A Customer Advisory Board is a strategic forum where your most valuable customers provide direct feedback on your products, services, and business direction. CABs help validate strategies, strengthen relationships, and gain competitive insights that drive measurable business growth.
Introduction
This assessment is designed for senior leaders, executive sponsors, and C-suite executives who are evaluating whether now is the right time to invest in a Customer Advisory Board. If you're wondering whether a CAB aligns with your current strategic priorities and timing, these six key questions will help you assess readiness, opportunity, and potential impact.
Time to complete: 2-3 minutes
Executive Assessment: Is It Time to Launch a Customer Advisory Board (CAB) - Questions
Instructions: Answer each question with a simple YES or NO based on your current business situation.
1. Are you seeking structured customer feedback to validate your current product roadmap or go-to-market strategy?
Consider whether you need strategic validation beyond standard customer surveys or support tickets.
2. Are your top-tier customers expressing interest in deeper strategic collaboration or more executive face time?
Think about recent requests for executive meetings, advisory roles, or strategic partnership discussions.
3. Are you preparing for a major business milestone such as a product launch, market expansion, rebrand, or IPO?
Major transitions benefit significantly from trusted customer insights and validation.
4. Have you received conflicting signals from customers about your roadmap, competitive position, or service delivery?
Mixed feedback often indicates the need for deeper, more structured customer dialogue.
5. Do you want to build stronger relationships with key customers outside of traditional sales cycles?
Consider whether you need ongoing strategic touchpoints beyond transactional interactions.
6. Do you have quantitative customer data but need qualitative insights to understand the "why" behind the numbers?
Think about whether you need deeper conversations to validate what your data is telling you.
Your Customer Advisory Board Readiness Score
5-6 YES answers: Ready to Launch
You're primed for CAB success. Your timing is excellent, and you have clear strategic drivers. A CAB will deliver immediate value by addressing your current business challenges while strengthening customer relationships.
Next Steps for Ready to Launch a Customer Advisory Board
Begin identifying ideal CAB members from your customer base
Secure executive sponsorship and budget allocation
Develop your CAB charter and meeting framework
3-4 YES answers: Almost Ready for a Customer Advisory Board
You're close to CAB readiness. With proper planning and executive alignment, a Customer Advisory Board could deliver significant value. Focus on addressing any remaining strategic questions.
Next Steps for Almost Ready for a Customer Advisory Board
Gain full executive team alignment on CAB objectives
Conduct customer interviews to validate interest
Develop a detailed implementation plan
1-2 YES answers: Consider a Pilot
Test the waters first. A CAB pilot program or executive coaching session could help you build internal support and validate feasibility before full commitment.
Next Steps for Consider a Pilot Customer Advisory Board
Consider CAB consulting to assess organizational readiness
Run a small pilot with 3-4 key customers
Build internal case for CAB investment
0 YES answers: Focus on Foundations
It may not be the right time yet. Focus on strengthening customer listening capabilities and engagement through other channels before launching a formal CAB.
Next Steps for Focus on Foundations
Implement regular customer feedback mechanisms
Strengthen account management processes
Revisit CAB consideration in 6-12 months
Why This Assessment Matters
Customer Advisory Boards deliver measurable results when launched at the right time with proper preparation. Companies with successful CABs report:
40% faster product development cycles
25% higher customer retention rates
60% more accurate market positioning
Strategic customer advocates who actively promote your brand and defend against competitive threats
The key is launching when you have clear strategic drivers and organizational readiness.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Get Your Personalized CAB Strategy Session. Based on your assessment results, we can help you develop a customized approach to launching or optimizing your Customer Advisory Board.
Transform Your Voice into Strategic Influence and Why Join a Customer Advisory Board? (Customer Assessment)
Have you been invited to serve on a board or heard about customer advisory boards, and are curious? Learn more and take the customer assessment. Alternatively, you can skip to the bottom of the page and watch interviews with other board members to learn from their experiences.
