 2 to 3 hours only. Any longer would make the show boring and tedious.
Points to remember:
1. A good night’s sleep before the pre-judging day can be advantageous as most pre-judging events do not allow for the candidates to wear make-up. The right or extra hours of sleep help ensure that you look fresh and beautiful.
2. A good pedicure and manicure will save you. Some judges are particular, especially with your nails. Remember, as with interviews, unkempt nails are naked nails and are disrespectful.
3. Candidates who make it up to the semi-finals are the ones who were able to express and articulate themselves well.
4. A down-to-earth personality always finds a slot in the semi-final round.
5. A show of interest and determination to win will convince the committee or the judges to let you in on the semi-finals.
How to Win the Pageant Night
Production Number and Introduction
If I were asked what the most critical part of the competition is aside from the question and answer portion, my answer would be the foremost portion of the pageant night which also happens to be the very first moment of that night when the candidates show up on-stage – the production number and self-introduction.
The production number and candidates’ introduction is set up to set fire to everyone’s fueled anticipation. By everyone, I mean from the casual audience to the honored guests. But most importantly and most critical to your victory, it pulls the attention of the highly-esteemed panel of judges to you – and the impression you give them just might be the ticket you need to emerge victorious.
Once the production is over, the judges may have already picked their bets and could have a bit of a bias as the night goes on. Remember to ‘razzle-dazzle’ your way into giving a very good first impression because first impressions do last in pageants. What more can I say?
Points to remember:
1. Dance gracefully and well.
2. Master your tone, accent, and rhythm for your self-introduction.
3. Never look at the other candidates while performing. Connect with the judges and flash that perfect smile.
4. Do look at your audience, but keep your eyes toward the judges.
5. Practice the production segment at home and master your beauty angles.
Casual Interview
Nowadays, most pageants do not include the casual interview segment and casual wear competition. However, it remains true that some pageants still include the casual interview segment.
The purpose of this segment is for the judges to select the top 8 or top 5 candidates out of the 20 or 15. This serves as the qualifying round, which ensures that the judges will be choosing from only the very best possible options for the top 5 or top 3 winners. If this segment is in your pageant, then it is the most important part to prepare for before the question and answer portion. What to do? Simple, master the bio-data you passed during the screening process as this would be their primary basis for questioning. Note that failing to give a confident and impressive answer in the casual interview segment may mean not moving onward to the final interview and not expecting to be in the list of top 8 or 5 candidates to move on to the selection of winners.
Points to remember:
1. Always keep a copy of the bio-data you are going to submit during screening and make this your preparation material for the casual interview.
2. Think of possible questions the panel may ask you based on the things you have written on your bio-data. Prepare plausible explanations and associations on questions that would pertain to your favorite color, hobby etc.
3. Be sure to allow enough time to rehearse and practice on your own to avoid sounding rehearsed. Natural delivery of answers gives you a fair advantage over the other candidates.
4. Grab the microphone if you confidently know the answer to the question. If not, leave the microphone to the emcee or host so that he would have the chance to rephrase the question for you, and you’d have ample time to compose yourself. The same applies to the final question and answer portion.
5. Never address the emcee, “Sir.” Do not stutter and stammer. These two do not have a place in pageants.
Swimwear Competition
The swimsuit competition segment is the part where “figure” and “complexion” are judged. It is also your chance to show that perfect catwalk you have practiced for months. This part is crucial, especially if you feel that you have not performed well during the production number. For most candidates, this segment serves as a contributing factor in their total success in qualifying for the semi-final round.
It may be true, but one cannot afford to be complacent when there are plenty of girls who may deserve a higher score than you. Though your performance here may contribute to your total standing, how well you deliver during the self-introduction and production number will give you a better standing. Being what I call a “judges’ bet” is a sure advantage than any other.
Points to remember:
Don’t be nervous. Once you do, your walk and ramp speed will be affected, and you may lose the chance to be noticed by the judges. It would be a shame not to optimize your chance to get noticed within the allotted time for swimsuit exposure.
1. Apply the one-second composure in every routine. Pose and pivot so as not to get out of balance.
2. If you intend to put body make-up, make sure that it’s just light. If you put too heavy or too much on, the judges will be sure to notice. I suggest the use of lotion to make your skin shiny and radiant.
