A common challenge with Quarterly Business Reviews is that stakeholders lack the necessary incitement to read them. This can happen when stakeholders don’t appreciate the benefits a high-quality Business Review brings them. So, how do we prevent understandably busy contacts from simply skimming your QBR content?
Prepare in full
Talk to your stakeholders. Get ahead in discussing the upcoming QBR with your stakeholders and make sure they are made aware of what it will cover.
Incorporate feedback. Take the opportunity to ask what they would like to see in relation to their needs and previous QBRs. Make sure to let them know that their points will be addressed in the review.
Tailor the content
Segment reports. Different stakeholders will have different interests. Create tailored sections or content within the QBR for your different stakeholder groups, focusing on the most relevant information for each.
Highlight specific interests. Emphasise the aspects of the business that directly impact or interest the stakeholders in question.
Optimise the presentation
Create a compelling executive summary. Provide a concise overview alongside clear highlights. Start with a brief summary of the most important findings, key metrics and actionable insights.
Use visual aids. Graphs and charts are great tools to highlight certain key metrics and trends, but be careful not to overload your audience! Product drawings and pictures of your team will also give your reader microbreaks from processing text and data.
Keep it varied. You want a good balance between text, visuals and data to keep the reader engaged. Think of it as a magazine, you are not just providing information for your stakeholder to absorb; you are packaging it and presenting it to them.
Multiple formats. Provide the QBR in various formats, such as PDFs, online portals, and mobile-friendly versions, to ensure easy access. Some stakeholders will still prefer a printed version, so make sure to provide one if possible.
Interactive elements. Digital formats provide the opportunity to involve the user through interaction. Use clickable summaries, navigation menus, or embedded links, to allow stakeholders to explore sections in detail as needed.
Multimedia. Incorporate videos, clickable galleries or audio summaries from key leaders to add a personal touch and highlight important points.
Personalise the experience
Direct delivery. Send personalised emails to stakeholders with a brief summary and a direct link to the full QBR. If you have an in-person meeting scheduled, take the opportunity to deliver any physical version or summary you may have in person.
One-on-one briefings. Offer to discuss the review directly with key stakeholders to address any questions and to highlight specific key findings.
Final thoughts
Your QBR isn’t just a compilation of data, it is the way you tell your stakeholders what you have been up to and how it’s going. If you want to get the message through, you need to make it compelling and engaging. In other words: don’t bore them!
By reviewing the tips above and implementing those that will work well for your business, you will greatly improve the appeal and, by extension, the reach of your QBRs.
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