QBR (Quarterly Business Review) Templates - Complete Framework
Date: 2024
Version: 1.0
Category: Strategic Planning & Executive Reporting
Executive Summary
This comprehensive QBR framework provides templates for conducting effective quarterly business reviews with internal stakeholders, board members, and key customers. Each template includes agenda structures, presentation formats, analysis frameworks, and follow-up action plans.
QBR Framework Goals
- Strategic Alignment: Ensure all stakeholders aligned on priorities
- Performance Transparency: Clear view of progress and challenges
- Decision Making: Data-driven decisions on resource allocation
- Relationship Building: Strengthen stakeholder relationships
- Action Planning: Clear next steps and accountability
Internal QBR Template (Executive Team)
Pre-QBR Preparation Checklist
2 Weeks Before: - [ ] Data collection from all departments - [ ] Financial close completed - [ ] Customer feedback compiled - [ ] Competitive analysis updated - [ ] Draft deck creation started
1 Week Before: - [ ] Department heads review their sections - [ ] Metrics validated and verified - [ ] Executive pre-read distributed - [ ] Technology check for presentation - [ ] Action items from last QBR reviewed
Day Before: - [ ] Final deck review with CEO - [ ] Printed materials prepared - [ ] Room setup confirmed - [ ] Remote access tested - [ ] Agenda distributed
QBR Agenda Template (3 Hours)
QUARTERLY BUSINESS REVIEW - Q4 2024
Date: January 15, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST
Location: Executive Conference Room / Zoom
AGENDA:
9:00-9:15 Welcome & Q3 Action Items Review (CEO)
9:15-9:45 Financial Performance (CFO)
9:45-10:15 Sales Performance & Forecast (CRO)
10:15-10:30 Break
10:30-10:50 Marketing Performance & Pipeline (CMO)
10:50-11:10 Product & Engineering Update (CPO/CTO)
11:10-11:30 Customer Success & Retention (CCO)
11:30-11:50 Strategic Initiatives Review (CEO)
11:50-12:00 Q1 Priorities & Action Items (All)
Executive Dashboard Slide
Q4 2024 PERFORMANCE SNAPSHOT
Financial Highlights:
├── Revenue: $8.2M (102% to plan) ✅
├── EBITDA: $1.3M (16% margin) ✅
├── Cash: $12.4M (15 months runway)
└── Burn: $780K/mo (12% under plan) ✅
Key Metrics:
├── New ARR: $2.3M (92% to plan) 🟡
├── NRR: 108% (target 110%) 🟡
├── CAC Payback: 14 months ✅
└── Win Rate: 24% (target 22%) ✅
Customer Metrics:
├── Total Customers: 487 (+34 QoQ)
├── NPS: 52 (target 50) ✅
├── Gross Churn: 2.1% (target <2.5%) ✅
└── Logo Retention: 92% ✅
Headcount:
├── Current: 125 (plan 130)
├── Hired in Q4: 12
├── Open Roles: 8
└── Attrition: 3.2% ✅
Department Performance Templates
Sales Performance Slide
SALES PERFORMANCE - Q4 2024
Bookings Performance:
Q4 Target Q4 Actual Variance Status
New Business $2.5M $2.3M -8% 🟡
Expansion $800K $920K +15% ✅
Total $3.3M $3.22M -2.4% ✅
Pipeline Analysis:
├── Q1 Pipeline: $12.3M (3.8x coverage)
├── Qualified Pipeline: $8.7M
├── Commit Forecast: $3.2M
└── Upside: $1.8M
Win/Loss Analysis:
├── Opportunities Won: 67/278 (24%)
├── Average Deal Size: $48K (+12% QoQ)
├── Sales Cycle: 72 days (-8 days QoQ)
└── Competition Win Rate: 67% vs Competitor A
Rep Performance:
Top Performers: Sarah (142% to quota), Mike (128%)
Bottom Performers: 2 reps on PIP
Average Attainment: 94%
Marketing Performance Slide
