Peak Your Profits: Outside advisory group delivers valued opinions

Jeff Blackman is a speaker, author, success coach, broadcaster and lawyer based in Illinois. His clients call him a "business-growth specialist."

So, how do you get deeper and more valuable input from your customers or clients, aside from the traditional survey or feedback form?

That's an easy one. Create an advisory group or outside board of directors.

Call several of your key customers or clients and ask them to be part of your advisory council. Contact folks who know you, like you and can be brutally honest with you, your leadership team, sales team, etc.

The group can meet quarterly, semi-annually, annually, whenever.

I've had the pleasure to facilitate lots of advisory councils or outside boards for a variety of clients. Since I have no bias or pre-disposition, I can ask the tough questions my clients might be hesitant to ask.

I then counsel my clients to listen, listen, listen. I unequivocally urge, repeatedly recommend and strongly stress that they not convert this meeting into a sales pitch for their latest product or service. That stinks of bait and switch!

The key is to create a healthy and honest dialogue with your clients or customers, so together you can best determine how to grow your respective businesses.

At these meetings, I emphasize some simple messages.

This is a time for honesty, not hesitancy.

This is a time for truth, not timidity.

This is a time for candor, not caution.

The exchanges are always lively, spirited and even emotional. Yet clients and their customers value the experience. It strengthens relationships, creates deeper levels of understanding and drives future business.

Also, be sure to pamper your advisors or council members. Spoil them. Treat them like the VIPs that they are, meaning, pay for their airfare, transportation, hotel, food, gifts, etc.

Within one to two weeks of the initial dialogue, be sure to:

send participants thank you notes;

send copies of the team picture taken at the event;

send a press release to a board member's local newspaper, highlighting their participation;

send a hard copy or e-mail document that recaps the major issues discussed, as well as plan for future discussions, action steps or resolutions; and

honor any commitment or deliverables.

The only risk to your credibility is if you listen and then choose to do nothing. That's dumb! And I know you aren't dumb.

As my clients have learned, the investment for an outside board is minimal and the outcomes are significant. And better outcomes produce better incomes.