In this issue:

In the News: “10 Reasons to Serve on Customer Advisory Boards”
Ask Eyal
Free Webinar: “Why Customer Advisory Boards are a Business Imperative Today”
Upcoming Event: Customer Advisory Board Manager Training
CAB Best Practices Blog
CAB Guidance eBooks
Ignite Press Releases

Did you know?  

Customers that participate in CABs are more likely to recommend their host companies. In fact, CAB member participation in reference programs, testimonials and thought leadership efforts is 57% higher than non-CAB members. Learn more >>

CAB Best Practices Blog

Oracle guest blog: 5 Tips: Creating B2B, C-level Engagement

24-Hour Turnaround on Customer Advisory Board Insights? Here’s How.

Failure to Launch: The Cost of NOT Starting Your Customer Advisory Board in 2015

Top 5 Actionable Recommendations an Advisory Council Can Deliver

Read more >>

Ask Eyal

Eyal Danon is the President and Founder of Ignite Advisory Group, and a world-renowned expert on customer and partner advisory boards. 

Question: Should I hold my next customer advisory board meeting tied to our annual user group meeting? What would be the pros and cons of doing so?

Answer: With today’s busy schedules, it will be tempting to hold your next CAB meeting adjacent to or even overlapping with other industry conferences, or one of your own user group meetings.

Pros: If members are already planning to attend your user group, for example, holding your CAB at the same time could ensure higher member participation. It could also ensure your own executives will be at the same location at the time as well, and save on travel costs for everyone involved.

Cons: The promise of efficiency can be lost if the adjacent program is a competing focus that distracts both members and company leadership.  Members are very busy people and frequently don’t want to extend their travel so they choose one or the other – your CAB or the adjacent program.  The worst outcome is when your own executives bop in and out of the CAB meeting to attend the competing program – those optics send the signal that the CAB isn’t really that important to the host company.

Bottom Line: Holding your next CAB meeting timed with another of your company’s events is an individual decision in which you will have to weigh these pros and cons. Most companies decide that since the CAB offers the richest level of customer engagement, it is too important to potentially dilute the impact for their business.

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 Webinar: “Why Customer Advisory Boards are a Business Imperative Today”

Thursday, Feb. 26, 12:00 PM EST / 9:00 AM PST 

Customer or partner advisory boards can significantly help organizations gather insights into its corporate strategies and product direction. Join this insightful and educational webinar to learn how such an advisory council can bring tremendous value to your company.

Upcoming Event: Customer Advisory Board Manager Training, June 16-17, San Jose, CA

Ignite’s next Customer Advisory Board (CAB) Manager Training event will take place June 16-17 in San Jose at the Silicon Valley Capital Club. The 2-day program enables CAB managers to successfully design, manage and optimize a world-class customer or partner advisory council. The comprehensive, interactive program offers the industry’s only CAB Manager training curriculum.

Recent Ignite Press Releases

Ignite Advisory Group Conveys Best Practice Benchmarks to Common Customer Advisory Board Manager Questions Customer or Partner Advisory Councils Most Effective When Meeting In-Person Once Per Year, Having 15-18 Active Members and Establishing 2-Year Membership Tenure

Customer Advisory Boards Deliver Highest Impact to Company Solution and Strategic Direction New Global Survey from Ignite Advisory Group Sheds Insight as to Where Host Companies Achieve Maximum CAB Benefit

Customer Advisory Board Members Add Nine Percent New, Incremental Revenue to Host Companies Customer Advisory Board (CAB) Participants Purchase More, Have Higher Satisfaction Rates than Non-CAB Customers

Read more news >>