The quarterly business review (QBR) has earned a dubious distinction in marketing as one of the most stressful and nerve-wracking events on the calendar. Worse yet, the fact that it happens every three months means that by the time you recover from one, it’s nearly time to start prepping for the next. It doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, with some strategic planning, QBRs can be an opportunity, not a threat. They can allow marketing teams to tell a compelling story, demonstrate their value, celebrate wins, and gain executive buy-in for the next round of campaigns. Transforming Marketing Quarterly Business Reviews requires careful thought and preparation. As you gear up for the new year, here are nine steps to reimagine quarterly business reviews, strengthen your team, and bring sharper focus to your business impacts in 2025 and beyond.
1. Establish the Agenda
Don’t wait for executives to ask questions. Start from a position of authority and set the agenda for what you’ll communicate during the QBR. Seize the opportunity to drive the conversation by showcasing what you can provide. This helps prevent feeling broadsided by unexpected questions. When you take responsibility and outline the main points of discussion, it not only conveys confidence but also ensures that you highlight the most critical aspects of your marketing strategies and results.
To create an effective agenda, start by considering all the significant achievements and areas of improvement that need attention. Then, prioritize discussing how these align with the company’s broader goals. You might want to begin the meeting by presenting a high-level overview of recent accomplishments and key metrics. By doing so, you can set a positive tone and provide a clear roadmap for the dialogue, helping to keep the meeting focused and productive. Moreover, circulate the agenda in advance to give stakeholders an opportunity to review and prepare questions or comments, making the QBR more interactive and engaging.
2. Choose a Narrative
What’s the story you want to tell, and how can you use the data you have to tell it? Think outside of the box. Too often we think only of driving revenue through lead generation, conversions, and sales growth, but saving money generates revenue too. Maybe you made a process more efficient, whittled a task that took seven clicks down to just two, or automated something that drove a 10% increase in productivity within marketing. That’s just as valuable as boosting MQLs, and you deserve credit. Pick a narrative that combines various facets of your efforts to create a cohesive and compelling story.
It’s crucial to frame your narrative in a way that resonates with your audience’s priorities and concerns. For example, if senior executives are particularly focused on operational efficiencies, emphasize the cost savings from improved processes. Alternatively, if market penetration is a primary concern, highlight your strategies for enhancing customer engagement and expanding the lead pipeline. Use visual aids such as infographics, graphs, and charts to illustrate your points and bring the narrative to life. By presenting your data creatively, you can make complex information more accessible and impactful, thereby reinforcing your story’s central message.
3. Align with Business KPIs
I’ve never seen business KPIs include clicks, engagement, email opens, or any other metric that is likely the focus of your standard campaign reporting. Leaders want to know how those vanity metrics translate into business growth, and that means dollars and cents (i.e., revenue, sales, market share, lead pipeline, and cost savings). Focus on delivering the results they want to see, and they’ll be less likely to press you for data you don’t have. Make sure that your KPIs are not just metrics, but meaningful indicators of business performance, and align your marketing objectives accordingly.
To effectively align with business KPIs, start by having a deep understanding of what the executive team values the most. This may involve strategic discussions with various departments to understand their goals and challenges. From there, determine which marketing metrics can be directly correlated with these business KPIs. For example, rather than reporting on clicks and engagement alone, showcase how these actions contribute to the sales funnel, nurture leads, and eventually result in revenue generation. This alignment can help bridge the gap between marketing activities and business outcomes, making it easier for stakeholders to see your team’s contribution to overall success.
4. Handle Specific Requests Offline
When you share the agenda and overview of what will be presented, it’s inevitable that some leaders may come back with specific inquiries and ask about reporting that isn’t on the agenda. Addressing these during the QBR can sometimes open a can of worms, so responding offline with this information can head off the tendency to go down a rabbit hole in the meeting. By tackling specific requests separately, you can maintain control over the meeting’s flow and ensure that the primary agenda items receive the attention they deserve.
One effective approach is to create a separate follow-up process for addressing specific requests. This could involve scheduling one-on-one meetings with stakeholders or sending detailed reports via email after the QBR. Ensure that you acknowledge these requests during the meeting and clearly communicate when and how you plan to address them. This shows that you are receptive and forthcoming without derailing the main presentation. By managing expectations and providing concise, targeted follow-ups, you can keep the QBR focused while also meeting the needs of your stakeholders.
5. Consider the Stakeholders
Who are your stakeholders, and what do they need to know? This includes not only those who will be at the QBR but also those two levels up who will be asking questions of those attendees. Find out what they’re looking for by building relationships with those stakeholders. Ask what keeps them up at night, what their goals are, what’s working, and what’s not. Find out what they’re being asked for and the specific context in which the data is being requested. They may not need a deep dive, only talking points with some top-level insights. Giving them enough to speak eloquently to their higher-ups without burying them in too much information builds trust.
