--- title: "Quarterly Business Review: Run a Customer QBR" description: "Run a quarterly business review in six steps: prepare the data, agree the agenda, review outcomes, discuss risks, agree actions and follow up." image: https://www.finemediabw.com/hubfs/Blog/Customer%20Success/Consideration/Quarterly%20Business%20Review%20-%20How%20to%20Run%20a%20Customer%20QBR%20in%20Six%20Steps/quarterly-business-review-share-1200x630.png --- [![Fine\_Media\_logo\_Set\_HubSpot Website Logo Stacked](https://www.finemediabw.com/hubfs/Fine_Media_logo_Set_HubSpot%20Website%20Logo%20Stacked.svg "Fine_Media_logo_Set_HubSpot Website Logo Stacked")](https://www.finemediabw.com/) - Solutions - [Inbound Marketing](https://www.finemediabw.com/inbound-marketing) - [Website Design](https://www.finemediabw.com/website-design-and-development) - [Sales Enablement](https://www.finemediabw.com/sales-enablement) - [Customer Success](https://www.finemediabw.com/customer-success) - [HubSpot Services](https://www.finemediabw.com/hubspot-services) - [Insights](https://www.finemediabw.com/blog) - [About](https://www.finemediabw.com/about-us) Show submenu for About - [About us](https://www.finemediabw.com/about-us) - [Meet the Team](https://www.finemediabw.com/our-team) - [Our Story](https://www.finemediabw.com/our-story) - Solutions - [Inbound Marketing](https://www.finemediabw.com/inbound-marketing) - [Website Design](https://www.finemediabw.com/website-design-and-development) - [Sales Enablement](https://www.finemediabw.com/sales-enablement) - [Customer Success](https://www.finemediabw.com/customer-success) - [HubSpot Services](https://www.finemediabw.com/hubspot-services) - [Insights](https://www.finemediabw.com/blog) - [About](https://www.finemediabw.com/about-us) Show submenu for About - [About us](https://www.finemediabw.com/about-us) - [Meet the Team](https://www.finemediabw.com/our-team) - [Our Story](https://www.finemediabw.com/our-story) - [Contact us](https://www.finemediabw.com/contact) - [Contact us](https://www.finemediabw.com/contact) ![Quarterly Business Review: How to Run a Customer QBR in Six Steps. White and dark type on a slate ground, Propello.](https://www.finemediabw.com/hubfs/Blog/Customer%20Success/Consideration/Quarterly%20Business%20Review%20-%20How%20to%20Run%20a%20Customer%20QBR%20in%20Six%20Steps/quarterly-business-review-share-1200x630.png) Oct 15, 2026, 10:25:46 PM | [Customer Success](https://www.finemediabw.com/blog/tag/customer-success) # Quarterly Business Review: How to Run a Customer QBR in Six Steps Run a quarterly business review in six steps: prepare the data, agree the agenda, review outcomes, discuss risks, agree actions and follow up. Share - [mailto:?&subject=Quarterly%20Business%20Review:%20How%20to%20Run%20a%20Customer%20QBR%20in%20Six%20Steps&body=Quarterly%20Business%20Review:%20How%20to%20Run%20a%20Customer%20QBR%20in%20Six%20Steps%0A(https%3A%2F%2Fwww.finemediabw.com%2Fblog%2Fquarterly-business-review)](mailto:?&subject=Quarterly%20Business%20Review:%20How%20to%20Run%20a%20Customer%20QBR%20in%20Six%20Steps&body=Quarterly%20Business%20Review:%20How%20to%20Run%20a%20Customer%20QBR%20in%20Six%20Steps%0A(https%3A%2F%2Fwww.finemediabw.com%2Fblog%2Fquarterly-business-review)) - - - If you lead customer success or run accounts at a B2B company, a quarterly business review (QBR) is the meeting where you show a customer what their last quarter produced and agree what the next one should achieve. Held every three months, it works as a strategic checkpoint for the account. A good one takes six steps: prepare the data, agree the agenda, review outcomes, discuss risks, agree actions and follow up. For the full picture, read our complete guide to [customer success strategy](https://www.finemediabw.com/blog/customer-success-strategy). This guide is for customer success managers, account managers and the revenue leaders who own those teams. You get the QBR process in order, a finish line for each step, a simple QBR template you can copy and the mistakes that turn a QBR meeting into a status report.   | **Quarterly Business Review** A recurring meeting, held once a quarter, where a vendor and a customer review the past quarter's performance against shared goals and agree the actions for the next quarter. | | --- | ## What you will have at the end of the review Run the six steps and you finish with a short set of things you can show to anyone on either side. - A one-page summary of the past quarter, built from usage data and the customer's own goals, so you can evaluate progress with them. - A QBR agenda the customer helped to shape, so the meeting covers what they care about. - A written list of risks, with an owner for each. - A list of action items with dates, for both teams. - A date for the next QBR, booked before anyone leaves the room. A note on the term. QBR also names internal quarterly reviews that a team holds with its own leaders, and a rating used in American football. This guide covers external QBRs, the customer meeting, which some companies call an executive business review when senior people attend. ## What to have in place before you start ![Five layers stacked from the bottom, stated goals, one owner, reliable data, sponsors and a cadence, held together by readiness.](https://www.finemediabw.