Customer Advisory Boards A Strategic Tool for Customer Relationship Building

Learn why customer advisory boards are so successful—and how to create one for any business! From a leading authority in business management comes a book to give your company the winning edge. Customer Advisory Boards: A Strategic Tool for Customer Relationship Building examines the customer advisory board (CAB)—one of the most effective competitive tools for building and maintaining customer satisfaction. This business guide shows how to create and make use of an effective CAB, and how doing so can give your company a marketing advantage and improve vital aspects of business, including customer responsiveness, trust-building, and customer satisfaction. Customer Advisory Boards focuses on bringing companies and customers closer together utilizing input and advice from a CAB. This book shows how to use three types of customer bases—existing customers, potential customers, or former buyers—to form three different types of advisory boards: corporate strategy boards to plan future investments, product planning boards to create new product, and launch success boards to improve existing product. Using the information in this book, your company can transform from being customer focused to customer driven. Customary advisory boards benefit your company by: improving sales contact and dialogue dynamics of the company enabling the company to see itself through the customers eyes sharing ideas and suggestions to improve a companys programs and services to its customers showing that the company values its customers opinions and wants to improve for them providing access to expertise and experience from a wide range of necessary disciplines without legal liability Customer advisory boards also benefit the board members by: giving them opportunities to offer practical advice that can affect a company allowing them to establish personal and professional contacts from each other rewarding them with company perks and products giving them a sense of belonging and empowerment With case studies, appendices, notes, references, and surveys, Dr. Tony Carter has created an illuminating, educational research tool for company owners and managers. Whether applied to a corporation, a medical or religious institution, or a not-for-profit organization, Customer Advisory Boards will help increase customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Foreword Preface and Acknowledgments SECTION I: CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP BUILDING Chapter 1. Introduction: A Way to Reach Customers An Overview of the CAB The Customer Relationship-Building Process Relationship Selling Summary Case Study: SI Customer Advisory Council Appendix: CAB Survey Results Chapter 2. The Customer Relationship-Building Process Customer Selling Modes and Membership Commitment Defining the Customer Relationship Sales Process Methods to Build Customer Relationships Maintaining Customer Relationships and the CAB Case Study: Sales Force Transition, PG Industries, Inc. Chapter 3. Customer Focus Customers and Reengineering Value Focus Value-Added Features Customer Satisfaction Customer Orientation Networks Case Study: Sales Strategy, IBM Software Group Chapter 4. Customer Alliance and Trust Building in Relationship Formation The Nature of Relationships Role of Trust Importance of Listening Successful Leadership and Emotional Intelligence Case Study: Consumer Sales, Campbell, Inc. Appendix: Senior-Level Management and Customer Alliance Building SECTION II: BUILDING CUSTOMER ADVISORY BOARDS Chapter 5. CAB Structure, Procedures, and Agenda Forming a CAB Board Composition and Procedures Types of CABs CABs and New Businesses Case Study: Sales Management and Measurement, EMEA Appendix: Sample CAB Agenda Chapter 6. Value of CABs to Customers and Organizations Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Gaining the “Competitive Edge” Case Study: Sales Management, North American Operations, Tia Electronics, Inc. SECTION III: STRATEGIC USES AND EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT Chapter 7. Customer Satisfaction at Prudential Insurance Organizational Culture Customer Acquisitions Customer Retention Initiatives to Improve Customer Satisfaction Internal Customers Prudentials CABs Case Study: Strategic Account Initiative, Walter, Inc. Chapter 8. CAB Challenges for Lubrizol and Sony Innovation Through Customer Relationships Lubrizols New Direction and Performance Sonys Expansion Through Partnerships and Innovation Case Study: Lubrizol and Sony Chapter 9. Global Applications Real-World CABs Competitive Advantage in International Markets The Nature of Global Relations Sabas Global CAB Global Integration of Strategic Change Conclusion Case Study: Organizational Teamwork, French Airways World Cargo Notes Index