Stop Doing QBRs Wrong

Slide 17. Still talking. The customer's VP is checking email. The Product Manager is clearly multitasking. Your beautifully crafted QBR deck is putting everyone to sleep.

Three weeks later: "We're not renewing. Not seeing enough value."

Wait, what? You literally just showed them 47 slides of value!

Here's the truth: Nobody cares about your slide deck.

Holy Sh*t, the C-Level Actually Showed Up!

Let's talk about the elephant in the room. You FOUGHT to get C-level executives on this call. You begged, you followed up, you sent calendar invites 5 times. Getting the CFO, CRO, or CEO to join your QBR is like winning the lottery.

And now they're here. In your meeting. Cameras on. Waiting.

This is your first impression all over again.

You know what C-level executives don't want to see? Your platform adoption charts. Your feature roadmap. Your support ticket trends.

They want outcomes. ROI. Strategy.

You get ONE shot to prove you understand their business. If you waste it talking about "active users," you've just lost their attention forever.

Preparation = Respect

C-level time is the most expensive resource in any company. If they're giving you 30 minutes, you better come PREPARED.

Not prepared with slides. Prepared with business intelligence.

You wouldn't show up to a first sales call unprepared. Why would you show up to a C-level QBR unprepared?

This IS your first impression all over again. Except this time, they already gave you money. Now you need to prove it was worth it.

Talk C-Level Language

See the difference? C-level executives care about dollars, time, and strategic goals. Not your product features.

The 30-Minute QBR That Actually Works

Notice: You talk for 7 minutes. They talk for 15 minutes. The rest is collaboration.

The Questions That Matter

Stop asking about YOUR product. Ask about THEIR business:

• "What would make this quarter a massive win for you?"
• "Where are you getting the most ROI from us? Where are we falling short?"
• "What's blocking you from hitting your revenue/efficiency/growth goals?"
• "If you could wave a magic wand, what would you change about our partnership?"

These questions turn QBRs into strategy sessions. And strategy sessions? Those get C-level attention.

The Follow-Up (This is Where You Win)

Within 24 hours, send a one-page summary:

• 3 business outcomes you delivered
• 2 challenges they mentioned + your proposed solutions
• Action items with owners and due dates
• Next checkpoint date

Then actually DO the action items. Don't wait until next quarter. Execute immediately.

That's how you go from "vendor" to "strategic partner."

Bottom Line

Getting C-level on your QBR call is HARD. When you finally get them there, don't waste it with slide decks and platform metrics.

Come prepared. Talk outcomes. Show ROI. Build strategy together.

This is your first impression all over again. Make it count.