Strategic Insights from a Client Advisory Board

What if your best strategic insights didn’t come from consultants, books, or conferences, but instead from your own clients?

When we launched our first Client Advisory Board in 2022, I quickly realized how true that was. The experience reshaped how we make decisions, identify blind spots, and improve our service. Here is what we have learned about building a board that actually works.

1. Invite the Right Board

Who you invite matters. The instinct may be to include your largest client or the one who has been with you the longest. That is fine, but only if they can offer relevant, practical insight.

Ask yourself:

• Are these clients within your Ideal Client Profile (ICP), or do they deeply understand it?
• Are they comfortable being transparent?
• Are they forward thinking and in tune with the market?

You need both candor and perspective. Without them, the board cannot help shape your direction or highlight blind spots.

2. Balance Prepared Topics with Ad Hoc Discussion

Keep the agenda flexible, but do not come in empty handed. Sending topics ahead of time and asking members to jot down thoughts leads to more meaningful dialogue.

My board often arrives with several prepared points we dig into, and documenting those insights pays dividends later.

At the same time, some of the best discussions come from spontaneous questions. Read the room and lean in when constructive criticism appears. Encourage members and “pull the thread.” Hard feedback is where real improvement begins.

Several issues would have remained completely hidden to us if not for what surfaced in these sessions.

3. Ask Them to Help You See Around the Bend

Praise is nice, but foresight is better.

The most valuable feedback often comes when members share what people in their roles are worrying about, noticing, or expecting. This helps you anticipate what is coming, not just react to what has already happened.

These are often your best clients, so it is easy to assume they are happy. But service delivery is never perfect, and reminding them that brutal honesty helps everyone is essential.  This tends to drive more feedback and input for us.

4. Share the Information Widely

In our first year, we made a big mistake: all the great insights stayed within the leadership team.

Now we share broadly.

• We highlight key findings in quarterly all hands meetings.
• We invite advisory board members to speak directly to the team.
• We record and transcribe sessions so everyone can hear feedback firsthand.

To get value from the board, you must activate the information. We also schedule an hour after each meeting to debrief and identify action items. It is incredibly helpful.

5. Use the Board for Pilots

Many new ideas and offerings originate, or gain validation, during these sessions.

If a trusted board member confirms a direction you are considering, ask them to help pilot it. There is no better way to test a new strategy in a low risk, high transparency way.

6. Set Term Limits

It might not seem necessary at first, but term limits are incredibly valuable. Fresh perspectives matter, and group dynamics can shift over time.

Conflicting personalities, overly dominant voices, or members who consistently disagree can hinder progress. Term limits let you refresh the group without risking strong client relationships. When a term ends, you simply rotate in new members.

Closing Thoughts

I have genuinely enjoyed having a Client Advisory Board in my organization. They are a trusted sounding board, they keep us honest, and they help us course correct when needed. I am grateful for both current and past members, and I would not run the business without a board like this again.