The Benefits of a Customer Advisory Board
As business professionals, we should be constantly striving to achieve the highest level of customer satisfaction. We aim to do this by creating the best products for a ready market and then offering superior support to our customers. Everything we build, create and deliver is based on the needs and wants of our customers.
So, the challenge is to know what our customers want in the first place, or will want before we launch a product. And, once we know what they want (or will want), how do we keep up with the evolution of those wants and needs? We work on our research, get feedback and set about to survey customers so both the good and the bad come to light. Of course, it’s difficult to hear the bad, but it’s arguably the quickest way to process improvement and product development.
What better way to know exactly what your customer is thinking than to ask them, right? Give them a voice. But, is it really that easy? Of course it can be. A strategic approach that many companies are turning to is a customer advisory board. This is a select group of customers chosen by a company, who meet regularly to discuss products, services and customer relation issues.
People love to be heard. People get involved to make a difference, to see change and to work for progress. An advisory board offers individuals the opportunity to be affiliated with a company. It offers a level of prestige and the ability to network with like-minded consumers interested in influencing and improving the direction of a company.
Advisory boards not only offer the customer recognition and a chance to be heard, but also gives companies a unique and valuable look through the eyes of their customers. While the intent of a customer advisory board is to offer the customer a voice, often times what the company gets back is so much more, such as….
builds stronger relationships with customers through regular meetings, networking, rewards, events and good old fashion listening.
offers a fast track to identifying and solving customer problems before they become an issue.
plays a strategic role in the creation of new products and the development of existing products.
offers the ability to analyze competition through the customer based on loyalty, connections and feelings, not just numbers.
keeps a finger on the pulse of the customer.
Customer advisory boards offer a personal and strategic approach to improving overall customer satisfaction. Your customers are your greatest resource. By offering them a voice, you will be able to quickly uncover a wealth of information, and valuable insight.
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