QBR deck

What it's for

A quarterly business review is where an existing customer checks whether they are getting what they paid for, and where you agree what happens next. The deck should make that check easy.

If the customer leaves knowing what was achieved, what went wrong and what's planned, the QBR has done its job. The same structure, with a commercial proposal added, works for renewal meetings.

When to use it

• A regular quarterly review with an account.
• A review with a new executive sponsor who needs the history.
• The lead-up to a renewal, ideally a quarter before the renewal date.

A recommended structure

10 slides, one idea each. Adjust the depth to the meeting in front of you.

1. 01
   TitleThe customer, the period and who's attending.
2. 02
   Goals for the periodThe goals you agreed, in the customer's wording.
3. 03
   Results against goalsA table of goal, target, actual and status, misses included.
4. 04
   What it means for their businessOne or two outcomes the customer cares about.
5. 05
   Usage and adoptionWhich teams use what, and where adoption is low.
6. 06
   Issues and how they were handledWhat happened, what you did and what has changed.
7. 07
   What's comingOnly the updates that affect this customer.
8. 08
   The plan for next quarterProposed goals with owners on both sides, as a draft to agree.
9. 09
   Decisions and asksWhat you need from them and what they asked of you, with dates.
10. 10
    AppendixDetailed data, ticket logs and contract dates.

Mistakes to avoid

• Only showing good news. Customers notice, and it makes the good news harder to believe.
• Turning it into a pitch. Strong results make the case on their own; a short "options for next year" slide is enough.
• Changing the structure every quarter. A consistent order lets the customer find things and see trends.
• Snapshots instead of trends. Put this quarter next to the last three where you can.

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