So You’ve Held a CAB Meeting. What’s Next?

After all the effort you’ve poured into preparing and executing your Customer Advisory Board (CAB) meeting, the last thing you want to do is leave your members hanging – or worse never hearing back you!

It’s important to remember, these individuals have donated their time. They have also offered up invaluable insight into their experience of your company, and it’s products and services. They have shared their concerns, what they love, potential ideas for innovation and ultimately expressed what works and what doesn’t. Now the ball is in your court. It’s up to you to utilise this information and put it to good use.

If you’re unsure of what the next steps are after hosting a CAB meeting, we’ve outlined some key steps below:

Organisational Involvement

Before scheduling your CAB, hopefully, you planned a couple of post-CAB team organisational meetings. These meetings are essential for getting everyone on board and communicating critical findings to the various stakeholders. At your internal meeting, include the team in the decision-making process. Advise them and involve them in deciphering what the next actionable steps are. Develop a plan with a timeline and measurable milestones, which address some of the issues that were brought up in the CAB. Be sure to have team buy-in. To ensure new goals, will be executed, assign tasks to various team members to keep everyone accountable.

Take Action

Based on the data you received, the most critical part is to decide on what specific outcomes/ suggestions your organisation is going to take action on. Once a plan is in place, communicate to your CAB members the plan of attack. By doing so, you illustrate to them they have been taken seriously. Clients, stakeholders, consumer all feel valued when they know the time they generously donated was well spent. Share with them the exciting possibilities, which are now available because of their assistance. And be sure to thank them for their time and input.

How and when to communicate with CAB members

What’s the best time to get back in touch with your CAB members? Reach out to CAB members approximately 30-45 days post the meeting. Connect with everyone who attended. Put together a newsletter and even include an infographic, which highlights the new decisions that have been made based on their feedback. By sending your members something tangible, they can easily see how they have supported your business.

Keep in touch

Just because you carried out your CAB meeting and communicate the results and new actions, doesn’t mean you cut them loose. Stay in touch with your CAB members with periodic updates. Staying in touch with people who add value to your life is normal human behaviour, and it’s no different in business. Just because you don’t require their input or service now, doesn’t mean you won’t be again shortly. And if you would like to ensure their involvement next time around, keeping in touch will show your clients, you’re always there and not just when you want something from them.

Communicate via small updates; especially when you reach certain milestones that you developed from the CAB meeting. Your customer advisory board will be delighted to hear from you and see they’re a part of a customer-centric business. In turn, this simple, no-cost virtual conversation will grow your customer loyalty, increase profits and even gain new clients.

Talk To

Neil Parker

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Get in touch