Customer Advisory Boards

Customer Advisory Boards are a great source of information about your market and your business. Their advice is more valuable than any management consultant’s. They provide real world counsel on what you are doing right, what you are doing wrong, and most important -how to stay competitive. After all, they’re the customer. They’re the one’s who buy your stuff. Here’s how to use your Customer Advisory Board for best results.

1. Make it win-win.
As much as they might like to, your customers are probably too busy to be on your board as a favor. Let them know, if they haven’t figured it out already, that participating on your board influences your organization to provide better product and service to theirs.

2. Choose the right members for the right reasons.
Select your board members for qualities and values they bring. Benefit from their insight, perceptions, motivations, and ability to communicate – perhaps even their contrarian view. Avoid figureheads picked for their visibility or high positions – they are likely to skip meetings, and when they show they’ll have little to contribute.

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