Customer Advisory Boards are a long term engagement and initiative for B2B companies. Having a short term perspective with Customer Advisory Boards will damage the quality and impact of the Customer Advisory Board.
A well run Customer Advisory Board or Customer Advisory Council evolves over time:
- Year 1 is about mutual understanding. You are listening to your customers and understanding their business – their customers, their industry and what challenges they are facing.
- Year 2 is about getting business insights. If you successfully build trust and credibility in year 1, you have a strong foundation and can leverage the board to gain business insights.
- Year 3 and beyond is about integrating the Advisory Board with your strategic planning process.
Over time, your Customer Advisory Board can become a valuable part of your strategic planning process and become a team of advisors helping you shape strategy.
Watch part 2 of 10 of the video series on Why Customer Advisory Boards Fail: Short Term Thinking. Check out the part 1 of 10 video on Why Customer Advisory Boards Fail: It’s Too Much Work.