CAB Connection is a quarterly resource newsletter from Ignite Advisory Group for Customer Advisory Board (CAB) Managers, Facilitators and Executive Sponsors.
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“The Customer Advisory Board went extremely well. Most customers told me that it was the best Customer Advisory Board of their professional life, period.” Jacques Conand Product Director, IT Service Management Hewlett-Packard
“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
About Ignite Advisory Group
Ignite Advisory Group is the world’s leading consultancy focused exclusively on helping B2B companies engage with executives at key accounts through high-impact customer and partner advisory board programs.
CAB Connection is a quarterly resource newsletter from Ignite Advisory Groupfor Customer Advisory Board (CAB) Managers, Facilitators and Executive Sponsors.
In the News
How CIOs Can Wring Value from Customer Advisory Boards
This article describes how a vendor's customer advisory council can be a great venue for CIOs to provide feedback about IT products and services – assuming they get the chance to speak.
The Top 5 Benefits Your Company Can Get from a Customer Advisory Board
CustomerThink is a global online community of business leaders striving to create profitable customer-centric enterprises. This article summarizes the top benefits a well-managed customer advisory program can deliver.
Customer Advisory Board Conference: October 7-8, 2015, Lehi, Utah
Customer Advisory Board.org will host the largest conference in the world focused on customer advisory boards. This annual conference represents an excellent professional development venue regardless of your program size or maturity. With so many best practices being shared from real-world CAB practitioners, attendees leave energized and ready to implement numerous lessons learned to take their CAB programs to the next level.
NEW: CAB Facilitator Training February 9-10, 2016, Atlanta, Georgia
Facilitating a customer advisory board requires skill, diplomacy and experience. Having successfully facilitated numerous CAB meetings for years – and due to the high demand of previous CAB training participants – Ignite is offering a detailed, 2-day training program specifically for CAB meeting facilitators. The training will include proven guidance on obtaining meeting objectives, managing an engaging discussion, enabling games to generate outside-the-box ideas, and satisfying the high expectations of meeting participants.
Eyal Danon is the President and Founder of Ignite Advisory Group, and a world-renowned expert on customer and partner advisory boards.
Question:Eyal, my sales team is asking if they can invite prospects to join our customer advisory board. Do you think this is a good idea?
Answer: We generally advise against inviting prospects to participate in your customer advisory board program. After all, prospects don’t have the experience with your company and products to be effective advisors. They will inevitably be lost on product discussions, and may ask questions that take the meeting off course. Finally, their attendance could backfire if they learn from other members about a product feature shortfall or negative service experience.
The bottom line is that CABs are not sales engagements, but rather represent opportunities to seek advice on your strategies and products, and deepen relationships with key customers. We recommend that references for your prospects be managed elsewhere within your company.
Got a CAB management question for Eyal? eMail him at eyal.danon@igniteag.com. Your question could be included in the next CAB Connection.
FREE On-Demand Webinars
“WHY Customer Advisory Boards are a Business Imperative Today”
CABs can significantly help organizations gather insights into its corporate strategies and product direction. Listen to this insightful and educational webinar to learn how such an advisory program can bring tremendous value to your company.
“HOW to Best Run a Customer Advisory Board: 10 Tips for Creating a World-Class CAB Program”
A well-run customer advisory board is the ideal method for validating corporate strategies, gathering input on product development, and deepening relationships with key customers. Listen to this webinar to gain insight into HOW to run a world-class customer advisory program.
CustomerThink is a global online community of business leaders striving to create profitable customer-centric enterprises. This article summarizes the top benefits a well-managed customer advisory program can deliver.
Eyal Danon is the President and Founder of 
CABs can significantly help organizations gather insights into its corporate strategies and product direction. Listen to this insightful and educational webinar to learn how such an advisory program can bring tremendous value to your company.
A well-run customer advisory board is the ideal method for validating corporate strategies, gathering input on product development, and deepening relationships with key customers. Listen to this webinar to gain insight into HOW to run a world-class customer advisory program.