MARKETING PERFORMANCE - Q4 2024
Demand Generation:
Q4 Target Q4 Actual YoY Growth
MQLs 1,500 1,678 +34%
SQLs 450 423 +28%
Pipeline Gen $8M $8.7M +41%
CAC <$8,000 $7,234 -12%
Channel Performance (ROI):
├── Paid Search: 4.2x (↑ from 3.8x)
├── Content: 8.7x (↑ from 7.2x)
├── Events: 3.1x (↓ from 4.2x)
├── Email: 12.3x (→ from 12.1x)
└── Social: 2.8x (↑ from 2.1x)
Brand & Awareness:
├── Website Traffic: 145K/mo (+34% YoY)
├── Organic Growth: 67% of traffic
├── Social Followers: 23.4K (+2.3K QoQ)
└── Share of Voice: 18% (3rd in category)
Content Performance:
├── Blog Posts: 34 published
├── Downloads: 3,456
├── Webinar Attendees: 1,234
└── Sales Enablement: 12 new tools
Strategic Initiatives Review
Q4 STRATEGIC INITIATIVES - STATUS UPDATE
1. Enterprise Market Entry ⚠️ YELLOW
├── Progress: 3 enterprise logos (target: 5)
├── Challenges: Longer sales cycles than expected
├── Next Steps: Hire enterprise AE, adjust pricing
└── Q1 Target: 5 additional logos
2. Product Market Expansion ✅ GREEN
├── Progress: Launched in 2 new verticals
├── Results: $450K pipeline generated
├── Next Steps: Scale marketing investment
└── Q1 Target: $800K in bookings
3. International Expansion 🔴 RED
├── Progress: GDPR compliance delayed
├── Challenges: Regulatory complexity
├── Next Steps: Q2 launch (was Q1)
└── Q1 Focus: Complete compliance
4. Platform Integration ✅ GREEN
├── Progress: 5 integrations launched
├── Results: 34% adoption rate
├── Next Steps: 3 more in Q1
└── Impact: +12% retention
Risk & Mitigation Slide
KEY RISKS & MITIGATION STRATEGIES
Risk #1: Sales Productivity Decline
├── Impact: High | Probability: Medium
├── Indicator: Attainment dropped 8% QoQ
├── Mitigation: New training program, tool optimization
└── Owner: CRO | Timeline: 30 days
Risk #2: Competitive Pressure
├── Impact: High | Probability: High
├── Indicator: Win rate vs Competitor B down 12%
├── Mitigation: Differentiation campaign, pricing strategy
└── Owner: CMO/CPO | Timeline: 60 days
Risk #3: Technical Debt
├── Impact: Medium | Probability: High
├── Indicator: Bug rate increased 23%
├── Mitigation: Dedicated sprint, hire 2 engineers
└── Owner: CTO | Timeline: 90 days
Risk #4: Customer Churn in SMB
├── Impact: Medium | Probability: Medium
├── Indicator: SMB churn at 3.2% (was 2.1%)
├── Mitigation: Success program, product improvements
└── Owner: CCO | Timeline: 45 days
Board QBR Template
Board Deck Structure (30-40 Slides)
BOARD QBR PRESENTATION OUTLINE
1. Executive Summary (3 slides)
- Dashboard
- Highlights & Lowlights
- Key Asks
2. Financial Review (6 slides)
- P&L Summary
- Cash Flow & Runway
- Unit Economics
- Budget vs Actual
- Forecast
- Fundraising Update
3. Business Performance (8 slides)
- Sales Metrics
- Marketing Metrics
- Product Metrics
- Customer Metrics
- Operational Metrics
- Cohort Analysis
- Competitive Position
- Market Dynamics
4. Strategic Updates (5 slides)
- Vision & Mission Progress
- Strategic Initiatives
- Product Roadmap
- Go-to-Market Evolution
- Partnerships
5. Team & Culture (3 slides)
- Organizational Update
- Key Hires/Departures
- Culture & Engagement
6. Challenges & Risks (3 slides)
- Key Challenges
- Risk Matrix
- Mitigation Plans
7. Q1 Plan & Asks (3 slides)
- Q1 Priorities
- Resource Needs
- Board Asks
8. Appendix (10+ slides)
- Detailed Metrics
