What are QBRs?
Why You Should Never Skip a QBR (Even If Everything’s Fine)
Let’s be honest — Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) can sometimes feel a bit… formal. But trust me, skipping them is never a good idea. Even when a customer’s giving glowing feedback and everything seems to be going smoothly, that regular check-in still plays a huge role in the bigger picture.
These days, QBRs are usually done over Zoom or Teams, but if there’s ever a chance to get in a room together, take it. Face-to-face conversations go a long way in building real relationships — especially in a world where everything else is digital.
What’s the point of a QBR?
A QBR is a chance for both sides — the customer and the supplier — to pause, take stock, and get aligned. It’s not just about what’s gone well (although that’s important), but also what hasn’t, and more importantly, what’s coming next.
Sure, in tech we’re used to retros and sprint reviews, but those are internal. QBRs give you the external pulse — they’re your chance to make sure the customer is actually getting value, and to map out how you can help them get even more from your product moving forward.
We’ve all experienced the frustration of being a customer who gets nothing but radio silence for 11 months, then suddenly the vendor appears out of nowhere to talk renewals and upgrades. It feels disingenuous — and it usually doesn’t work. QBRs help you avoid that. They give you regular touchpoints to show value, track ROI, and build up a proper story around the partnership. You also get a better sense of what features, use cases, or insights will actually move the needle for them.
Who should be in the room?
It depends. At a minimum, you want the day-to-day champion — the person who really knows the product and is using it to make an impact. But sometimes it makes sense to bring execs or senior stakeholders into the conversation too, especially if they’re the ones who signed off on the spend. Just make sure you’re speaking their language: business outcomes, impact, efficiency — not just features.
What should you cover?
While every QBR will look a little different, here’s a structure that works well:
- The last 3 months: What were the goals or KPIs? What progress was made? Any blockers or lessons learned?
- The next 3 months: What are we aiming for? What does success look like? Are there new goals, projects, or priorities we need to support?
By the end of the session, everyone should have a clear view of what’s been achieved, what’s next, and how success will be measured. That way, your next QBR isn’t just another meeting — it’s a milestone in a growing, valuable relationship.
QBRs aren’t just a box-ticking exercise. They’re a chance to step out of the day-to-day and make sure both sides are still aligned, still seeing value, and still moving in the same direction. And done right, they make renewal conversations way easier — because they’re not conversations at all. They’re just the natural next step.