Is There a Seat for Your Customer

in Your Board Room? NEWS AND NOTES

Originally posted at www.eginsight.com/news

By Eric Engwall, Managing Partner and Nick Wassenberg, Research Analyst

W
e recently had the privilege of facilitating a Customer Board of Directors
meeting for the services division of one of our clients, a Fortune 500
industrial manufacturer. Our client brought together senior-level people
(including COOs, Directors, and VPs) from their key accounts for two main reasons:

1. To get feedback on their strategy

2. To build high-level relationships within key accounts

As you’d expect, board members had plenty to say about their suppliers’ performance
and the future of their own companies. It’s always fascinating to hear these types of
conversations and to help our client shift their strategy as a result of executive-level feedback.

Below are some of the key takeaways We’ve been a part of this client’s Customer Board
we gathered from our discussions: of Directors process for several years, and while
the board members have changed, the importance
 Some very different organizations – different
of the insight that comes out of these discussions
geographies, verticals, business models, etc. –
has not wavered. Our client needs input from
will have some very similar challenges in the years
key contacts at high levels, and this process
to come. Efforts to “go green” the right way,
helps them get it.
and to attract, develop, and retain top talent
are on almost all leaders’ minds.

 Outsourcing is not dead – but companies have As an unintended benefit, our client
grown cautious. If you’re going to be in the
organization has seen new business
outsourcing business, your people had better
opportunities emerge from this annual
be AT LEAST as capable as the people I can
find on my own. event. Customers that talk to each other
about the solutions and results our client
 Even if you have great people, without good
tools and processes to support them, you’re provided does as much as any sales call
relying on individual efforts, sometimes or marketing message ever could. Good
heroic ones, to meet customer needs.
things happen when customers get
 If you think you’ve done all that you can do together. Who knew?
to demonstrate value for your customers
– keep going. The value story has no ending.

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