3. Do not go to the salon for body bleaching. It will not work. It takes at least five days or more to take effect fully.
4. Always opt for a flowing hairstyle during the swimwear competition. Up-dos are more for the gown segment and is not fit for the swimsuit competition.
Awarding of Minor Awards
One of the most anticipated parts of any pageant is the awarding of minor and corporate awards. It usually gives an idea as to who has been most favored by the sponsors to be on the top 5. Although it is reminded time and again that the minor awards have no bearing whatsoever to the actual scoring of the final candidates, it can be somewhat intimidating and alarming to not win a single award.
Candidates who are given minor awards get the advantage of recognition, and the result could have a bit of an impact on the judges.
Points to remember:
1. When you are called to receive an award, do not forget to clap for yourself, to put your right hand over your left chest and to bow slightly in gratitude.
2. Do not hesitate to offer a handshake. It does not matter who initiates it. Do not forget to say a line of gratitude like “I really appreciate this.”
3. Do not hesitate to guide the awarding figure (i.e., sponsor or judge) to pin your sash. Some are not knowledgeable on where to put it. You can help ease their dilemma.
4. If you receive a number of awards, do not hesitate to turn it over to the pageant staff. However, be cautious that it is better to leave checks and certificates in your hand.
5. Make sure to fix your sash/es. It is one way of giving respect and high regard to what you have received.
Gown Competition
Candidates often have the misconception that the swimwear and the gown competition have equal bearing. Figure and complexion which are judged during the swimsuit competition have heavier implications or are given bigger points – which add up to the total score to qualify for the semi-finals – than poise, elegance, and personality, which are judged during the gown competition.
However, despite these differences, the gown competition should never be underestimated. It is usually the time when the judges are ready to forget about their biases and become more objective and fair to finally decide who are fit to be the top finalists.
Gown ramp is not just about pose and poise but the ease and comfort for which you can walk and carry your gown. Simple head movements and elegant routines are suggested to ramp trainers.
Points to remember:
1. Never hold your gown unless something there is meant to be held by your hand.
2. Do not presume that judges do not notice you when you take a cautionary look to see where you are walking on. Maintain your jaw and your whole face tuned in front.
3. Gown walk is not always slow. Walk like you are not wearing a gown.
4. When practicing ramp with your trainer, make sure that there is a balance in learning. Swimsuit walk has always been given priority, for it is harder to perfect because of the catwalk. However, you should also give extra time and care in practicing your gown walk. A candidate should always be able to walk with ease, comfort, and elegance. The sound created by the contact of your heels to the floor should be minimized if not totally avoided.
5. When doing the gown walk, pretend that you are already wearing the crown. According to most trainers, this is very effective.
Question and Answer Portion
The question and answer portion is the most crucial factor in determining candidate ranking and who gets to be on the top 5. This portion is the most dreaded segment in the whole competition. However, it can only be experienced by candidates who get to be selected as the top 8 or top 5. There are ways to impress the judges, and one of them is knowing what makes an answer win the crown. There are also ways to deliver such answers, and knowing them can be your advantage.
These are the basic skills a candidate should master to win favor during the question and answer portion and ultimately, to win the crown:
Points to remember:
1. Answer from the heart. You cannot give a better answer than what comes from your heart.
2. Stay focused and listen attentively to the question.
3. Do not grab the microphone from the host if you do not have a good idea about the question being asked, or else the host would not have the chance to rephrase it, giving you more time to think and compose your answer.
4. Speak using the language you are comfortable with, especially in moments when you are very nervous.
5. Wait for the host to say “Thank you” or any cue before leaving. Do not give the impression that you are too eager to leave the stage.
Announcement of Winners
This part makes known if and when you have won the competition, are still in the competition or already out of it. Though the top 5 candidates are automatically the winners in some pageants, their scores still need to be arranged according to the tally sheets, which ensures correct and accurate ranking.
Points to remember:
1. No matter what, do not leave the stage even if you do not make it to the semi-final round or the top 5. Give due respect to the judges’ decision, to your pageant sponsors, organizers, audience, and to your fellow candidates, especially those who won. Always practice sportsmanship.
