Unlocking the Power of Customer Feedback: Creating a Successful Customer Advisory Board
What is a Customer Advisory Board?
A customer advisory board (CAB) is a small group of customers who are familiar with your product and genuinely interested in improving its functionality and user experience. They provide high-quality feedback, helping you refine your product strategy and stay ahead of competitors.
Benefits of a Customer Advisory Board
- Validate assumptions: Get real customer feedback to inform product decisions
- Let customers lead the way: Tap into their knowledge of your product and market trends
- Increase revenue: Show customers you value their input, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty
Who Should Join Your Customer Advisory Board?
Identify a cross-section of your most active users who align with your ideal customer profile. Look for decision-makers who are passionate about your product and willing to provide constructive feedback.
How to Run a Successful Customer Advisory Board
- Establish clear goals: Define what you want to achieve with your CAB
- Determine eligibility: Set criteria for selecting members
- Recruit customers: Invite customers to join your CAB
- Schedule feedback sessions: Regularly meet with your CAB to gather feedback
- Incorporate feedback: Act on customer input and communicate changes back to the CAB
Best Practices for a Customer Advisory Board
- Listen actively: Hear customers out and ask follow-up questions
- Be transparent: Clearly communicate the purpose and goals of your CAB
- Show appreciation: Reward customers for their time and input
- Keep it conversational: Approach interactions as conversations, not business transactions
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Don’t sell: Keep the focus on gathering feedback, not selling new products
- Avoid unplanned meetings: Stay on topic and avoid diverging from the agenda
- Don’t dehumanize interactions: Treat customers as people, not just business partners
Example CAB Meeting Agenda
## CAB Meeting Agenda * Introduction and welcome (5 minutes) * Review of previous meeting's action items (10 minutes) * Discussion of current product features and feedback (30 minutes) * Breakout session: brainstorming new feature ideas (30 minutes) * Wrap-up and next steps (10 minutes)
Example CAB Meeting Notes
## CAB Meeting Notes * Attendees: John, Jane, Bob * Key takeaways: + Customers are experiencing issues with login functionality + Need to improve documentation for new users + Interest in integrating with third-party services * Action items: + Fix login issue by end of week + Create new documentation for new users by next meeting + Research integration options and present at next meeting
By following these guidelines and best practices, you can create a successful customer advisory board that provides valuable feedback and insights to help drive your product forward.