Building a High-Impact CAB: Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Few companies need convincing that Customer Advisory Boards (CABs) are essential for success. They're a goldmine of insights, providing invaluable feedback and shaping your product roadmap. Yet, many companies hesitate to invest in these programs due to perceived resource constraints. Or worse, they invest only to find their CABs fail to deliver on their promise.
Why? Because many companies launch CABs without a clear understanding of what it takes to make them successful.
Let's explore the common pitfalls and, more importantly, how to avoid them.
The Usual Suspects: Why CABs Go Wrong
Several key factors contribute to CAB failures. Sound familiar?
Strategy Vacuum: No Clear Goals: Launching a CAB without defined objectives is like setting sail without a compass. What are you hoping to achieve? Are you looking for product feedback, market insights, or strategic guidance? Without specific goals, the CAB's efforts become aimless, leading to frustration and ultimately, failure.
The Overburdened Manager: No Dedicated Ownership: Often, CAB management is tacked onto an already overflowing employee's workload. This "add-on" approach then results in shifting priorities, leading to program neglect. A successful CAB requires dedicated attention, strategic planning, and consistent engagement. When it's just another item on a long to-do list, it's bound to suffer.
Time Drain Without Executive Alignment: While CABs often "sit" within a marketing department, their success requires support from other executives in addition to the CMO. Product leaders, Customer Success, and Sales Leaders play an important part in the program's success. Without their support, a perceived lack of ROI will quickly lead to the CAB being sidelined.
KPIs MIA: No Measurable Success: How do you know if your CAB is working? Without Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), you're operating in the dark. Advisors need clear expectations and measurable goals to understand their contributions. A lack of KPIs leads to disorganized engagement, subpar outcomes, and a general sense of purposelessness.
ROI Uncertainty: The Value Question: Ultimately, the biggest question surrounding many CABs is: what's the return on investment? If the impact on decision-making is unclear, it's difficult to justify the time and resources required to maintain the program. This lack of demonstrable ROI can be the final nail in the coffin for a struggling CAB.
The Rescue Mission: How to Fix Your CAB
Don't despair! These common challenges can be overcome, or better yet, avoided, with careful planning and execution. Here's how to resurrect your CAB and turn it into a powerful asset:
Define Your Destination: Establish Clear Objectives: Before launching or revamping your CAB, clearly define your goals. Think of strategy as the foundation for building a successful CAB. What specific insights are you seeking? What decisions will the CAB inform? Companies like Boardstream can assist with strategic planning if you're not sure where to start.
Strategic Alignment: Integrate with Business Priorities: Ensure your CAB's activities are directly aligned with your overall business strategy. This will not only make the CAB more valuable but also justify the time and resources invested.
Invest in Success: Dedicate a CAB Manager: A successful CAB requires dedicated leadership. While assigning a dedicated CAB manager is ideal, it’s understandable that hiring a full-time employee solely for a CAB is often impossible these days. Consider outsourcing CAB management. Companies like Boardstream can provide full-time support or resources to help maximize the success of your internal resources.
Measure What Matters: Define and Track KPIs: Establish clear KPIs to track the success of your CAB. These might include the number of implemented suggestions, the impact on product development, or improvements in customer satisfaction. Regularly monitor and report on these KPIs to demonstrate the value of the CAB. Companies like Boardstream can assist with scorecard creation to track KPIs.
Show the Value: Demonstrate ROI: Connect the dots between CAB insights and tangible business outcomes. Did advisor feedback lead to a successful product launch? Did their insights help you avoid a costly mistake? Highlight these successes to demonstrate the ROI of your CAB and secure ongoing support.
Foster Engagement: Build Strong Relationships: A thriving CAB is built on strong relationships. Create opportunities for advisors to connect with each other and with your team. Recognize their contributions and show them that their voices are being heard.
Turning your CAB into a high-performing strategic asset requires careful planning and the right tools. Don't let your CAB become another statistic – invest in its success and reap the rewards.
About Boardstream:
Transform the way you make decisions with Boardstream.
Starting and managing an advisory board can be overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you’re building a board from scratch or enhancing an existing one, we simplify every step, from recruiting the right members to streamlining operations and ensuring ongoing engagement. With our expertise and tools, you’ll eliminate administrative burdens, unlock actionable insights, and focus on driving measurable success and sustainable growth.
