Last updated: January 20, 2026
Kapta spoke with senior executives about vendor QBRs. Only 28% said they’re a valuable use of time.
That is the real problem: when execs think your “strategic review” is a time tax, you don’t just lose a meeting. You lose the room at renewal.
The traditional QBR model is facing a key inflection point in SaaS.
More execs are treating QBRs like a ceremony instead of a decision forum.
As Jack Maguire (National Debt Relief) put it: “These meetings have devolved into corporate karaoke.”
The Current Crisis in QBRs (and why execs tune out)
Clientshare asked 200 senior stakeholders involved in QBRs. 88% said business reviews lack evidence of value and innovation, and 82% said they’ve cancelled a contract due to poor QBRs.
What poor QBRs cost you (even before renewal)
Poor QBR execution shows up in three predictable places: renewals slip later, exec trust drops, and expansion conversations stop happening because nobody agrees on outcomes.
For more about how QBRs impact enterprise customers, check out my Ultimate Guide to Executive Business Reviews for CSMs
The Evolution of Strategic Reviews
The Amazon Framework
What the best teams borrow from Amazon is the cadence and the writing:
One annual alignment moment (joint plan)
Monthly scorecard-style reviews for inputs
Quarterly reviews only when there are decisions to make
The point is simple: reviews exist to drive decisions, not to replay dashboards.
Learn more about transforming traditional reviews in my guide on How to Turn Boring QBRs into Growth Rockets
The Modern Alternative
Real-Time Engagement
The modern shift is not “more analytics.” It’s faster synthesis.
Teams are using AI to turn messy account signals (usage, tickets, emails, notes) into a short, decision-ready brief before the meeting.
Example: Custify announced an AI suite that generates account summaries and helps prep QBR talking points from account history, threads, and notes.
Best Practices for Success
A practical benchmark: aim to listen more than you talk. Call analysis in sales consistently shows better outcomes when talk time stays below average.
Customer-centric QBRs win for one reason: they make the customer’s plan the agenda, and your product the supporting actor.
For more insights on measuring success, explore my Top 5 Customer Success Metrics for SaaS Performance Insights
QBR agenda (executive-ready)
Use this agenda when you want exec attendance and renewal control:
If the people who control the budget are not in the room, you are running a customer meeting, not a renewal-protection meeting.
Here’s the structure that consistently works:
1) Pre-read (sent 48 hours before): 1 page, outcomes only
2) 5-minute executive recap: what changed since last review
3) 15 minutes on value: business outcomes, not product activity
4) 15 minutes on risk: what breaks renewal if ignored
5) 15 minutes on decisions: what you need from them, what they need from you
6) Close with owners + dates: next steps that survive the meeting
The Future of Customer Reviews
Emerging Trends
What’s clearly happening already: CS platforms are shipping AI features that compress QBR prep time (summaries, talking points, risk flags) so humans can spend the meeting on alignment and decisions, not data narration.
So, the traditional QBR isn't just dying.
It's evolving into a more dynamic, valuable, and customer-centric process.
Companies that adapt to this evolution will build stronger relationships and drive better outcomes.
And those sticking to outdated practices risk becoming irrelevant soon.
Industry leaders are already implementing the next generation of strategic reviews.
Here’s what they do differently:
They send a 1-page pre-read
They show outcomes and risk in exec language
They leave with decisions, owners, and dates
The Stakes Are Higher Than Ever
Existing-customer growth is the priority, and CS leaders are being measured on it.
Gartner’s signal is clear: existing-customer growth is now the priority. In a Gartner survey, 73% of CSOs said they’re prioritizing growth from existing customers for 2025.
Yet many organizations still struggle to deliver meaningful value in their QBRs.
So, which side of this divide will you be on?
The Cost of Inaction
Every bad QBR does the same damage: it teaches the exec team that your time together produces no decisions. That’s how you lose executive air cover before renewal.
Your Next 90 Days: Transform or Get Left Behind
Here’s how industry leaders are setting up proven frameworks that consistently deliver results:
If you want a repeatable operating system for renewals, QBRs, and exec trust, that’s what I publish in The Customer Success Café (templates included).
Start with the QBR template that matches your account, then run the meeting as a decision forum instead of a slide show.
Don't let another quarter go by watching competitors win with better customer engagement.
Give your team the tools they need to deliver exceptional value in every interaction.
For enterprise customers, check out my detailed guide on Enterprise vs SMB Customer Success
1. Strategic Frameworks & Templates
a. 7 Customizable QBR Templates For Different Scenarios
Here are the 7 QBR templates you can download and customize to fit your needs:
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