- Supporting Analysis
Board Executive Summary
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Q4 2024
Dear Board Members,
Q4 was a strong quarter with revenue exceeding plan while maintaining
disciplined burn. We achieved several strategic milestones while
navigating competitive headwinds.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:
• Exceeded revenue plan by 2% at $8.2M
• Achieved positive EBITDA for first time
• Launched Enterprise Edition successfully
• Hired VP of Engineering and VP of Customer Success
• Maintained >12 months runway
KEY CHALLENGES:
• Enterprise sales cycles longer than modeled
• Competitive pressure increasing in mid-market
• Technical debt impacting velocity
• International expansion delayed to Q2
BOARD ASKS:
1. Approval for Series B fundraising process (Q2 2025)
2. Compensation committee approval for equity refresh
3. Strategic guidance on M&A opportunity (see appendix)
4. Introduction to [specific customer/partner prospects]
Sincerely,
[CEO Name]
Financial Performance Slides
P&L Summary
PROFIT & LOSS - Q4 2024
(in thousands)
Q4'24 Q4'23 YoY% FY'24 Plan Var%
Revenue $8,200 $4,920 67% $27,340 $26,500 3%
Subscription $7,380 $4,428 67% $24,606 $23,850 3%
Services $820 $492 67% $2,734 $2,650 3%
Gross Profit $6,560 $3,690 78% $21,872 $21,200 3%
Gross Margin 80% 75% +5pp 80% 80% -
Operating Exp $5,260 $4,100 28% $19,230 $19,500 -1%
Sales $2,104 $1,640 28% $7,692 $7,800 -1%
Marketing $1,052 $820 28% $3,846 $3,900 -1%
R&D $1,578 $1,230 28% $5,769 $5,850 -1%
G&A $526 $410 28% $1,923 $1,950 -1%
EBITDA $1,300 $(410) - $2,642 $1,700 55%
EBITDA Margin 16% -8% +24pp 10% 6% +4pp
Cohort Analysis
REVENUE COHORT ANALYSIS
Cohort Customers M1 Rev M6 Rev M12 Rev M24 Rev NRR
2022 Q4 45 $120K $135K $162K $198K 165%
2023 Q1 52 $140K $161K $189K $223K 159%
2023 Q2 48 $125K $144K $171K $198K 158%
2023 Q3 61 $165K $188K $218K $248K 150%
2023 Q4 58 $155K $178K $203K - 131%
2024 Q1 67 $180K $202K - - 112%
2024 Q2 72 $195K $215K - - 110%
2024 Q3 78 $210K - - - -
2024 Q4 84 $225K - - - -
Key Insights:
• Strong expansion in early cohorts (150%+ NRR)
• Recent cohorts showing healthy early expansion
• Consistent improvement in initial contract values
Customer QBR Template
Customer Success QBR Structure
CUSTOMER QBR AGENDA
Customer: Enterprise Corp
Date: January 20, 2025
Duration: 90 minutes
1. Welcome & Relationship Overview (10 min)
2. Success Metrics Review (20 min)
3. Usage & Adoption Analysis (15 min)
4. Value Realization (15 min)
5. Product Roadmap & Feedback (15 min)
6. Support & Service Review (10 min)
7. Next Quarter Planning (15 min)
8. Questions & Next Steps (10 min)
Customer Success Dashboard
ENTERPRISE CORP - Q4 PERFORMANCE
Account Overview:
├── Contract Value: $234K ARR
├── Users: 145/200 licensed (73%)
├── Contract Term: Month 9 of 36
├── Health Score: 84/100 ✅
└── Executive Sponsor: Active ✅
Usage Metrics:
Q3 Q4 Trend Target
DAU 89 112 ↑26% 120
MAU 134 141 ↑5% 150
Features Used 12/20 15/20 ↑25% 18/20
API Calls 234K 312K ↑33% -
Integrations 4 6 ↑50% 8
Business Impact:
├── Sales Productivity: +34% (target: 25%)
├── Pipeline Velocity: +5.2 days (target: 7 days)
├── Forecast Accuracy: 91% (from 67%)
├── Data Quality: 94% (from 72%)
└── Time Savings: 12 hrs/week/rep
Value Realization Slide
VALUE DELIVERED - Q4 2024