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog/Customer%20Success/Consideration/Quarterly%20Business%20Review%20-%20How%20to%20Run%20a%20Customer%20QBR%20in%20Six%20Steps/cs07-qbr-readiness-blog-1600x900.png?width=1600&height=900&name=cs07-qbr-readiness-blog-1600x900.png) Weak reviews are decided before the meeting, when nobody has agreed what the account was meant to achieve. A successful QBR starts with these gaps closed, so everyone is on the same page. - **Goals the customer has stated.** You need the customer's goals in their own words, ideally captured at onboarding or in a written customer success plan. If you cannot name them, ask before you prepare anything. - **An owner on your side.** One customer success manager or account manager runs the review, even when sales, support and product contribute. - **Data you trust.** Usage data, support history and renewal dates need to sit in one place. If your records disagree, fix that first, because the customer will notice. - **A named executive sponsor on each side.** Someone senior should be able to approve the actions that come out of the meeting. - **A cadence.** Decide which accounts get a full review each quarter and which get a lighter check-in. If you are still deciding how customer success fits into the wider business, read [what customer success is and how it works](https://www.finemediabw.com/blog/what-is-customer-success) before you build a review process on top of it. ## A quarterly business review in six steps ![One route through six steps in three stages: prepare, meet and follow up.](https://www.finemediabw.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog/Customer%20Success/Consideration/Quarterly%20Business%20Review%20-%20How%20to%20Run%20a%20Customer%20QBR%20in%20Six%20Steps/cs07-qbr-six-steps-blog-1600x900.png?width=1600&height=900&name=cs07-qbr-six-steps-blog-1600x900.png) Each step ends with what done looks like. Work through them in order, because later steps depend on earlier answers. ### 1. Prepare the data and the story for the past quarter Start with the customer's goals, then collect the key metrics that show progress toward them. Pull usage data, adoption of the features the customer bought, support tickets, response times and any customer feedback you have collected, such as survey answers or comments from calls. A successful QBR is data-driven and built on measurable goals, which gives both sides clear accountability. Choose a small set of measures. Three to five key metrics are enough, as long as each one connects to something the customer said they wanted. Add one or two lessons learned from the quarter, including anything that went worse than planned. Turn the numbers into a short story with a few insights: where the customer started the quarter, what changed and what it means for their business goals. Keep your own product out of the lead, and show the company's progress, not yours. The customer cares about their progress first. You are done when one page shows the customer's goals, the key metrics against each, and a plain-language summary of the past quarter's performance. ### 2. Agree the agenda and the attendees with the customer Send the draft QBR agenda at least a week ahead and ask the customer to change it. A formal meeting with a clear agenda but no say for the customer feels like a report. A review that the customer helped shape gets better attendance and more honest answers. A solid QBR agenda has five parts: - A quick recap of goals and what changed since the last review. - Results against the shared goals. - Customer feedback and open issues. - Risks and opportunities for the upcoming quarter, so you identify opportunities early. - Action items and next steps. Decide who attends. Include the day-to-day users or champion who see the product's effect, and the business leaders and executive sponsors who decide on renewal and budget. A review with only day-to-day contacts misses strategic direction. A review with only executives misses the detail that explains the numbers. Done well, it also strengthens relationships with customer executives and stakeholders. You are done when the customer has confirmed the agenda, the date and the attendees from both sides. ### 3. Review the outcomes against the customer's goals Open the meeting by confirming the goals you are measuring against. Then walk through the results, goal by goal, and let the numbers carry the discussion. Celebrate wins and