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Have you ever found yourself staring at a blank document, trying to figure out what exactly to put in a Quarterly Business Review (QBR)?
You’re not alone. Customer Success Managers (CSMs) often face the challenge of knowing how to present all the right information in a way that resonates with customers. You want to share important updates, showcase the value you’re delivering, and keep things engaging – but what does that actually look like in practice?
It’s easy to fall into the trap of simply pulling together data and throwing it into a presentation, hoping it sticks. But the real value of a QBR lies in its ability to tell a clear, compelling story backed by data, one that strengthens the relationship with your customer and sets the stage for future success.
That’s the tricky part: making the review both insightful and actionable, while also being relevant to your customer’s specific needs.
In this blog, we’ll break down some examples of what an effective QBR looks like and guide you through structuring one that not only impresses but also drives results.
Whether you’re focusing on growth, risk mitigation, or aligning with your customer’s roadmap, these examples will give you the clarity you need to make your QBRs truly impactful.
Key components of a successful QBR
Once you’ve scheduled your QBR and gathered the data you’ll need, the next challenge is deciding what to include in the review.
A successful QBR should cover several core elements that not only provide insight but also demonstrate the value your company brings to the table.
These key components will help guide the conversation and give your customer a clear understanding of their progress and future opportunities.
Review of KPIs and customer health
One of the most important things you can do in a QBR is to review the key performance indicators (KPIs) that are most relevant to your customer’s success. Whether it’s product usage, adoption rates, or other metrics tied to their goals, this section should be based on data that paints an accurate picture of their engagement and progress.
Customer health scores play a crucial role in this review, offering a comprehensive view of how satisfied and engaged your customer is. Keeping this assessment data-driven ensures that your review stays objective and aligned with actual performance. Monitoring these scores regularly allows you to identify patterns, anticipate issues, and propose actionable next steps.
You can streamline this process by using CS tools like Velaris that have customer health scoring features. Velaris aggregates and analyzes key metrics in one place, providing you with a clear snapshot of customer engagement so you can have data-driven conversations during your QBR.
Success plan review and progress tracking
A QBR is also the perfect opportunity to revisit the success plan you and your customer agreed upon in previous meetings.
This review is about more than just ticking boxes – it’s about showing how far you’ve come toward achieving the goals you set together.
By highlighting milestones, demonstrating progress with real-time data, and addressing any roadblocks, you build trust and show that you're invested in their success.
Regularly tracking this progress not only shows accountability but also helps set the stage for future planning. It keeps the customer informed about the value being delivered and reassures them that their goals are being met.
You can automate this process through Velaris’ success plans, which allow you to map out tasks, track KPIs, and monitor milestones in real-time. This makes it easy to stay on top of progress and ensure that both you and your customer are aligned on what’s next.
Highlighting value delivered
Your QBR should always demonstrate the value your product or service has delivered over the last quarter. Whether it’s increased efficiency, cost savings, or improved usage, this is your chance to show how your solution is contributing to their overall success.
Be specific – offer real examples of how your customer has benefitted and back up those claims with data.
For instance, maybe your customer saw a reduction in support tickets due to improved onboarding, or perhaps they saved a significant amount of time through automation. These examples of tangible value help reinforce your relationship and build confidence in your ongoing partnership.
To centralize this information, Velaris' project management and collaboration tools make it easy to pull data from various teams, such as support or product, so you can show a complete picture of the value delivered across different departments.
By focusing on these key components, your QBR becomes much more than a routine check-in—it becomes an opportunity to deepen your relationship with the customer by providing clear, actionable insights.
If you're looking for more detailed guidance on how to structure or write a QBR, check out our guide on writing an effective QBR.
Next, we’ll dive into real examples of what successful QBRs look like, offering practical templates you can use to impress your customers and strengthen your partnerships. Let’s explore how you can apply these components in different scenarios.
