As we near the end of 2021 , I want to share my word of the year. At the end of 2020, I wrote about adaptability, and while there are many words I could use to describe my 2021 (because it has been quite the year!) the one that sticks out for me is virtual.

Let’s pause for a moment. It’s mid-November, some of the major holidays are coming at us full force and you think your work is (sort of) winding down…. well, not quite! If you are like us at Farland Group, we’re already in the midst of planning for customer advisory board meetings taking place in 2022. And with only 6 weeks left in this year, if you had to pick one area to focus on, what would that be?

Sometimes in our desire to bring forward a perfect meeting we lose sight of the ultimate goal - forward progress.

It’s been nearly two years since most of us went all-virtual… all.the.time. As we push forward with customer advisory board meetings, one thing is clear — there is no definitive answer on what a potential hybrid meeting will entail.

Explaining to family and friends what my job entails around customer advisory board work is complicated. When people ask about what I do, I find myself using long-winded sentences that sometimes trail off into the sunset as I provide every little detail. Because what we do at Farland Group involves many different puzzle pieces.

Customer Engagement requires peer discussions and opportunity for peer to peer advocacy. Step aside marketers let your clients sell.

Prior to COVID, I would have told you collaboration is sitting around a conference room table and utilizing a whiteboard to brainstorm — whether for upcoming customer advisory board meeting topics, volunteering opportunities or what the next client team call should entail. However, if you take that whiteboarding exercise and conference room out of the equation, what are you left with? Your team.

Executive engagement strategies should largely focus on existing customers. Sometimes, prospects are a good add to the mix and can bring forward new results

Growing up, I would often hear the saying that “honesty is the best policy.” It’s always best to be upfront, otherwise you’re only masking underlying issues and more often than not, that lid won’t remain closed. As an adult, I can attest that I remind my six-year-old of this…. on a near-daily basis.