accomplishments clearly, then give an honest assessment of the challenges and roadblocks. Show progress and shortfalls with the same clarity. Where a goal was met, explain what drove it so the customer can repeat it. Where it was missed, say so, explain why and compare it with past performance. Customers trust a vendor that reports a miss without being asked. Treat the session as constructive feedback and collaboration, not a verdict. Ask the customer to react to each result. Their reading of the data often differs from yours, and that difference is the most useful thing you learn in the meeting. Record what they say about customer satisfaction and customer needs in their words. Link the results to the customer's broader objectives. A rise in feature use matters only if it moves something the customer's business tracks, such as time saved or revenue growth. You are done when the customer agrees, or states clearly why they disagree, with the picture of the past quarter. ### 4. Discuss risks, blockers and opportunities This is the part of the QBR meeting that protects customer retention and helps drive retention over the year. Name the potential risks plainly: low adoption in a team, a champion who has left, an unresolved support issue, a contract renewal coming up or a competitor in the account. Invite the customer to add their own. Ask what is getting in the way, what has changed in their company and what they wish the product did differently. Each answer helps you address challenges before they show up as churn. Then turn to opportunities. If the customer's needs have grown, say where more of your service could help. Handle this as a conversation about their goals, not as a pitch. Expansion that follows a real need is easier to win and easier to keep; see [expansion revenue](https://www.finemediabw.com/blog/expansion-revenue) for how to think about it. You are done when every risk has a name and an owner, and every opportunity is either parked with a reason or turned into a next step. ### 5. Agree the action items for the next quarter Set the goals for the next quarter before the meeting ends. Keep the list short: a handful of action items that both sides can finish. Each one needs an owner, a date and a description of what done means. Split the list by team. Some actions belong to your customer success teams, such as training or a configuration change. Others belong to the customer, such as providing access or naming a new champion. Put both on the same list so nobody carries the blame alone. Check that the actions connect to the customer's annual goals, so both teams align around the same outcome. If an action does not move a goal, drop it. This keeps the account aligned with strategic direction rather than a pile of tasks. You are done when the meeting ends with a written list of action items, each with an owner and a date, that both sides have seen. ### 6. Follow up within two days and book the next QBR Document the outcomes and distribute them while the meeting is fresh. Include the main points, the action items, the owners and the dates. Add the one-page review so people who missed the call can catch up. Add the action items to the tools your team already uses, so nothing depends on memory. Set reminders for the checkpoints between reviews. A short mid-quarter note on progress keeps the customer engaged and gives you an early signal if something slips. Book the next QBR before you close the thread. A date on the calendar makes the review a habit, and it gives both teams a clear point to work toward. You are done when the summary has been sent, the actions are tracked and the date for the next QBR is confirmed. ## Key components of a QBR template you can reuse You can turn the six steps into a reusable quarterly business review template. Keep it to one page for the document and around ten slides for the presentation. Once it works, every CS team can reuse the same QBR template across accounts. - **Goals and context.** The customer's goals, their current priorities and any change in their business. - **Results.** The key metrics for the past quarter, each next to its goal, with a one-line reading. - **Customer feedback.** What the customer said, in their own words, and how you responded. - **Risks and opportunities.** The list from step four, with owners. - **Action items.** Owners, dates and the definition of done. - **Next QBR.** The date, the attendees and the agenda draft. Use the same structure for every account, then tailor the content to each customer's goals and preferences. A consistent format builds strong customer relationships because it shows the same care for every client, and it makes it easier for your team to prepare and for customers to compare one quarter with the next. ## Mistakes to avoid in a QBR meeting Most disappointing reviews repeat a few errors. Check your plan against this list. - **Turning the review into a sales pitch.