Quarterly Boring Review

If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be 'meetings.' ~ Dave Barry

I know we joke all the time about meetings that could have been emails, but like all good humour, there's an element of truth.

?Because we're halfway through the year and many of you will meet your clients for their Quarterly Boring Business Reviews, here are some tips to make them more effective.

Quarterly Business Review best practices

?+ Don't call it a QBR. Use an alternative description that inspires and better reflects the objectives of your meeting.

?+ Keep it short. 30 minutes to review the past, and 30 minutes to plan the future. No more than 15 slides. Move surplus data to an Appendix.

?+ Tell the QBR as a story. Find the narrative in the data. Tell a new, unexpected story of what is, what could be and how you are the guide that will get your client to the promised future.

?+ The Rule of Three.?Working memory holds up to 9 items of data for 30 seconds. Improve recall by chunking your insights into groups of three short, powerful messages.

?+ Use pictures. Humans remember pictures better than words. Use a variety of charts, images, diagrams and icons to communicate your ideas.

?+ Stick to strategy, not tactics.?Keep the QBR a high-level review on supplier performance, return on investment, progress towards goals, potential roadblocks and emerging opportunities. Schedule separate time for operational matters or your QBR will dissolve into a problem-solving and complaint resolution mess.

?+ Make it an event.?Make sure your client knows the QBR isn’t another meeting that could have been an email. Generate buzz with a series of emails showcasing the objectives of the QBR and invite A-list guests - those with authority to ensure a strategic review where decisions get made.

?+ Send the QBR in advance. Send the review to participants before the presentation and ask for comments. If everyone is better prepared you can spend less time in the meeting on the past and more time planning for the future.

?+ Read the room.?Watch your audience's reaction for signs you might be losing them. Use techniques like audience participation, pacing, volume and humour to re-engage them.

Zoom in:?Watch the replay,?Quick Tips for a Successful Quarterly Review. David Ventura, host of?KAMCast, a podcast for key account managers, and I share our favourite tips to transform a QBR from boring to brilliant.

?? Coming up

?+ The Key Account Managers Guide to Managing Sales Pipelines

19 July. A one-hour workshop to help you nurture your best leads, track sales pipelines and better follow up management. Think of it as a primer for key account managers to take control of your opportunities, improve visibility and keep them moving through that sales funnel.

?Early bird tickets are available from USD $9 here.

?? What I'm reading

I've just started to read The Expansion Sale: Four Must-Win Conversations to Keep and Grow your Customers.

The book is divided into two parts - developing the message and delivering the message.

There are four conversations we have with existing clients

1. Renew (why stay)
2. Price increase (why pay more)
3. Buy more (why evolve)
4. Apologies (why forgive)

Each of these requires you to understand why buyers don't like change and how to leverage the status quo to your advantage.

So far it's very interesting.

For more on this and other titles check out my B2B Book Club Selection for July

?? In other news

• Deloitte Summer CEO survey. The latest results from the CEO survey show CEOs have bold plans for growth, innovation, digital transformation. But most of all it's about people. Attracting, hiring, retaining, developing and engaging talent is the biggest priority.
• Key performance indicators.?It's often said what gets measured gets managed. The challenge is deciding what?it is you'll measure. check out the introduction to KPIs and best practices including a number of examples for different industries and departments.
• Beautiful.ai.?I just discovered this free tool yesterday and am blown away. It's a stunning presentation maker that designs for you. Impressive templates, full customisation and modern animations. It's free as well!
• How to write better business emails.?If your clients don't reply to your emails, you could be part of the problem. Here are 30 easy tips for writing effective emails your clients will actually read.
• KAMCon is coming to London. An actual in-person event! Remember those? KAMCon is the premier Key Account Management conference that brings together top executives, leaders, and innovators in customer experience, client services and account management.

I attended KAMCon in Boulder Colorado in 2019 and it was brilliant, so I'm really excited it's coming to London. Read my notes from the conference here

Bonus: A 20% discount is available to Account Manager Tips subscribers so?grab your tickets now?and I'll see you there.

?? Brainteaser

?I am tall on Saturday and Sunday. I am short on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. You cannot find me on Monday and Friday. What am I?

?You can find the solution here.

What have you got planned to breathe life into your QBRs? Let me know in the comments.

?Until next time,

Warwick Brown

Account Manager Tips / The KAM Club

?? On a mission to help busy key account managers get results.