Quantified Business Impact:
1. Revenue Impact
├── Pipeline Increased: $3.4M (23% growth)
├── Win Rate Improved: +4.2 percentage points
├── Deal Size Increased: +$12K average
└── Estimated Revenue Impact: $890K
2. Efficiency Gains
├── Admin Time Reduced: 45% (12 hrs/week/rep)
├── Report Generation: 90% faster
├── Data Entry: 67% reduction
└── Cost Savings: $234K annually
3. Strategic Achievements
├── Forecast Accuracy: 91% (industry avg: 75%)
├── Sales Cycle: Reduced by 8 days
├── Customer Satisfaction: +8 NPS points
└── Competitive Win Rate: Up 23%
ROI Calculation:
Investment: $234K
Return: $890K + $234K = $1.124M
ROI: 380% in Year 1
Product Adoption Journey
ADOPTION MATURITY MODEL
Your Current Stage: GROWTH (Stage 3 of 5)
Stage 1: LAUNCH ✅ Complete
├── Basic setup
├── User onboarding
└── Initial workflows
Stage 2: ADOPTION ✅ Complete
├── Core features active
├── 50%+ users engaged
└── Basic integrations
Stage 3: GROWTH ← YOU ARE HERE
├── Advanced features (60% complete)
├── Custom workflows (40% complete)
├── Deep integrations (70% complete)
└── Team expansion (80% complete)
Stage 4: OPTIMIZATION (Next Quarter Goal)
├── Full feature utilization
├── Process optimization
├── Advanced analytics
└── Cross-functional use
Stage 5: INNOVATION (Future)
├── Beta features
├── Co-innovation
├── Best practices leader
└── Reference customer
Support & Service Review
SUPPORT METRICS - Q4 2024
Ticket Summary:
├── Total Tickets: 34
├── Avg Response Time: 2.3 hours (SLA: 4 hours) ✅
├── Avg Resolution: 8.7 hours (SLA: 24 hours) ✅
├── CSAT Score: 4.7/5 ✅
└── Escalations: 2 (both resolved)
Ticket Categories:
├── How-to Questions: 45%
├── Bug Reports: 23%
├── Feature Requests: 18%
├── Integration Help: 12%
└── Other: 2%
Training & Enablement:
├── Training Sessions Completed: 8/8
├── Certified Users: 34 (+12 this quarter)
├── Documentation Accessed: 234 times
└── Office Hours Attendance: 67%
Feature Requests Status:
1. Bulk Import Tool - Delivered in Q4 ✅
2. Advanced Reporting - Scheduled Q1
3. Mobile App Enhancement - Scheduled Q2
4. API Rate Increase - Under Review
Department QBR Templates
Sales Team QBR
SALES TEAM QBR - Q4 2024
Team Performance:
Target Actual Attainment
New Bookings $3.3M $3.22M 97.6%
Upsells $800K $920K 115%
Total $4.1M $4.14M 101%
Individual Performance:
Rep Name Quota Actual % Rank
Sarah Chen $500K $710K 142% 1
Mike Torres $450K $576K 128% 2
Jessica Liu $475K $498K 105% 3
David Park $425K $382K 90% 4
Alex Kim $450K $378K 84% 5
Lisa Wang $400K $312K 78% 6
Tom Wilson $400K $284K 71% 7
Pipeline Analysis:
├── Total Pipeline: $12.3M
├── Qualified: $8.7M (71%)
├── Average Deal Size: $67K
├── Deals in Pipeline: 183
└── Overdue Deals: 23 ($1.2M)
Activity Metrics:
Target Actual Variance
Calls/Day 40 37 -7.5%
Emails/Day 80 92 +15%
Meetings/Week 8 7.2 -10%
Demos/Week 4 4.3 +7.5%
Marketing Team QBR
MARKETING TEAM QBR - Q4 2024
Demand Generation Performance:
Q3 Q4 QoQ YoY
MQLs 1,456 1,678 +15% +34%
CPL $89 $76 -15% -22%
MQL→SQL 38% 42% +4pp +7pp
Pipeline Gen $7.2M $8.7M +21% +41%
Campaign Performance:
Campaign Budget Leads CPL Pipeline ROI
Q4 Launch $45K 234 $192 $1.2M 27x
Black Friday $23K 456 $50 $890K 39x
Webinar Series $12K 189 $63 $567K 47x
Content Campaign $8K 267 $30 $445K 56x
Channel Mix Evolution:
Channel Q3 Mix Q4 Mix Optimal Action
Paid Search 35% 32% 30% Reduce
