- Done right, quarterly business reviews can result in channel partners and vendors getting in sync with important leaders and key decision-makers.
- On the other hand, QBRs also present an opportunity for conversations to be derailed.
- Learn how to seamlessly align your next QBR using the Success Plans feature from ZiftONE.
Quarterly business reviews (QBRs) present a rare opportunity for vendors and partners to meet with the leaders who touch their account but aren’t usually interacted with. These meetings have the potential to open up crucial conversations. QBRs open the door to speak about mutual efforts for success or the future of the industry. At the same time, QBRs can be a place for conflict.
What issues pop up in quarterly business reviews?
Ongoing stress or tumult in an account often comes to a head during QBRs. Reduced face-to-face time due to the pandemic can make these issues worse. Miscommunication can amplify feelings of ill will between vendors and partners, leading QBRs to derail from their goals. Both sides can feel that the other isn’t doing what they need to carry their weight.
Get it right: Lead with data
One way that vendors can improve these meetings is to lead with data. Show what the partner did and did not do during the quarter. Did they distribute a flyer on the new product? Are their reps trained to speak to it? Did they send out the campaign promoting integration options? Have they been registering deals? Are they closing them in a timely manner?
ZiftONE: An innovative solution for quarterly business reviews
Zift Solutions’ ZiftONE platform can facilitate more successful QBR discussions with Partner Explorer.
Its two built-in reports show real data on how a partner has or has not been meeting expectations:
- The Marketing report shows all marketing activity at the partner level. Here, you can see if a partner has leveraged the assets and campaigns you’ve given them. You can also see who is logging into the portal and how often to accurately measure engagement.
- The Partner Overview shows closed deals and open deals. You can see which users have completed training and how their portal activity ranks against your partner base.
These reports can be eye-opening to partners. They can help start a conversation around what has actually happened within the account, what worked, and what hasn’t.
What comes next for quarterly business reviews?
When you’re planning your next QBR, review past metrics in the Partner Explorer. Take a look at how they’ve influenced your sales. From there, you can work with stakeholders to carve out mutually agreed-upon goals. You and decision-makers can decide on what has worked – or what needs to improve.
With the Success Plans feature in ZiftONE, agreed-upon goals can be put into play. You and your channel partner can improve progress within the account and set a focus for the next QBR discussion.
Success Plans offer real-time metrics for KPIs around training, marketing, and deal registration activities. Both you and your partner can see these and regularly review them. Additionally, your channel partner can see the Success Plan as well as their ongoing progress within a page in the portal. You can view the same data within Partner Explorer.
As you monitor partner progress, start having conversations early. Early conversations prevent lack of action from becoming an issue. This ensures that your next QBR will be a positive experience for everyone who attends.
Don’t let your QBRs be derailed! Use Zift’s Partner Explorer dashboards and Success Plans to keep discussions on track.
