Most MSPs have a hard time not only engaging executives in QBRs but even being able to sit down with clients, as they don’t see the value they add to their business. The goal of scheduling a QBR is more about selling them the process, benefits and the results so they see the value and look forward to these events.
We are going to discover the minimum requirements of scheduling an engaging session with the right people in the client’s organization. As a result you are going to get more executive level decision makers in your meetings with higher anticipation.
UPSELL YOUR CLIENTS WITH STRATEGIC QUARTERLY BUSINESS REVIEWS AND IT STRATEGY MEETINGS
Define the Value and Benefits for the client
Without defining the value and benefit of the upcoming QBR people will be less likely to engage. You want to make sure you aim for the highest possible level in the organization, even just for the main contact person.
Consider these ideas from the client’s perspective to craft your message accordingly. We have found these messages effective if crafted properly:
- The ultimate goal of the QBR - “IT is an integral part of the corporate operations. Our goal is to make it as efficient as possible and support the company goals effectively. To deliver continuous value to your organization we need direction, priorities and to understand your goals to serve you better.”
- Benefits for the client - “During the session we are going to discuss IT Infrastructure, IT Cybersecurity, Office Productivity and Technology Strategy related questions. That makes the board aware of the opportunities to improve their business and achieve their goals.
During the session we can review certain performance indicators, make decisions and answer questions. Then we generate action items we can distribute among the teams.” - Pain relievers for the client - “We made sure that this process is very efficient so we do not waste anybody’s time. We discuss business topics, priorities and directions with executives in plain english, to help us engage your team for the execution part.
That means you invest 2 hours every quarter and you do not have to worry about the technology any further. We get the approval to go to the right direction in helping your business to excel.” - Cliffhanger - so they do not want to miss out - “During our session we are going to walk you through a specific best practice with Office 365 that’s saved thousands of dollars in productivity for other clients. We are going to let you know the top 3 cybersecurity tricks that hackers are using recently.”
If you have your own templates such as above for your style, then you can always customize these letters with the client and add more specifics.
Productivity Tips with Managed Services Platform:
- Create a template of this email and add it to their report as a content widget so that you always have the last message on file
- Track the client’s roles in your QBR template so you always know who is responsible for what on the client side to deliver the messages accordingly
Client Experience Tips with Managed Services Platform:
- Record a short video on your phone, embed that to your content widget and send for a personal touch alongside the letter.
- Create a snapshot and copy the content to your email and share the report with them so they can see the previous Quarter’s topic, results etc.
Issues, Risks:
- Your QBRs should deliver the value you highlight here, and as you mature the value is going to increase
Do not over-promise, if the experience doesn’t deliver you might lose the executives for a while
2. Schedule the meeting professionally
Although the best way is to create an annual predefined calendar with each client, the individual meetings have to be always scheduled.
This part is very critical as the client always can make an attempt to skip the session - “everything is great we do not need a session now” - or worse, defer the session to a lower level employee without real decision making power - “let Jannie do this for me, I’m busy with other things”. Therefore reiterating the value and having the value proposition on hand is very helpful.
Using a calendar invitation tool is always great as it helps the client to pick the time from your calendar. However, it requires their diligent action to schedule the session so you might give up the control of the process.
A good tactic is to actually send them a direct invite 2-3 weeks in advance AND ask them to choose a different time if it does not work. Now there is a meeting in their calendar and they have to take action to cancel it or reschedule, but you avoid an open loop.
Productivity Tips with Managed Services Platform:
- Set the client touchpoints (Annual, Quarterly, Monthly or no Touch) for a client so that you will always keep track of who needs a meeting for a given month
- Block Days in your week for QBRs, like every Tuesday AM / Wednesday / Thursday PM so you can stack multiple sessions
- If you have the Client Engagement Score (CES™) module you can generate the specific activities based on playbooks upfront
Client Experience Tips with Managed Services Platform:
- Embed your Calendar Tool to a content widget so they can choose a time easily
Issues, Risks:
- It’s best to have a certain date pre-scheduled with every client in your calendar.
- Getting into an open loop can be easy, so be diligent in getting something on the calendar
Conclusion
Your goal is not just to get to their calendar to make sure we have the session with client executives. We want them to want you to be there with anticipation, being engaged and looking forward to the session with you.
To accomplish that you should craft the value proposition of the session and schedule the meeting professionally.
