Recruiting Advisory Board Members

Selecting the slate of candidates for your advisory board is an exacting task and critical milestone as you form your Customer Advisory Board.

How to Create a Customer Advisory Board Member Profile

Identifying criteria that delivers a balanced group of peers – in role, function and level –offers the desired depth of dialogue, insight and value your company needs.

Clients report a 95% acceptance rate of Customer Advisory Board members using Ignite Advisory Group’s proven board member recruiting methodology and collection of Customer Advisory Council best practices.

4 Critical Steps in Customer Advisory Board Recruitment

Candidate Identification

• Using Ignite Advisory Group’s member selection template, our clients are able to prioritize key characteristics, relevant experience, position, influence, reach and other variables.
• Most clients want to vary their boards rather than limit to a typical 80/20 dynamic that would select the most influential client representatives to your customer advisory board.
• Ignite Advisory Group guidance offers approaches to streamline the nomination process ensuring it is inclusive and comprehensive.

Member Invitation

• Branded collateral materials are created to reflect your company’s look and the vision for your customer advisory board.
• A highly persuasive letter emphasizes reciprocal value of this invitation-only membership.
• Your current Customer Advisory Board charter and roster are perhaps the two most important merchandising materials to share with prospective Customer Advisory Board members.

Member Recruiting Campaign 

• The campaign strategy is based on proven workflows that delineate internal responsibilities and milestones as you work the candidate slate.
• Multiple invitation waves may be useful to land “anchor clients” before progressing to the next tier of your slate
• Ignite Advisory Group guidance ensures a board member quorum is reached well in advance of your charter Customer Advisory Board meeting.

Member Recruiting Outreach

• Ignite Advisory Group closely collaborates with your company’s leadership team, as well as account and sales teams.
• Personal invitations by select team members are vital – accompanying talking points ensure consist messaging by executives extending the invitation.
• Ignite Advisory Group’s guidance also underscores a prompt welcome and onboarding process immediately after client acceptance.

Board Engagement Boosts Retention

While most boards set a term limit from 12 to 24 months, highly engaged board members are attractive to all companies. Our guidance will give shape to your programs that will increase involvement by members and foster your existing relationship with key stakeholders.

Recruiting Never Ends

The candidates for your customer advisory board are sought-after individuals. Our guidance is that, unfortunately, once your membership is assembled, you must be prepared for subsequent promotions or departures by your board members. The candidate pool of potential Customer Advisory Board members must be continually refreshed to flex with your members’ mobility.

To learn more about maximizing your Advisory Board membership–whether you want to refresh or ramp a new board–contact Ignite Advisory Group today.