ReThink Sales QBR

CEO’s, CRO’s, VP Sales, It’s that time of the quarter, QBR is around the corner. Yes, you did tens of those, you know the drill, but – was it an effective QBR? Was it a game changer?

It’s common for QBRs to feel like a throwaway, an all-day meeting where people go out for a dinner, then go back to their jobs. This can happen for a handful of reasons:

1. Your sales team culture is missing discipline in it’s set of behaviors

2. No new information surfaces

3. Discussions are detached from reality. Folks are not using data in their story, you forgot to invite Marketing, CS and Support to the discussions.

4. Participants play with the story, to make themselves look good

5. No real decisions are made – just talking(Again)

6. Poor training, no real impact, missing required sales enablement.

7. Focus on individuals when the team is misfunctioning

QBR must be one of the most important cultural ceremonies when building a winning sales culture.

Let’s rethink QBR – here is how to do it BETTER!

1. Make an impact – Make sure the QBR is memorable and impactful, ask yourself when the agenda is written, and before you send it, What will be the impact on my team? Impact stands for making them better professionals and sharpening their sword you do that with professional sales training, collecting their feedback, and making decisions that will impact the day after.

2. Role Models – QBR leaders must think and act as executives, be humble, be there in mind and body, put staff aside, no shenanigans, be honest, be clear and direct, and be transparent, stay focused, disciplined, and balance between process and fun. These are critical attributes to create a safe zone for the team to remove their masks and play no games and speak openly.

3. Deep Dive – QBR is the best time to learn from each other. it’s time to build a stronger team and inject desired behaviors. A good debrief starts with you leading a session where you present what was planned, what we have missed, what went wrong, what we as a team could do differently. and what went well. What have we learned and what are the action items we are taking? Keep it a dialogue – makes sure you brainstorm and learn from each other.

4. Plan and manage it carefully-Make it a part of your routine, a habit. Ensure everyone is aware of the importance of the event, send invitations in advance, and create an annual plan. GO IN PERSON (it’s worth every penny). Mandatory standard templates should be used. Get it back in advance (only data-based facts). Repeating behaviors Q after Q leads to major results.

5. Mix and Match -Invite Product, Marketing, and other critical functions to the QBR. Set clear expectations with them and give them time for professional sessions, education, and feedback collection.

Sales QBR is one of the most powerful tools you have as a sales leader, don’t just tick the box.

Make it impactful.