The "Everything's Fine" Trap
Your customer said "everything's fine" in the QBR. You reviewed the metrics, shared the roadmap, scheduled the next review.
Three months later, they churned.
What happened? You accepted "everything's fine" at face value. AI coaching wouldn't have.
What You're Really Measuring
QBRs have become checkbox exercises. Agenda sent. Deck presented. Time survived. But none of that predicts renewal.
Here's what actually matters:
Process Checks:
⚠️ Value reinforced: partial
✗ Satisfaction probed
⚠️ Usage discussed: partial
✗ Stakeholder changes explored
✗ Risks surfaced
✗ Expansion explored
✓ Next review scheduled
One checkmark out of seven isn't a QBR. It's a calendar hold.
The Value Reinforcement Problem
Customers forget why they pay you. Not because they're ungrateful — because they're busy.
The feature they loved six months ago is now "just how things work." The time savings your product delivers is invisible because they never do the old way anymore.
Your job in every QBR is to remind them.
AI Coaching Recommendation:
Area: Value Reinforcement Issue: No outcomes discussed — customer may not remember ROI Try saying: "Before we dive in — last quarter your team saved 40% on manual reporting time. What has that freed up for you?"
When customers articulate value themselves, it sticks. When you tell them, it sounds like marketing.
The Stakeholder Blind Spot
Champions leave. Budgets get reallocated. Reorgs happen.
If you're only talking to the person who signed the contract, you're vulnerable.
Risks & Gaps:
- Customer mentioned "new VP" in passing — not explored
- Usage drop in Team B not discussed
- Renewal budget owner not confirmed
AI coaching catches these signals:
[12:45] Improvement - Discovery
Customer mentioned a reorg but CSM didn't explore impact
Suggestion: "You mentioned a reorg — how does that affect the team using our platform?"
A new VP who doesn't know you exist is a new VP who can cut you.
Surfacing Risk Before It's Too Late
Customers rarely announce they're leaving. They signal it:
- Reduced login frequency
- Slower response times
- Fewer attendees in QBRs
- Vague answers about future plans
- "We're evaluating our tools"
Process Check: Risks surfaced: no
If you're not actively looking for warning signs, you won't see them until the cancellation email.
Better approach:
"Is there anything that's frustrating you about working with us? I'd rather know now than find out later."
It takes courage to ask. It takes more courage to fix problems you never heard about.
The Expansion You're Missing
Every QBR is an expansion conversation waiting to happen. New teams. New use cases. Growing needs.
But if you're stuck in defense mode, you'll never get to offense.
AI coaching checks: Expansion explored: yes/no
[24:30] Opportunity - Conversion
Customer mentioned "we're hiring 20 more reps next quarter"
Missed opportunity: This is expansion signal — probe for additional licenses
Not every QBR leads to upsell. But every QBR should leave you knowing whether expansion is possible.
The QBR That Prevents Churn
- Open with value — "Here's what you've achieved. How has that impacted your work?"
- Probe for risk — "What's one thing that could be better?"
- Map the org — "Has anything changed in your team structure?"
- Look for growth — "Where do you see your needs expanding?"
- Commit to action — "Here's what I'm going to do before our next call."
When all process checks are green, renewals stop being surprises.
Upload your last QBR and see what you're missing.