Tailor your presentation to address the varying needs and expectations of different stakeholders. For instance, senior executives may be more interested in strategic insights and high-level metrics, while department heads might require more detailed performance data relevant to their specific areas. By personalizing your content, you can ensure that everyone finds the information relevant and valuable. Moreover, consider involving key stakeholders in the preparation process. Soliciting their input can help you better understand their perspectives and refine your presentation to better meet their needs. This collaborative approach not only enhances the quality of your QBR but also strengthens stakeholder engagement and support.
6. Provide Analysis, Not Just Statistics
Instead of showing raw numbers, explain what it means in the context of what’s happening in the market. For example, explain the relationship between MQL and unsubscribe rates by showing that, for example, MQL rates hold steady through the third email in a nurture campaign, but unsubscribe rates start to spike at the eighth email. Or explain how you’re reaching 80% of your mailable database with two engagements this quarter versus just 50% last quarter. Another option is to demonstrate how the average time to MQL status has shortened. These examples provide insight beyond the numbers and help stakeholders see the value behind the stats.
Statistical data by itself can be overwhelming and difficult to interpret. By providing context and analysis, you bring clarity to the numbers and demonstrate their significance. This approach helps transform data from mere figures into actionable insights that can inform decision-making. Showcase trends, draw comparisons, and highlight causality to give a comprehensive understanding of your marketing efforts’ impact. Using case studies or real-world examples can also make your analysis more tangible and relatable. This analytical perspective not only enhances the credibility of your presentation but also empowers stakeholders with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions.
7. Plan for the Next Quarter
It seems obvious, but you can’t report on data that you don’t collect. Before leaving the QBR, choose a priority for the coming quarter — whether it’s an initiative, campaign, or specific data points — that can help narrow the scope for better data collection and success metric alignment. This will ensure that you’re able to answer the questions being asked and give you a defensible position if questions go beyond the agreed-upon scope. Effective planning involves setting clear objectives, establishing key performance indicators, and defining the metrics you will track.
Additionally, align your planning with the broader strategic goals of the organization. Collaborate with relevant departments to ensure that marketing initiatives support overall business objectives. This alignment will help you gather more relevant data and provide a comprehensive view of how marketing efforts contribute to the company’s success. Communicate these plans with your team and stakeholders to ensure everyone is on the same page and understands their roles and responsibilities. By doing so, you create a cohesive and focused approach that can drive better results and more meaningful insights in the next QBR.
8. Utilize Your Strategic Knowledge
Marketing ops is an art and a science, but too many marketing ops leaders view their role as transactional. They gather and report on the campaigns. Period. Instead, point out strategic opportunities based on the tools you have at your disposal and your knowledge of the market. Be clear about technical limitations, but also brainstorm ideas about how to leverage capabilities to uncover insights beyond taking the data at face value. Share your expertise on emerging trends, innovative strategies, and potential areas for growth.
By adopting a strategic mindset, you position yourself as not just a reporter but also a thought leader within the organization. Identify opportunities to optimize processes, enhance campaign effectiveness, and improve overall marketing performance. Show how your team’s work aligns with the company’s long-term vision and contributes to achieving business objectives. This proactive approach can help build credibility and trust with stakeholders, demonstrating that you are not only proficient in handling data but also capable of providing valuable strategic insights. Encourage your team to think critically and creatively, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
9. Highlight Your Team
Marketing ops teams usually work behind the scenes, and in many organizations, they’re only thought about when something goes wrong. QBRs are the perfect opportunity to be the hype squad for your team and get them the recognition they deserve. Better yet, let them present a piece of the story with a few slides about a project or initiative they took on. For example, if they figured out a new process that shaves off time, translate that into dollars-and-cents operational savings to show how it impacts the organization. Recognize individual and team achievements to boost morale and foster a sense of pride and ownership.
Giving your team members the spotlight not only highlights their contributions but also demonstrates the collaborative nature of your marketing efforts. Share success stories, showcase innovative solutions, and highlight the impact of their work on overall business goals. This recognition can significantly boost team morale, motivate them to continue delivering exceptional results, and reinforce their commitment to the organization’s success. Additionally, involving your team in the QBR presentation provides them with valuable experience and exposure, helping them develop their skills and grow professionally. By celebrating your team’s accomplishments, you create a positive and supportive work environment that encourages continuous improvement and excellence.
Rethinking QBRs for Bigger Wins
The start of the new year is an ideal moment to rethink the purpose of the quarterly business review, transforming it from a daunting task into a valuable opportunity. It doesn’t have to be a high-pressure, stress-inducing event akin to a fight-or-flight situation. Instead, it can be welcomed as a chance to highlight one’s contributions and expertise.
Marketing operations leaders can seize this moment to take control of the narrative around quarterly business reviews. By doing so, they can align goals more swiftly, offer more profound and insightful trend analyses, and effectively advocate for their teams. This proactive approach also allows them to celebrate their successes more openly.
By reframing the quarterly business review, these leaders can manage to reduce their stress levels significantly. They turn the review process into a platform to demonstrate their value to the organization convincingly. This strategic shift not only showcases their critical contributions but also reinforces their positions within the company. The quarterly business review thus becomes less about defending past actions and more about planning future achievements, fostering a more positive and productive atmosphere within the team and the broader organization.
