Quarterly business reviews can be stressful, especially for agency teams.
They’re meant to showcase your impact and align on future strategy – but too often, they turn into 45-minute monologues packed with PPC metrics and little engagement.
Having worked across multiple agencies, I’ve seen firsthand that there’s no single “right” way to run a QBR – but there are plenty of ways to make them better.
In a digital marketing landscape that’s evolving faster than ever, you can’t afford to waste the rare opportunity to have stakeholders’ full attention.
My agency has refined our approach to QBRs to make them more engaging, forward-looking, and valuable for clients.
The result: clearer communication, stronger alignment, and a sharper focus on business goals.
This article covers the key improvements we’ve made, including:
- Better readability.
- Audience alignment.
- Building a narrative.
- Proactivity and forward motion.
Aim for readability
This applies to any presentation, but it’s especially crucial for QBRs where there’s a lot to cover: keep the pace brisk and the key messages clear.
In deck format, that means:
Leverage your slide titles (your most important real estate)
- Use the title to specify the main takeaway, not just the topic. For example, instead of “UGC on Meta,” say “UGC on Meta drives 95% completion rates.”
- Include numbers and impact where possible.
- Use verbs, not labels.
Streamline text
- Replace long blocks with concise, bullet-format summaries.
- Make slides easier to skim and present live.
Lean on visual call-outs
- Use bold font, simple iconography, or strategic positioning to highlight key stats.
- Replace select tables with charts or key numbers. Don’t make the audience hunt for the takeaway.
Because a big part of readability comes down to presenter pacing, make sure your team:
- Is well-practiced.
- Doesn’t spend more than a minute on each slide.
- Uses the speaker notes section, hyperlinks, and an index to include details that would make the main slides too busy.
Dig deeper: How to deliver PPC results to executives: Get out of the weeds
Align your QBR content with your audience’s needs
Even if only your usual team of day-to-day client contacts will be in the room (or Zoom) for your QBR, you need to account for the fact that higher-ups and executives will have very different priorities for results, metrics, and next steps.
Whether you’ll be presenting directly to company leaders or enabling your regular contacts to relay information, QBRs should include an executive summary of more high-level material:
- Achievements.
- Focus areas.
- Next steps/tests.
- Performance against top-line goals.


Dig deeper: How to set and manage PPC expectations for teams and stakeholders
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