The Anatomy of an Effective QBR

What Does a Good QBR Look Like

Just as any Customer Success Manager role will look different at every company, I suspect each QBR will also be different. I'm not a fan of having a fixed template, and I believe in the power of flexibility. Borrowing a format you found online might not work for you, and that's okay. You have the power to shape your QBR to best suit your needs.

Consequently, I will never suggest a specific template or framework you should follow, as I don't know your business. However, there are some fundamental elements that all good QBRs will have, and we can understand what these are when we consider the whole purpose of a QBR meeting: to demonstrate value.

I break this down further into two essential parts:

1. To review past actions and progress against goals (i.e. the value we have delivered)
2. To agree on the plan for the next three months (i.e. the value we are going to deliver)

These are the only non-negotiable elements of a QBR. Everything else depends on what works for you, your client, and your business. I strongly advise that you work closely with your Key Sponsor and agree on the ideal agenda. I discuss this more in my free course, which you can find here.

A quick sidebar. To track against goals and plan for the future, there's another key element every Success Manager should have: a Success Plan. I won't go into the details of what that is in this article, but just be aware that everything you work on with your client should be aligned to a plan with goals, objectives, and success metrics. Anything less, and you're mindlessly lurching from request to request with no clear strategy.

QBR Agenda Items

On top of those two main elements, there are also a number of other agenda items you should consider using:

Commercial

Discussing renewals and upsells/crossells is one of the most important aspects of a QBR. Since you are discussing value with your senior stakeholders, QBRs are one of the best moments to identify additional commercial opportunities. If your client receives the desired value from your product, you should explore how they can maximise this across their business. They may have used up their license allocations or hit their consumption limits. Both of these scenarios represent good opportunities to present an upsell to the current license. You should discuss including it at renewal if an upsell is not suitable at that time.

Product

If you know your client's goals and objectives, you can ensure that they are aware of specific product features that will help them achieve them. Make sure you highlight any relevant new product releases or alert them to upcoming items on the roadmap that will be of use to them. However, don't be tempted to go through an entire roadmap presentation; it's beyond the scope of a good QBR; keep it for another time.

Marketing

This could also be a good time to ask if your client would be happy to collaborate on some marketing. Of high interest here would be producing a success story highlighting all the benefits they have received from investing in your product. Aside from success stories, other formats are also desirable, such as quotes in a blog post or a joint webinar.

If there's an upcoming marketing event you would love to have your client attend, the QBR is also a good time to raise this while you have their full attention.

One thing I feel strongly about, however, is not including granular data, e.g., user login data or feature usage. If we consider that the attendees at QBRs are senior executives, then these metrics are far too tactical. If they are essential to your client, consider sending them beforehand as a pre-read or adding them to the appendix to be read after the meeting. Unless something significant presents a challenge to your client in achieving their goals, please don't focus on it.

Next Steps

At the end of your presentation, you should also have several follow-up actions pre-determined. Naturally, items will come up during the conversation, which can be added, but don't leave a blank slide to fill in as you go. Take a decisive approach, and guide your client with what needs to happen next. We talk a lot about being a Trusted Advisor in Customer Success, and this is a good example of where that becomes real. You are the expert, so take the lead and determine what needs to happen. Your client is very likely looking to you for this guidance.

The Mechanics

Whatever your agenda looks like, aim to keep the timing to around 1.5 hours. 1.0 hour often feels rushed, and 2.0 hours can often be too long, with attendees needing breaks. I'm also a big advocate of having QBRs in person. Having a more relaxed conversation feels more straightforward, and being in person is much better for building lasting relationships. If you can do it in person, always aim to have it at the client's office. It's more convenient for them and allows you to learn about their culture and working environment.  

Summary

Whilst I don't believe in fixed templates, at the very core of your QBR, you should use a Success Plan to demonstrate the value you have delivered against agreed objectives and present the plan of how you will meet future goals. In addition, you should use the QBR meeting to propose any relevant commercial opportunities. Highlight the platform's key features that will aid in meeting their goals and discuss any marketing opportunities you can benefit from. Finally, be prescriptive about the next steps and have them prepared before the meeting.

If you found this article helpful, download my PDF describing the six essentials for exceptional QBRs.