How to Optimize a Customer Advisory Board
Improve and Optimize Your Existing Customer Advisory Board Program
Maybe you already have an established customer advisory board (CAB) or partner advisory board program that you would like take to the next level. Or perhaps you have a client advisory board program that is not performing as well as you (or your management or members) would like, and you desire to improve and optimize it. Either way, Ignite can help.
Our proven four-stage program, including 48 deliverables and measured by 20 metrics to deliver clear ROI, can be used to re-establish your customer advisory board program for maximum success. In addition, we offer a customer advisory board program benchmark and assessment for examining the health of your current client advisory council program, and making recommended changes.
Our 5-phase Customer Advisory Board assessment process:
- Phase 1: Kick-Off Meeting The project begins with a kick-off meeting to align on the current customer advisory board program, its objectives and program management processes in place.
- Phase 2: CAB Member Interviews Interview current advisory board members (up to 10) to gather their perspectives of the current program experience and what they hope to achieve from interacting with board members and host company executives.
- Phase 3: Internal Interviews Conduct internal stakeholders interviews (up to 10) to gather their impressions of the current program, and desires for what it can and should achieve.
- Phase 4: Benchmark Analysis Create and deliver a benchmark analysis that compares your client advisory board program across key industry standards, and includes specific recommendations for program improvement.
- Phase 5: Report Readout A final report readout to present benchmarking findings, review program recommendations and determine a long-term program strategy. Ignite can present a final set of recommendations to program sponsor for approval and agreement on next steps.
Customer Advisory Board Observation
In addition to or as part of the CAB program benchmark and assessment, Ignite can attend your in-person customer advisory board meeting, observe and develop recommendations for improvement. Such recommendations can cover:
- Material Design
- Agenda Structure
- Board Composition
- Use of Technology (portals/apps/tablets)
- Meeting Room Layout and Design
- Pre-meeting preparation
- Ratio of Members/Employees
- Dry Run/ Internal Briefing
- Critical time to build social connections and ensure members are prepared to get the most out of the following day’s interactions
- Room Setup
- Meeting Objectives and Setup
- Member Engagement
- Facilitation Techniques
- Session Design (breakout structure)
- Insight Capture
- Active Listening and the 80:20 Rule
- Feedback Gathering and Next Steps Alignment
- Insight Analysis Process
- Post Meeting Debriefing and Communication Internally
- Feedback to Members and Next Steps of Engagement
Find out how Ignite can help you improve and optimize your customer advisory board program.
What Our Customers Are Saying
“Ignite Advisory Group did an excellent job of assessing our Partner Marketing Council program, and providing outstanding recommendations for us to improve and streamline our initiative to deliver much more value going forward.”
Elizabeth O’Neill
Global Partner Marketing Programs Manager
Cisco
“Ignite Advisory Group demonstrated to my executive team the need for clear and measurable objectives for Customer Advisory Boards, and provided numerous scorecards and metrics that will help us optimize our existing Advisory Board initiatives.”
Alison Kramer
Former Senior Director, Marketing Strategy/Customer Insights
Equifax
“I couldn’t be happier with the investment we made in our Customer Advisory Board and Ignite AG!”
Matt Moynahan
President
Arbor Networks
Serving the world’s top telecommunication carriers
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