In my previous article, "Why Most Agency QBRs Miss the Mark (and How to Fix Them)", I broke down why traditional QBRs fail and outlined a more strategic approach to making them valuable. The takeaway? Most agencies treat QBRs like a glorified report card—lots of numbers, not a lot of meaning. Clients sit through a deck of past performance stats, nod politely, and then promptly forget the entire conversation. That’s how agencies get relegated to "vendor" status instead of being seen as indispensable growth architects.
But the more I work with agencies and their clients, the more I see that QBRs don’t just need fixing—they need replacing.
Agencies that rely on quarterly check-ins are playing a reactive game in a real-time competitive environment. If you’re still running QBRs, you’re already behind. Instead of occasional strategy reviews, agencies must embed themselves in continuous growth execution, helping clients make high-impact decisions every single day.
The Next Step: Building a Continuous Growth Engine
This article picks up where the last one left off. Instead of improving QBRs, I’ll show you how to eliminate them and replace them with a structured, always-on Growth Strategy Lab.
QBRs should not be routine check-ins.
They should be Growth Strategy Labs—not just meetings, but an embedded strategic function where agencies and clients co-design and execute growth strategy in real-time. Instead of reviewing past performance, agencies must become an always-on growth intelligence system, embedding themselves into client decision-making, continuously spotting revenue opportunities, and driving executive-level actions that move the needle.
This article lays out how to ditch the stale QBR and implement Growth Strategy Labs, a structured, continuous, competitive, and forward-looking business infrastructure that makes agencies irreplaceable.
Let’s dive in.
The Problem with Traditional QBRs
Most B2B QBRs fail because they are built for reporting, not for decision-making. Instead of driving meaningful action, they overwhelm clients with past performance data that lacks strategic direction. The result? A passive, forgettable meeting with no lasting impact.
Common QBR failures include:
Backward-looking focus — too much emphasis on past performance, not enough on future growth.
Data overload — metrics without strategic insights or business impact.
Agency-first, not client-first — focusing on effort rather than outcomes.
Lack of competitive context — performance is meaningless without industry benchmarks.
No clear decisions or follow-through — no strategic alignment, accountability, or next steps.
To fix this, QBRs must evolve into a living, integrated growth system where insights, strategy, and execution flow seamlessly across executive teams in real-time.
Introducing Growth Strategy Labs: A Competitive Operating System
A high-impact QBR isn’t a performance review—it’s an embedded growth function. Here’s how to shift from passive reporting to co-owning executive-level business outcomes:
Step 1: Kill the QBR. Build a Living Growth Infrastructure.
QBRs should not be one-off meetings. Growth execution must be continuous.
The best agencies don’t run QBRs; they run real-time growth decision systems that keep clients proactively ahead of revenue challenges and opportunities.
Two weeks before the Lab, send a Competitive Growth Pulse to executives to uncover revenue threats and market shifts.
Host continuous executive alignment calls—monthly or biweekly—to ensure constant strategic momentum.
Eliminate the static deck. Instead, build a live Growth Strategy Hub, where real-time market data, competitor movements, and financial modelling inform immediate business decisions.
Step 2: Move from Insights to a Living Growth Intelligence System
Data without action is useless. Agencies must turn insights into immediate execution.
Forget KPIs for KPI’s sake. Every insight must drive an immediate and measurable business action.
Instead of listing metrics, translate data into strategic execution:
“Engagement is up 20%” → Useless.
“Engagement is up 20%, fueling a 12% rise in sales conversations. If we double down, we unlock a $500K revenue lift next quarter. Here’s how we execute.” → Now we’re talking.
Track impact-driven KPIs: Marketing-Sourced Pipeline Contribution ($), Sales Velocity, CAC Efficiency, and Competitive Market Share.
Introduce AI-driven forecasting models that provide live, dynamic revenue projections and competitor response simulations.
Step 3: Implement a Proprietary Growth Execution System
Without a structured execution framework, growth discussions are just talk.
If your QBR doesn’t include a structured growth execution framework, it’s just another meeting. To make your Growth Strategy Lab indispensable, you need a repeatable process that ensures decisions lead to measurable outcomes.
Build a Growth Scorecard, where every decision is evaluated on:
Revenue Potential
Competitive Positioning Impact
Investment Efficiency
Risk Mitigation
Introduce Live Scenario Modeling—simulate different growth bets and quantify their financial impact in real-time.
Develop a Growth Impact Matrix that visually maps opportunities based on business value and urgency.
Step 4: Replace Static Reports with Live Strategic Simulation Sessions
To win in the market, clients need to play offence, not just analyze past performance.
Smart agencies don’t just analyze—they run live strategic simulations.
Use “What If?” decision frameworks:
“What if we shift 15% of the budget to high-intent buyers? Based on market data, this could increase close rates by 20%.”
“What if we reposition messaging for a new segment? Early insights suggest a 30% conversion lift.”
Facilitate live competitive strategic simulation sessions where clients test different go-to-market strategies against potential competitor responses.
Ensure that every Lab includes two to three high-impact growth bets based on predictive intelligence.
Step 5: Own Risk Mitigation and Business Defensibility
Agencies should not just highlight risks—they should neutralize them.
Identify market threats before they impact revenue—economic downturns, competitor moves, and regulatory shifts.
Provide pre-built business contingency playbooks for different risk scenarios.
Elevate your role from marketing partner to enterprise-wide risk strategist.
Step 6: Go Beyond Executive Buy-In and Drive Growth Accountability
Growth discussions without execution are worthless. Leaders need action, not reports.
Make executive decision-making the Growth Lab’s core function.
Ask: “What do we need to align on before the next Growth Lab?”
Use a structured execution system, ensuring every lab results are in immediate action and tracked in a live dashboard.
Step 7: Build a Continuous Growth Execution Engine
Growth isn’t a one-time effort. It requires continuous execution and iteration.
Within 48 hours, deliver a Strategic Execution Plan, including:
Decisions made
Action items with owners & deadlines
Competitive insights & next steps
An executive-ready one-pager tying recommendations to revenue impact
A live tracking dashboard for continuous progress monitoring
A Growth Lab without execution is just a brainstorm. Make it real.
Stop Running QBRs. Start Leading Growth.
If you’re still running QBRs, you’re already behind. Agencies that implement Growth Execution Systems will shift from being service providers to strategic partners who directly influence business success. By embedding themselves into a client’s ongoing growth strategy, agencies ensure they are not just part of the conversation but essential to decision-making.
The shift from QBRs to Growth Execution Systems is not just about improvement—it’s about transformation. Agencies that embrace this model will be seen as critical drivers of growth, continuously adapting to market shifts, and positioning their clients for long-term success.
