So I was looks through some interviews on Beertools.com and came across this top 10 list of things about how to win a competition.  I agree with this list and thought it was good enough to repost.

Competition Corner: Jeff Swearengin
Here’s my top ten list:

1) You can’t win a competition, if you don’t enter.
2) Don’t be afraid of not winning. I guarantee that I’ve lost more competitions than I’ve ever won.
3) There’s no such thing as a bad homebrew! At least, I’ve never had one. Some are just better than others and certain brews have that little something extra (intangibles) to make a truly magnificent (world class) beer.
4) Magical recipes and expensive brewing systems don’t win competitions.
5) Brewers win competitions by using consistent, diligent, and sanitary (sometime methodical) methods to brew those recipes.
6) Don’t take short cuts with your brewing schedules or recipe ingredients Personal quotes: "Time is not wasted, if it’s spent on good beer." "Fresher is better, unless you’re a lambic brewer!"
7)Being a good "cellar master" is also a beneficial quality for competition success. Keep in mind, that beer, cider, and mead are perishable products with natural flavor curves. Entering a beer, cider, or mead at its peak is an art unto itself.
8) Having a little lady luck on your side isn’t necessarily a bad thing. "lucky" hydrometer hanging on my brew house wall. Call me superstitious.
9) Most of all remember that your entry stands just as good of chance of winning as the next.
10) Enter those beers, ciders, and meads with confidence. Who knows you might win something?