Content 20% 25% 30% Increase
Email 15% 18% 20% Increase
Social 15% 12% 10% Reduce
Events 15% 13% 10% Reduce
Team Initiatives:
✅ Launched new website (conversion +34%)
✅ Implemented marketing automation
⚠️ ABM program delayed to Q1
✅ Sales enablement portal complete
QBR Analysis Frameworks
Performance Analysis Matrix
PERFORMANCE QUADRANT ANALYSIS
High Performance + High Growth (STARS)
├── Product Usage Metrics
├── Customer Satisfaction
├── Marketing ROI
└── Action: Invest & Scale
High Performance + Low Growth (CASH COWS)
├── Renewal Rates
├── Existing Customer Revenue
└── Action: Maintain & Optimize
Low Performance + High Growth (QUESTION MARKS)
├── New Market Segments
├── International Expansion
└── Action: Monitor & Adjust
Low Performance + Low Growth (DOGS)
├── Legacy Features
├── Underperforming Channels
└── Action: Sunset or Transform
Year-over-Year Comparison
YOY PERFORMANCE COMPARISON
Q4 2023 Q4 2024 Change Analysis
Revenue $4.9M $8.2M +67% Strong growth
Customers 234 487 +108% Market traction
ARR $19.2M $32.4M +69% Solid expansion
NRR 98% 108% +10pp Improved retention
CAC $12K $7.2K -40% Efficiency gains
LTV:CAC 2.1 3.8 +81% Unit economics
Burn Rate $1.1M $780K -29% Path to profit
Runway 8 mo 15 mo +88% Extended runway
Headcount 67 125 +87% Scaled team
Revenue/Head $73K $66K -10% Efficiency opportunity
Competitive Landscape Analysis
COMPETITIVE POSITION - Q4 2024
Market Position:
Us Comp A Comp B Comp C
Market Share 12% 34% 28% 18%
Growth Rate 67% 23% 31% 45%
Win Rate 24% 31% 28% 22%
NPS Score 52 38 41 47
Price Point $$$ $$$$ $$$ $$
Competitive Wins/Losses:
Wins Losses Win Rate
vs Competitor A 23 34 40%
vs Competitor B 34 28 55%
vs Competitor C 45 12 79%
vs No Decision 67 89 43%
Differentiation Strengths:
1. Ease of implementation (2 weeks vs 8 weeks)
2. Customer support (4.7 CSAT vs industry 3.9)
3. Price-to-value ratio
4. Integration ecosystem
5. Innovation velocity
QBR Action Planning
Action Item Template
Q1 2025 ACTION ITEMS
Priority 1: Improve Sales Productivity
├── Owner: CRO
├── Due Date: February 15
├── Success Metric: Attainment >95%
├── Resources Needed: $45K training budget
└── Status: Not Started
Priority 2: Launch ABM Program
├── Owner: CMO
├── Due Date: March 31
├── Success Metric: 20 target accounts engaged
├── Resources Needed: 1 FTE, $30K tools
└── Status: Planning
Priority 3: Reduce Technical Debt
├── Owner: CTO
├── Due Date: March 31
├── Success Metric: Bug rate <5/sprint
├── Resources Needed: 2 engineers
└── Status: In Progress
Priority 4: Expand Customer Success
├── Owner: CCO
├── Due Date: February 28
├── Success Metric: NRR >110%
├── Resources Needed: 2 CSMs
└── Status: Hiring
Success Metrics Tracking
QBR SUCCESS METRICS TRACKER
Metric Q4 Target Q4 Actual Q1 Target Owner
Revenue $8.0M $8.2M $9.2M CRO
New Customers 35 34 40 CRO
NRR 110% 108% 112% CCO
Pipeline Coverage 4x 3.8x 4.2x CMO
Win Rate 22% 24% 26% CRO
CAC Payback 15 mo 14 mo 13 mo CMO
Employee NPS >40 43 >45 CPO
Product Velocity 20 pts 18 pts 25 pts CTO
Support CSAT >4.5 4.7 >4.7 CCO
Burn Rate <$850K $780K <$750K CFO
Follow-Up Calendar
POST-QBR FOLLOW-UP SCHEDULE
Week 1 (Jan 22-26):
├── Action items assigned in project management tool
├── Department planning sessions scheduled
├── Board follow-up memo sent
└── Customer QBR thank you notes sent
