To QBR Or Not To QBR

The number of apps a company uses is increasing. Take an average of 90. That means each customer has 90 QBRs. If each is 1 hour and has two customer participants, this means 180 person-hours or 22.5 days a quarter need to be set aside.

Now, ask yourself: Of those 180 hours, how many are for the customer’s benefit?

The upshot – We don’t want to waste anyone’s time hosting a QBR that doesn’t drive the customer’s desired outcome.

So, how do we create a review that adds value to our customer’s journey with our company? We need to put our agenda aside and concentrate on our customer’s goals and how we can help them achieve them.

First, as stated above, it is not a slam dunk that companies want to sit down for a QBR. Crafting the right message is the first key to engaging the customer. Graphics, one really cool stat to wet their whistle, a quote from one of our contacts at the company on how our company has helped progress their company’s productivity and goals, and maybe even teasing out new features that could help them with their goals to discuss are all good examples of items to put in this message. We need to understand what will motivate our customers to want to sit down with us during their busy day.

Maybe we are going about it the wrong way. Is a QBR the best vehicle to add value for our customers? Perhaps elevating the conversation is more productive.?Elevating the conversation can be an excellent opportunity to invite c-suite stakeholders and other departments within a customer’s company to the table.

Many companies focus more on EBR (executive business review) and SBR (strategic business review). Re-defining how and who we present to helps define the narrative to put our solution’s value into the bigger picture of their goals as a company. It is an opportunity to show executives that we have understood their needs and put in place a clear action plan to address them.

Finally, the last question should be centered around which customers should have QBR’s and should they all have the same format??High-touch customers tend to be amenable to the conversation and get the most out of a QBR. Low-touch customers might not warrant the resources needed to put an effective presentation together. Understanding our customer’s persona, corporate culture, and affinity towards the concept of any type of review will help us shape the vehicle for our message…and our message.

Whatever you call it, and however frequent you conduct them. How you plan for them is key.

I believe we need to start the process with the following valuable questions when planning a QBR for each customer persona and specific customer to make the most out of everyone’s time.

1.????How is the planned agenda helping the customer get closer to their desired outcomes?

2.????Does the customer understand the expectations of the QBR before the meeting takes place? (the set-up e-mail is key)

3.????Are the goals for the QBR aligned with the customer’s needs before the meeting takes place?

4.????Who should join the QBR and why (if inviting new stakeholders, make it clear why they should join and don’t expect them just to show up because you asked them to. Mind the WIIFY)

5.????Has the customer been given access to the content to be discussed and presented before the meeting takes place?

6.????What will the client gain by the end of the session?

7.????How will this QBR affect our client’s decision-making in the following quarter (year) about our product?

8.????What are useful questions to review during the QBR?

9.????From our company’s POV, did the QBR meet the expectations and goals?

10.?From the customer’s POV, did the QBR meet the expectations and goals?

11.?What are the key learnings from the QBR?

12.?What can be improved for the following QBR?

Starting with the mindset of this outline will help us create a QBR that will excite the customer to engage in the process, add the most value for our customer’s journey, and help us build a better product and company.