Quarterly business review examples
QBRs can take on different forms depending on your customer’s goals and where they stand in their journey with your product.
Here are three types of QBRs that focus on different aspects of the customer relationship, offering tailored approaches to help you provide maximum value.
These examples will give you a better understanding of how to structure your reviews based on customer needs and objectives.
1. Strategic growth QBR
A strategic growth QBR is ideal for customers who are looking to expand their usage of your product or service. In this type of review, the focus should be on growth strategies such as customer expansion, upsell opportunities, and increased product adoption.
For example, you might start by presenting metrics that show how the customer has increased their usage of a particular feature or how their team has grown since the last review. Use these metrics to highlight opportunities for further growth, such as cross-selling additional features or suggesting new ways to use the product.
The next step is to discuss future initiatives. These could include recommendations for adopting more advanced features or a plan to onboard additional users. Ensure that these growth initiatives are backed by data, making it easy for the customer to see the potential benefits.
Example next steps:
- Propose setting up training sessions to help the customer explore new features.
- Suggest trialing additional services or expanding licenses to support new teams.
2. Risk mitigation QBR
A risk mitigation QBR is focused on identifying and addressing potential issues before they become major problems. This type of QBR is especially valuable for customers who are experiencing declining usage rates, lower engagement, or other warning signs that they may be at risk of churn.
In this review, the first step is to present the data that highlights the areas of concern. For example, declining product adoption or fewer interactions with key features could be warning signs that need attention.
It’s essential to discuss these trends openly, but also to reassure the customer by providing an action plan that addresses the risks.
Outline specific steps the customer can take to reverse these trends, such as additional training, changes to the onboarding process, or offering support to help them get more value out of the product.
Show that you're committed to helping them get back on track, and use data to reinforce the importance of the proposed actions.
Example next steps:
- Suggest a review of onboarding processes to ensure smooth adoption.
- Offer personalized training sessions to boost product engagement.
3. Product roadmap alignment QBR
A product roadmap alignment QBR focuses on ensuring that your product’s future development is in sync with the customer’s long-term goals. This type of QBR is particularly useful for customers who are heavily invested in your product and want to know how upcoming features and improvements will benefit them.
In this review, you’ll present a summary of the product roadmap and highlight new features that are planned for the next quarter. Make sure to tie these upcoming changes back to the customer’s specific goals and needs.
For instance, if the customer has been requesting a particular feature, this is the perfect time to provide an update on its progress and expected release date.
Additionally, this is an opportunity to gather feedback from the customer on the roadmap. Encourage them to share their thoughts on upcoming features and how those changes could help them.
This collaboration ensures that the customer feels heard and valued, while also giving you useful insights into their evolving needs.
Example next steps:
- Schedule follow-up meetings to discuss the impact of new features once they are released.
- Invite the customer to participate in beta testing or provide feedback on upcoming releases.
These examples show how QBRs can be tailored to fit the unique needs of your customers, whether they’re focused on growth, mitigating risks, or aligning with your product roadmap.
Each approach ensures that the review is relevant, actionable, and aligned with the customer’s goals. By structuring your QBR around these themes, you’ll build stronger relationships and provide more meaningful value in every interaction.
Conclusion
Quarterly business reviews (QBRs) offer a powerful way to strengthen customer relationships by demonstrating the ongoing value your product or service provides.
When done right, they become a key opportunity to build trust, showcase progress, and align on future goals.
By taking a structured, data-driven approach to preparing your QBRs, you can ensure they are insightful and relevant to your customer’s needs, whether you’re focusing on growth, risk mitigation, or aligning product development with customer goals.
Leveraging Customer Success Management software like Velaris can make this process much more efficient. From automating workflows to centralizing data and tracking progress in real-time, Velaris helps you deliver QBRs that are clear, actionable, and tailored to each customer.
If you’re looking to streamline your QBR process and provide more value to your customers, book a demo today to see how Velaris can help.