What is a Customer Advisory Board (CAB)?
A Customer Advisory Board is an exclusive strategic forum where selected customers provide direct input to vendor executives on product direction, market strategy, and business priorities. CABs create mutual value through trusted relationships that go far beyond traditional vendor-customer transactions.
Introduction
Considering an invitation to join a Customer Advisory Board? This assessment is designed for senior executives and decision-makers who want to evaluate whether CAB participation aligns with their strategic goals and professional development objectives. If you're wondering whether investing your time in a vendor's advisory board will provide meaningful value to your business and career, these questions will help you make an informed decision.
Customer Advisory Board Member Assessment Questions
Time to complete: 3-5 minutes
Instructions: Answer each question with a simple YES or NO based on your current business situation.
Assessment Questions
Instructions: Answer each question with a simple YES or NO based on your current business priorities and professional goals.
1. Would you benefit from exclusive, direct access to a vendor's executive leadership team?
Consider whether having strategic conversations with C-suite leaders about industry direction and partnership opportunities would add value to your role.
2. Are you looking to influence the future development of products or services that directly impact your business operations?
Shaping vendor roadmaps and feature priorities can improve outcomes for your organization.
3. Would networking with peer executives from similar companies provide strategic insights and validation for your own initiatives?
The value of confidential discussions with industry leaders facing similar challenges and opportunities is worth exploring.
4. Do you see professional value in being recognized as a strategic thought leader within your industry network?
Think about whether advisory roles and industry expertise recognition align with your career development goals.
5. Would early access to product roadmaps, market intelligence, and innovation discussions help you plan and lead more effectively?
Advanced knowledge of vendor strategies can provide a competitive advantage for your planning.
6. Are you seeking to transform a key vendor relationship from transactional to a strategic partnership?
Deeper collaboration could unlock mutual opportunities that extend beyond standard business relationships.
Your CAB Participation Score
5-6 YES answers: Ideal CAB Candidate
You're perfectly positioned for CAB success. The strategic value will be substantial and mutual. Your participation will have a meaningful influence on vendor direction, delivering significant professional and business benefits.
What to Expect:
Direct influence on product roadmaps and strategic direction
Exclusive networking with C-suite peers and vendor executives
Early access to market intelligence and competitive insights
Recognition as a strategic industry thought leader
Long-term partnership opportunities beyond the CAB
Your Value to the CAB: Your strategic perspective and industry expertise will significantly enhance vendor decision-making and peer discussions.
3-4 YES answers: Strong Strategic Value
CAB participation will provide substantial benefits. You have clear strategic drivers that align well with advisory board value propositions. Focus on maximizing the areas where you answered YES.
What to Expect:
Meaningful influence in your areas of strategic interest
Valuable peer networking and industry insights
Professional development through strategic advisory experience
Selective early access to relevant innovations
Maximize Your Participation: Be specific about your strategic priorities during onboarding to ensure optimal value creation.
1-2 YES answers: Consider Strategic Prerequisites
Limited but focused value potential. Before committing to CAB participation, ensure the vendor can provide the specific strategic value you need through proper executive sponsorship and engagement.
Requirements for Participation:
Request a dedicated executive sponsor from the vendor's leadership team
Secure commitment for annual strategic visits from vendor executives
Define specific outcomes and value metrics for your participation
Establish clear communication channels for ongoing strategic dialogue
Future Consideration: Reassess in 6-12 months as your strategic priorities evolve or vendor relationship deepens.
0 YES answers: Focus on Current Priorities
This may not be the most suitable forum for your needs at this time. Consider building strategic vendor relationships through more targeted engagement that aligns with your immediate business objectives.
Alternative Engagement:
Join the vendor's beta program to influence specific product development
Select features on the roadmap that align with your business goals for early testing
Participate in vendor-customer events and conferences
Request one-on-one strategic discussions with vendor leadership on specific topics
Listen and watch other peers who have joined customer advisory boards of their board experiences with:
