Customer Advisory Board 101: What it is that I do
Explaining to family and friends what my job entails around customer advisory board work is complicated. When people ask about what I do, I find myself using long-winded sentences that sometimes trail off into the sunset as I provide every little detail. Because what we do at Farland Group involves many different puzzle pieces. Those closest to me have various answers when asked about my work. My dad still reverts back to telling people I used to be a news writer at a local TV station, my mom tells others I run events and meetings (you’re getting warmer!), and one of my brothers recently told me his answer to someone was, “That’s a good question, I’ll have to ask her.” Even my husband has a hard time. They all know I work, but what that work includes can be difficult to understand if you’ve not had previous customer advisory board exposure.
I recently read an article about the best way to answer the question, “What do you do?” Creating an elevator pitch to capture attention is the approach discussed — one I have never thought to take. Instead, I get too wrapped up in the details, which doesn’t really help others understand the value of customer advisory boards. So, I took a shot at writing my own elevator pitch around what I do at Farland Group:
We help some of the biggest organizations around the globe share their strategies with their top 20-25 clients in a Board room, confidential setting. Companies gain early advice and feedback from their top clients before opening their strategies, products, offerings and new innovations up to the broader market.
I’d end my elevator pitch by asking you — in your company, what is one of your top goals for this year and how do you plan to achieve it? Often asking for advice and input helps to set and achieve goals. Gathering feedback and perspectives from your peers and those around you is exactly what we help our clients achieve with our customer advisory board work, fostering open dialogue and candid advice. Now that you have a fuller picture of what we do and what a customer advisory board is, maybe it’s something to consider for your top clients.