** Customers can tell. Start with their goals and let opportunities come from the discussion. - **Overloading the deck with data.** A deck full of charts hides the few that matter. Pick the key metrics and cut the rest. - **Hiding bad news.** A miss you report yourself builds trust. A miss the customer finds builds doubt. - **Talking only to day-to-day contacts.** Without an executive in the room, budget and renewal decisions happen elsewhere. - **Skipping the follow up.** An action list nobody sends is a list nobody finishes. - **Changing the format every quarter.** A steady QBR process lets everyone see progress over time and shows strategic alignment between both companies. - **Holding a QBR for every account in the same way.** Give your biggest accounts a full review and use lighter check-ins for the rest. ## What you gain when this is done properly ![Three overlapping groups, sales, marketing and customer success, sharing review notes.](https://www.finemediabw.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog/Customer%20Success/Consideration/Quarterly%20Business%20Review%20-%20How%20to%20Run%20a%20Customer%20QBR%20in%20Six%20Steps/cs07-qbr-what-each-team-gains-blog-1600x900.png?width=1600&height=900&name=cs07-qbr-what-each-team-gains-blog-1600x900.png) A steady review process turns scattered account conversations into a regular, visible rhythm. Each team gains something different. ### Sales gets better signals about each account Sellers hear which clients are growing, which are at risk and what they might buy next. That makes renewal and expansion conversations easier, because the groundwork has been done in the review. ### Marketing gets real customer language Customer feedback from QBRs shows the words buyers use for their problems and the results they care about. Marketing can use that to sharpen messages and to find stories worth asking customers to share. ### Customer success gets a clear view of account health Customer success teams see risks early and can show their work. The review gives them a place to link their day-to-day tasks to the customer's goals, which helps them make the case for the team's value inside their own company. ## Make the quarterly business review a habit, not an event A good QBR is regular, shared and specific. The main point of a quarterly business review (QBR) is to keep customer and vendor working toward the same results. Prepare the data, agree the agenda, review outcomes against goals, face the risks, agree the actions and follow up. Propello designs and builds connected go-to-market systems on HubSpot. If you want your account data, health signals and review preparation set up so that every QBR starts from one trusted record, an audit is the place to start. [Book a Propello GTM Audit](https://www.finemediabw.com/contact) ## Frequently asked questions What does QBR stand for? QBR stands for quarterly business review. In customer success, it is a recurring meeting where a vendor and a customer look at the past quarter's results against agreed goals and plan the next quarter. Some companies hold similar internal reviews with their own leadership. What should be in a quarterly business review? Include the customer's goals, results for the past quarter, customer feedback, risks and opportunities, and action items for the next quarter. Add a short recap of the previous review. Keep the key metrics to a handful, and tie each one to a goal the customer has stated. How long should a QBR meeting be? Plan for 45 to 60 minutes for a full QBR meeting, and shorter for a lighter check-in. Leave most of the time for discussion, not slides. If the agenda needs more room, split it into two sessions rather than rushing through the risks and actions. Who should attend a QBR? Bring the customer success manager or account manager, an executive sponsor from your side, the customer's main contact and at least one business leader from the customer who can approve budget or change. Add product or support specialists only when the agenda needs them. What is the difference between a QBR and an executive business review? A QBR is a regular working review, usually run with the customer's day-to-day owners. An executive business review is a more strategic session for senior leaders, held less often. It focuses on business goals and the broader relationship, with less detail on usage. ![Tumisang Bogwasi](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/77d7e2eaad8ff71b24463dcc39a31e9e) ### Written By: Tumisang Bogwasi Tumisang Bogwasi is the founder and CEO of Propello, a HubSpot partner that designs and builds connected go-to-market systems. [mailto:tumib@finemediabw.com](mailto:tumib@finemediabw.com) ## You May Also Like ### [![Revenue Forecasting: How to Build a Forecast You Can Defend. 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