2. Remember the saying, “Different judges; different girls.” Do not be bitter. It just happens.
3. Hold hands with the other top finalists. It is a sign of professionalism in pageantry.
4. If you won the crown, do not leave the stage right away, be accommodating to those who would like to take pictures of and with you. Do not forget to thank the judges, the organizers, and the people who watched.
5. Of all the people, your make-up artist/s or your trainer deserves the highest recognition and your gratitude. Share the light. Share the prize.
How to Win in a Pageant Before Day Zero
Things to Consider Before Joining a Pageant
1. Do the class reporting at school whenever there is a chance if you are still a student. It is a good avenue for you to develop your speaking skills.
2. Join the student council in your school. It gives you a chance to build your network and meet people who you can learn from.
3. Take perfect care of your health and beauty. You will never win without these.
4. Join a dance or performing arts group. It will train you to be graceful with your every movement, help you know more about your body and straighten your posture and poise.
5. Attend as many social gatherings as you can. It will test how comfortable you are in carrying yourself within the crowd, and it also serves as practice if you can remain buoyant in the crowd.
Things a Beauty Queen Must Have
Though some may think that beauty pageants are easy and nothing but a whim, it is, in fact, a very serious engagement. Candidates need to realize and prepare things beforehand before actually pushing forward to keep with the set standards. You have to be in the know so as not to be left out.
Here are five absolute must-haves to be a beauty queen:
1) Do you have the beauty?
Physically, you need to be more beautiful or prettier than the other girls though beauty is in the eye of the beholder; you know how you stand in the presence of the other candidates. You can see, feel, or hear this from what other people say. It does not matter if you have a fair-skin or dark-skin. Beauty, after all, comes in different shapes, sizes, and colors.
Once accepted in the competition, immediately size up your competition and see if you can be at par with what they are bringing to the pageant. The key here is to be honest to yourself so that you know what you still need to work out and improve.
2) Do you have the confidence and intelligence that both stem from knowing yourself very well?
Know yourself.
Knowing the answer to different issues – be it about the community, the country, abroad, and especially yourself – is essential to winning. You have to be very opinionated to show that you care about different aspects of life and yourself and be able to deliver it with utmost confidence.
Confidence and intelligence go hand in hand, and if you have them, you can rest assured that you are almost ready to win and bring home the crown – not to mention that both add to your physical beauty and edge over the rest of the candidates.
3) Can you gracefully follow a dance step under time constraints?
Any pageant is known to demand grace and poise under pressure.
Can you manage to flash a genuine smile during and until the end of a rigorous dance or an intricate production number? You must look calm, composed, and fresh after a number. If you aren’t able to hide how tired a certain number has made you, then it means you are not in good shape. You have to have good stamina to be able to endure and execute the numerous routines, pivots, and turns. Jogging as an exercise, among others, can help you strengthen your endurance so that you won’t easily tire and look haggard.
Candidates who dance well must be able also to walk well.
4) Do you have any talent ready to be presented?
Rush practice lowers your chances of making a good impression. A pageant almost always assumes that all of their candidates have an extraordinary or presentable talent, whether it is in singing, dancing, acting, playing musical instruments, or even impersonation. If you don’t have anything hidden away in a closet somewhere worthy of being presented to the committee, then prepare your talent to be presented ahead of time.
5) Do you have enough money to make it through?
Joining beauty pageants is expensive. It can cripple you financially, especially for small pageants that do not draw sponsors’ attention.
My advice? You do not have to go through and win in small pageants in order to win the crown in the big leagues.
As what I have observed, there are three types of candidates, who always find themselves in the semi-finals:
1. The candidate who can best express herself compared to the rest of the contestants;
3. The candidate who is most determined to make it to the top. The committee easily recognizes this type and tend to watch her more closely; and
3. The candidate who appears to be the most kind and down-to-earth among the rest. Remember, when all the girls are beautiful, the most kind will seem to be the most buoyant among the candidates.
My advice, be all of them. If not, be one of the three.
Five Questions to Answer Before Joining a Beauty Pageant
Before joining a beauty contest, you must be able to answer the following beauty pageant questions honestly:
1. Why are you joining this contest?
If you cannot answer this question readily, then I suggest you think hard and deep. Why are you joining the pageant? You may have many reasons, but are they enough to strengthen your determination?
