What is a quarterly business review (QBR)?
A quarterly business review (QBR) is a regular meeting with a key customer to review results, plans and issues. Here is what it covers and who gets one.
By the PromptLab team24 October 20264 min read
Definition
Quarterly business review (QBR)
A quarterly business review is a meeting held every three months between a supplier and an important customer. It looks at what has happened, what is planned, and what needs to change in the relationship.
The idea is to talk about the account as a whole, not one order. A good QBR leaves both sides with a clear plan for the next quarter.
This post explains the term. For the step-by-step version, with an agenda and timings for both the customer meeting and the sales team's own quarterly review, read how to run a quarterly business review. To prepare for one, use the key account review checklist.
Why a QBR matters
Most contact with a customer is about a single order, a delivery or a problem. A QBR gives you time to step back. You can show the value you bring, hear what the buyer is worried about, and plan growth.
It also keeps you ahead of trouble. Buyers rarely announce they are thinking of moving a product to another supplier. A regular review gives you a chance to hear it early, before the orders stop.
Who gets a QBR
Not every customer. A QBR takes preparation, so keep it for key accounts: the buyers who bring the most revenue or who could grow. Key account management covers how to pick them. Smaller accounts get a lighter check-in by email or a short call.
What a QBR covers
The topics are much the same from one supplier to the next:
- Results since the last review: orders, volumes and spend, deliveries and on-time performance.
- Issues and quality: complaints, returns and how they were fixed.
- Samples and new products: what is being tested and what is coming.
- Pricing and terms: any changes, price list updates or agreed volume rebates.
- Forecast and plans: what the buyer expects to need next quarter.
- Actions: who does what, by when.
The order and the time on each part are up to you. The guide to running a QBR gives a tested agenda.
QBR versus other reviews
The name gets used loosely, so it helps to know the neighbours:
- Internal quarterly review. Some teams call their own end-of-quarter sales review a QBR. It looks at the whole team's results and pipeline, with no customer in the room.
- Pipeline review. A weekly meeting about what happens next on each open deal. A QBR looks at a whole account over a quarter.
- Key account review. The same kind of meeting as a customer QBR. "Key account review" names who it is for, and "QBR" names how often it happens.
An example from product sales
A chemicals distributor holds a QBR with a coatings manufacturer that buys every month. The rep prepares by pulling the orders from the last three months, open sample requests, and recent email threads. Orders are steady, but one sample is still waiting for feedback and the buyer mentions a new product line next quarter.
The meeting ends with three actions: the buyer returns feedback on the sample, the rep quotes the new line, and both agree a date for the next review. All three go into the CRM as tasks.
Related terms
- Key account management: how to manage your most important customers.
- Customer lifetime value: helps decide which accounts deserve a QBR.
- Sales forecasting: the buyer's outlook feeds yours.
How PromptLab handles it
Before a QBR, PromptLab brings the account's history together: its deals, quotes, sales orders, sample requests, emails, WhatsApp and Telegram messages and meetings. Meetings are recorded on Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams with a transcript and an AI summary, and you can generate a pre-meeting brief beforehand. Action items from a meeting become CRM tasks automatically.
Frequently asked questions
What does QBR stand for?
QBR stands for quarterly business review. It is a meeting held every three months with a key customer or, internally, with a sales team.
Is a QBR only for customers?
No. Some teams also use the term for an internal review of a quarter's results. This post covers the customer meeting, and our guide to running a QBR covers both.
Does a QBR have to be quarterly?
No. Some accounts are reviewed twice a year or monthly, depending on how much they buy and how fast things change. The content stays the same, and many teams keep the name.
Is a QBR the same as a key account review?
For a customer, they are the same kind of meeting. "Key account review" says who the meeting is for, and "QBR" says how often it happens.
What should I do after a QBR?
Send a short summary with the agreed actions, owners and dates, and add the actions as tasks. Check them at the next review.