Customer advisory boards, councils, and forms (CABs) are becoming popular tools for strengthening a company’s relationships with their best customers. But is your company organizationally, operationally, and culturally ready to invest in a CAB?
With the today’s tough economy, many companies are unsure as to whether they should hold a CAB meeting or not. While they have penciled in their CAB date, these companies are hesitant to take any real steps to plan their meeting until their customers have confirmed their attendance. Yet because the attendance list is in limbo, it’s been hard to get internal mindshare to plan the agenda and strategize on the meeting objectives and desired outcome. So, what’s a CAB manager to do?
First: don’t delay. Consider that whether you actually conduct a face-to-face CAB meeting. It will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you truly believe that customers will come, you will be driven to produce a meaningful agenda and you will energetically promote the event. Your positive drive and enthusiasm for a rich customer event will be evident. You will be successful in acquiring the customer attendees you desire. However, if you are unsure and hesitate in your outreach efforts, customers will sense a lack of purpose or energy on your company’s part. There’s nothing easier to turn down than a half-hearted CAB invitation.
Here are a few tips to help you get motivated.
1) CABs are a sign that you care about customers. By investing in your customers (even during a economic downturn), you will be noticed. In fact, use the CAB as a differentiator. While your competitors scale back and limit customer interaction, run a CAB to set yourself apart. By holding a CAB, you are saying “we value your business and we’re here for the long haul.” When the economy grows stronger, customers will remember how you treated them when times were tough.
2) The content, not the hotel, will determine your success. Everyone understands that glory days at the Ritz may not be appropriate this year; however, it’s the content that customers value most. If you deliver rich, relevant content via an engaging agenda, you will have a successful CAB. (The converse is also true: customers will not return even to the Ritz if the agenda is poorly structured and irrelevant.)
3) Plan now! Even if you are uncertain. A productive, world-class CAB takes time to prepare. It typically takes between 8 and 12 weeks to adequately prepare for a CAB meeting. Give yourself plenty of time time to align the executive team, interview your customers, and design the best agenda that meets your CAB objectives.
Now is the time to be bold and to invest in your customers. This is the best way to truly differentiate yourself from your competitors.
For more on CABs, read the article: Do you know the “voice” of your customer?