2. What is your edge over other applicants?
Knowing the roles and responsibilities of a crowned queen can be an advantage or your edge over other candidates. Be sure to know exactly what type of pageant you are joining and what purpose you have in joining it. Figuring out how your course or profession could be an advantage over the others’ could also be a valuable plus.
3. What would be your role if you win the title?
It is very undesirable to watch a candidate who does not know squat about what her roles and advocacies would be in case she wins the crown. A candidate who does not find time to research on the pageant she joined and the pageant’s advocacies is only after the prizes, popularity and exposure.
4. How can you promote us?
Pageants were made to search for somebody who can best serve as representative or promoter of a certain sponsor or state. Not knowing the background and the people who are behind the pageant will not leave a good impression, especially during screening. The people who may sit as evaluators and screening personnel may be one of the top men/women who officially represent the organization or could be one of the sponsors. It is a bit disrespectful not to recognize them.
5) Can you tell us something about yourself; your character, ambition, hobbies, interests, and your family?
This question should be the easiest, and I see no reason why you would not be able to answer this effectively as this is about yourself. However, in the case that you do find it difficult to answer, I advise that you think long and hard if you want to join the pageant and win.
Knowing the Criteria is Knowing How to Win a Pageant
Knowing the pageant system, sequence, or program is important to help you win a pageant. These are based on what we call the beauty pageant criterion. This criterion guides the judges in determining their winners.
Semi-finalists are usually chosen in two different ways: a) through the pre-pageant or preliminaries usually consisting of swimsuit, gown, and closed-door, no-make-up interview a couple of days before the competition, and b) through swimsuit, gown, and casual interview on the pageant night.
Factors to consider to win the semi-final round:
1. Maturity or content of your pageant answer.
2. Holistic beauty as in facial beauty, complexion, figure and voice.
3. Fluency in speaking, including manner and confidence in delivery.
4. Ramp skills and stage presence that make you stand out among pageant candidates.
Factors to consider to win the final round:
1 Holistic beauty as in facial beauty, complexion, figure and voice.
2 Maturity or content of your pageant answer during the final interview.
3 Fluency, confidence, and delivery of your answer.
4 Poise and bearing during the gown competition.
Any additional criteria or factor to consider for one candidate to win will be at the discretion of the pageant you will join.
Make a mental note to politely ask for a copy of the criteria and the pageant sequence they are to follow. Include these in your preparation checklist and material.
Criteria on hand will give you an idea which aspect draws the real competition. It gives you an insight into whether the pageant is giving more points to ramp skills and confidence rather than intelligence or vice versa. It could also help you find out if the competition is particular with skin color or height.
These factors may or may not be written on the criteria, but they can surely affect the scoring. The judges are looking for someone who is the embodiment of a complete package, able to accomplish her roles and responsibilities as a titleholder.
Essential Suggestions to Win a Beauty Pageant:
1 Hire a pageant coach for consultation a year before.
They say pageant coaches are expensive, but would you still think that if they offered you services worthy of every penny you spend?
Much as you would like to delude yourself that you will need different people for different aspects of the competition (i.e., someone to do your hair and make-up, someone who will polish your ramp skills, or one to teach you the talent number you are to present), all you need is an expert who can do or supervise all these for you and more.
Choose a legitimate beauty queen maker and stay clear of spoilers who promise to provide and take care of everything but are just after your money. It is better to pay and practice with someone who is an expert on this field for you to get a chance to bring home the crown. A pageant coach will not be called such if he is just good at getting into your pocket.
2. Watch the pageant live a year before you will join.
Being part of the audience will give you a good insight and feel of how to be in an actual pageant.
3. Practice before the screening, not after.
To avoid cramming and getting rushed, it is better to start practicing early. The earlier you do, the more advantageous it becomes for you. Practice after the screening would not do you much for the pageant you may be joining will have a strict and hectic schedule to follow. Thus, practicing late will not give you enough time to improve yourself.
Remember that practicing early gives you an ample amount of time to brush up on your pageant interview questions – which requires time and focus – and the aspects you think you still need to improve on (i.e., figure, walk, talent etc.).
By now, I think you already have a little idea of how to win in a pageant – the things you have to remember before, during, and up to the very last part – the awarding of the crown. Being in a pageant is knowing how to think, project, and efficiently move your body to the cause. If this cannot be done, then being able to look perfect in spite of mistakes and awkward moments is essential.
