Unlocking the True Value of Executive Business Reviews (EBRs): 7 Must-Have Agenda Items

In the fast-paced business world, the value of executive business reviews (EBRs) is often debated. Many leaders question whether these reviews truly benefit their organization or if they merely serve as a formality.

Let's discover how EBRs can shine and become a catalyst for success.

1️⃣ Ensuring Customer Understanding

EBRs provide a platform to help customers fully comprehend and appreciate the value achieved through the collaboration between their organization and ours. It is vital to showcase our positive impact on their business, allowing them to recognize the tangible benefits they have reaped.

2️⃣ Building Confidence in the Future

Confidence is the cornerstone of any successful partnership. During EBRs, we can instil confidence in our customers by discussing the next steps in our journey together. By transparently sharing our strategies and demonstrating our commitment to progress, we empower our customers to believe in our shared vision for the future.

3️⃣ Establishing Trust and Partnership

Trust is the bedrock of any strong relationship. EBRs serve as a platform to nurture trust between us and our customers. They must view us as strategic partners, working hand in hand to achieve their goals. By fostering an environment of collaboration and mutual understanding, we strengthen the foundation of our partnership.

4️⃣ Ensuring Alignment Across Management

Alignment at all levels of our customers' organization is vital to a fruitful partnership. EBRs provide a unique opportunity to foster alignment and cultivate a shared understanding of the value we bring. Involving and engaging their management team ensures everyone is equally invested in our partnership's success.

To make your EBRs a resounding success, here's a simple recipe to follow:

📌 Plan for Success

Align with your customers on objectives and craft a compelling agenda tailored to the interests of their executives. By taking the time to understand their specific needs and expectations, you can ensure that the EBRs deliver maximum value. Get perspective on what the agenda should cover from your champion and day-to-day users, as they have eyes and ears on what their leadership wants out of this partnership. Offer a copy of the slide deck a week before to get feedback if your POCs are willing to share feedback with you. That way, you can pitch the agenda items perfectly and ensure you hit all the points while maintaining engagement throughout the session.

📌 Deliver with a POV & Strategy

Understand what resonates most with your customers' executives—ROI, benchmarking, or strategic insights—and present your findings with a clear perspective and strategic approach. You can captivate their attention and deliver meaningful insights by providing a focused and tailored narrative. I have been on so many EBRs where CSMs tend to go over the new next upcoming shiny product update, which might not relate to the customer’s use case or cover the same updates that get covered during strategic cadence/weekly/i-weekly syncs, where CSMs starts losing the engagement of the executives in the room.

📌 Execute Agreed Objectives

During the EBR, strive to agree on concrete next steps mutually. Establish an action plan that tracks, measures, and demonstrates the value generated from the partnership. We solidify our credibility and showcase our tangible impact by holding ourselves accountable and delivering on agreed-upon objectives.

It is easy to fall into the trap of building an agenda for our organisation instead of a joint one, thinking we know our customers the best. However, always note that the companies, strategies and personal goals and gains of your champions or POCs change all the time. Make sure you work on the agenda with your customers, giving a venue for more fruitful and engaging conversations.

Preparation for Internal Stakeholders

Remember that, as much as you prepare your customers for the EBR; you should also make a similar effort internally. Hosting internal dry runs is excellent, but I recommend using a one-pager like this below to summarize the goal of the EBR as well as where you need support from your team on presenting. That way, before the meeting, your internal stakeholders can glance at this one-pager instead of going through endless Slack messages or meeting notes.

Internal Prep Template

To enhance the impact of your EBRs, consider incorporating these recommended components:

✅ Introductions/Agenda

Start the EBR with a bang by adding a fun fact or intriguing tidbit to set the stage and create a vibrant atmosphere. By infusing energy and excitement into the meeting, you can capture your audience's attention from the outset. Especially in an era where the conference call fatigue is real, adding this human touch and having a warm/fun start can go a long way. Again, this depends on your customer and their organization and company culture.

✅ Company Updates & Alignment on Goals

Please share updates on your company's progress and ensure everyone is aligned on meeting goals. By providing a comprehensive overview of your organization's achievements and highlighting areas of success, you foster transparency and maintain a shared focus. Especially with Strategic customers, you want to be careful about your positioning and how you want to share specific updates on your company's vision and product. It's best to align your presentation internally and do at least two dry runs where your internal team and executives feel comfortable speaking to the specific points you ask for their help. That way, the EBRs feel like a breeze on both sides.

✅ Executive Summary (Success Plan Review)

Please look at the current state of affairs, including usage and adoption metrics, survey results, and the alignment of partnership goals. This summary provides a snapshot of the partnership's progress and helps reaffirm the value we bring to the table.

Executive Summary Template

✅ Use Case Requirements

Please discuss specific customer use cases and explore how we can address their unique needs. By tailoring our solutions to their challenges and aspirations, we demonstrate our commitment to their success and foster a deeper connection.

✅ Roadmap or Demo

Could you offer a glimpse into the exciting future by showcasing the roadmap or demoing upcoming features? We generate enthusiasm and anticipation for what's to come by illustrating innovation and growth.

✅ Clearly Defined Next Steps

Finish the EBR with a clear outline of the following steps and actions. By providing a roadmap for the future, we ensure that the momentum built during the meeting carries forward and that progress continues unabated.

EBRs can potentially be transformative moments in your organization's customer relationships. By leveraging these reviews effectively, you can strengthen customer understanding, build confidence in the future, establish trust and partnership, and align with the management teams of your valued customers. With careful planning, a strategic mindset, and a commitment to execution, you can unlock the actual value of EBRs and elevate your organization to new heights of success. Remember, it's not just about reviewing past achievements—it's about charting a course for an even brighter future.