Week 2 (Jan 29-Feb 2):
├── Detailed project plans submitted
├── Resource allocations confirmed
├── Hiring requisitions approved
└── Budget adjustments processed
Week 4 (Feb 12-16):
├── First progress check-in
├── Blockers identified and addressed
├── Quick wins celebrated
└── Course corrections made
Week 8 (Mar 11-15):
├── Mid-quarter review
├── Progress report to board
├── Customer check-ins completed
└── Q2 QBR planning begins
QBR Best Practices
Preparation Best Practices
Do's:
✅ Start data collection 3 weeks early
✅ Validate all metrics with source systems
✅ Include both wins and challenges transparently
✅ Prepare answers to likely questions
✅ Create executive summary for pre-read
✅ Test all technology before presentation
✅ Assign clear owners to all action items
✅ Send follow-up within 48 hours
Don'ts:
❌ Surprise stakeholders with bad news
❌ Include metrics without context
❌ Make excuses for misses
❌ Over-promise on next quarter
❌ Skip competitive analysis
❌ Ignore previous quarter's action items
❌ Present without rehearsing
❌ Leave without clear next steps
Presentation Tips
Structure: 1. Start with headlines (good and bad) 2. Provide context for all metrics 3. Show trends, not just snapshots 4. Include competitive benchmarks 5. Balance data with narrative 6. End with clear asks and next steps
Delivery: - Keep to time (use timer) - Pause for questions - Make eye contact (even on video) - Use stories to illustrate points - Be prepared to go deeper on any topic - Have backup slides ready
Virtual QBR Considerations
Technology Setup: - Test audio/video 30 min before - Have backup presenter ready - Share screen at full resolution - Use virtual backgrounds sparingly - Mute when not speaking - Record for those who can't attend
Engagement Tactics: - Use polls for quick feedback - Call on specific people for input - Break every 20 minutes for questions - Use chat for clarifications - Send materials in advance - Follow up with recording
QBR Templates & Tools
Data Collection Template
QBR DATA COLLECTION CHECKLIST
Financial Data:
□ P&L statement
□ Cash flow statement
□ Balance sheet
□ Budget vs actual
□ Forecast update
□ Unit economics
Sales Data:
□ Bookings by rep/segment
□ Pipeline analysis
□ Win/loss data
□ Activity metrics
□ Forecast accuracy
Marketing Data:
□ Lead generation metrics
□ Campaign performance
□ Channel analysis
□ Content metrics
□ Attribution data
Product Data:
□ Feature adoption
□ Usage metrics
□ Quality metrics
□ Roadmap progress
□ Customer feedback
Customer Data:
□ Churn analysis
□ NPS/CSAT scores
□ Support metrics
□ Success metrics
□ Expansion pipeline
QBR Feedback Survey
POST-QBR FEEDBACK SURVEY
1. How valuable was this QBR? (1-10)
2. What was most valuable?
3. What was missing?
4. How was the pace?
□ Too fast □ Just right □ Too slow
5. Were action items clear?
□ Yes □ Somewhat □ No
6. Suggestions for next QBR:
[Open text]
Appendices
A. Metric Definitions
[Complete glossary of all QBR metrics]
B. Slide Templates
[PowerPoint/Google Slides templates]
C. Analysis Tools
[Excel models and calculators]
D. Historical QBRs
[Archive of past QBR decks]
E. Board Reporting Requirements
[Specific board requirements and preferences]
QBR Templates Version: 1.0
Last Updated: 2024
Next QBR: April 15, 2025
Owner: Chief of Staff