QBRs get a bad rap. Too long. Too many slides. Too much fluff. But if you do them right, they’re one of the best ways to keep your team aligned, accountable, and actually moving the business forward.
Here’s a framework you can run next week — practical, simple, and focused on results.
Matt Mochary, Tech Start-Up Coach and author of The Great CEO Within, says an effective offsite should accomplish four things: review the past, set the next 90 days, align on OKRs (objectives and key results), and strengthen team bonding. That’s a great starting point for shaping your QBR.
1. Look Back
Start with the quarter you just finished. Ask your team to come prepared with:
-
Q3 results – what actually happened versus plan
-
Wins and losses – what went well, what didn’t
-
Lessons learned – the key takeaways
-
Pipeline reality check – where deals moved, stalled, or fell through
Keep it short. The point isn’t to dwell on the past, it’s to learn from it.
2. Set Forecasts (different from sales goal)
Goals are the 1–3 things each person commits to this quarter that will move the needle. Examples:
-
Secure Face Time with your top 5 accounts
-
Launch an outreach campaign in a new vertical
-
Hit a specific number of qualified discovery calls
For managers, Goals could be:
-
Hire and onboard new reps
-
Document onboarding manual
-
Roll out a new account review process
Make them realistic. Make them measurable. And make them non-negotiable.
3. Build the Strategic Action Plan (SAP)
A sales goal without a plan is just a wish. Have each person outline:
-
How they plan to hit their Q4 goals
-
Which accounts matter most
-
Key activities to make it happen
-
Support they’ll need from you or the team
This turns goals into actionable steps.
4. Share and Get Feedback
If time allows, have reps share their SAP with the team. Why?
-
Accountability increases when peers know your plan
-
Everyone can steal good ideas
-
Coaching happens naturally
5. Align on OKRs
According to Mochary, here’s what you need to make OKRs stick:
-
Create a system to track OKRs
-
Build a traffic-lighted spreadsheet (green/on track, yellow/at risk, red/off track)
-
Update weekly so everyone sees what’s on or off track
-
For OKRs that are off track, require a short report: what’s wrong and how it’s getting back on track
-
Track these issues as a team until they’re resolved
-
Every department or level should own their own OKRs
This shifts OKRs from theory into a living, breathing accountability tool.
6. Lock It In
Before you wrap:
-
Confirm each person’s SAP/Rocks
-
Agree on follow-ups and accountability check-ins
-
Schedule a mid-quarter touchpoint
Without accountability, the QBR is just a meeting. With it, it drives results.
7. Bonus: Customer-Facing QBRs
The same structure works with clients:
-
Review what you delivered last quarter
-
Identify what’s changing for the client
-
Outline the plan for the next 90 days
-
Agree on success metrics together
Done right, client QBRs improve retention, expansion, and trust.
Final Thought
QBRs aren’t about slides or perfection. They’re about:
-
Learning from the past
-
Setting Rocks that actually matter
-
Turning plans into action
-
Aligning around OKRs
-
Locking in accountability
-
Keeping everyone consistent
Consistency beats polish. Start running them every quarter. The rhythm alone is worth it.