#cabs
Thread
CAB experts say 6 months minimum to establish a CAB (define objectives, qualify customers, coordinate logistics, confirm an agenda). CABs are meant to be the beginning of a process, a formal program with more than one meeting. If your team wants to do this right the first time they should allow time to create something that customers will find value in and want to participate in the program.
• Topics to consider: the main objective of any CAB program is to establish relationships with strategic customers so they become advocates. The main objective is never sales or to close deals. Most CAB meetings do not include representatives from the sales team. The role of the sales team is to recruit and qualify customers for the CAB program based on agreed upon objectives.
• What qualified customers would be targeted for the CAB?
• What level of commitment will the stakeholders involved agree to?
• What are one or two objectives for the CAB?
• Dedicated budget? (example budget from another company with 12 customers, 8 employees, 2 and a half days $100K-$150K)
CUSTOMER BENEFITS
• What would be the key reasons our customers would want to attend?
• How will this CAB program be valuable to targeted customers? Are these beneficial: meeting members of the leadership team, networking with peers, access to the roadmap, ability to provide product feedback?
I agree 6 mos min too! They can have an ambassador’s program in the more limited timeframe. Don’t call it a CAB until it’s fully baked.
@Liz Richardsonmay be relevant to your upcoming session March 4 about CAB programs
You can start faster. Here's a suggestion ... assuming you have your members locked in (that's a whole separate response that I wrote about ). Use your FIRST meeting to create a CAB charter with the members and just to meet each other. This gives co-ownership of what the CAB is for, what the rules and requirements of engagement are, frequency, etc. Do the first meeting virtually. At the same time, be planning your first in-person CAB meeting as your second CAB meeting 3-4 months from now.