A customer business review (CBR) is a periodic meeting between a business and its customers to review the performance, value, and satisfaction of the products or services that the business provides. A CBR is also an opportunity to identify the needs, goals, and challenges of the customers and to explore new ways to help them achieve their desired outcomes.

A CBR is an essential part of customer relationship management (CRM) that can help a business to:

  • Retain and renew its existing customers
  • Increase its customer loyalty and advocacy
  • Upsell and cross-sell its products or services
  • Generate referrals and testimonials
  • Gain insights and feedback
  • Resolve issues and complaints
  • Improve its products or services

But how can you conduct a CBR and strengthen your customer relationships? Here are some steps and tips that can guide you:

Prepare for the Customer Business Review

The first step to conducting a CBR is to prepare for it. Preparing for a CBR involves setting the objectives, agenda, and participants for the meeting; collecting and analyzing the data and information about the customer; creating and sending the invitation and the pre-meeting questionnaire to the customer.

Some of the tips for preparing for a CBR are:

  • Set clear and realistic objectives for the CBR that align with your customer’s expectations and goals
  • Create a concise and relevant agenda for the CBR that covers the following topics: introduction, performance review, value review, satisfaction review, needs assessment, solution presentation, action plan, next steps, feedback, and closing
  • Invite the key decision-makers and influencers from both sides to participate in the CBR
  • Collect and analyze the data and information about the customer’s usage, results, feedback, issues, etc. of your products or services
  • Create and send a professional and personalized invitation and a pre-meeting questionnaire to the customer at least two weeks before the CBR
  • Confirm the date, time, location, and format of the CBR with the customer

Conduct the Customer Business Review

A woman working on a laptop with stars on her screen.

The second step to conducting a CBR is to conduct it. Conducting a CBR involves following the agenda; presenting the data and information; asking open-ended questions; listening actively; addressing concerns; proposing solutions; agreeing on actions; summarizing key points; and thanking the customer.

Some of the tips for conducting a CBR are:

  • Follow the agenda and stick to the time limit for each topic
  • Present the data and information in a clear, visual, and compelling way using charts, graphs, tables, etc.
  • Ask open-ended questions that encourage the customer to share their opinions, experiences, needs, goals, challenges, etc.
  • Listen actively and empathetically to the customer’s responses and show interest and appreciation
  • Address any concerns or complaints that the customer may have and apologize for any problems or issues that they faced
  • Propose solutions that are tailored to the customer’s needs, goals, challenges, etc., and demonstrate how they can benefit from them
  • Agree on specific actions that both sides need to take to implement the solutions and achieve the desired outcomes
  • Summarize the key points of the CBR and confirm the customer’s understanding and agreement
  • Thank the customer for their time, feedback, and trust

Follow Up on the Customer Business Review

The final step to conduct a CBR is to follow up on it. Following up on a CBR involves sending a thank-you note and a meeting summary to the customer; executing the action plan; monitoring and measuring the results; communicating and updating the customer; and scheduling the next CBR.

Some of the tips for following up on a CBR are:

  • Send a thank-you note and a meeting summary to the customer within 24 hours of the CBR
  • Execute the action plan as agreed with the customer and keep track of your progress
  • Monitor and measure the results of your actions and solutions using relevant metrics and indicators
  • Communicate and update the customer regularly on your progress, results, issues, etc.
  • Schedule the next CBR with the customer at least three months before it

Final Words

A CBR is a valuable tool for any business that wants to strengthen its customer relationships. A CBR can help a business retain and renew its existing customers; increase its customer loyalty and advocacy; upsell and cross-sell its products or services; generate referrals and testimonials; gain insights and feedback; resolve issues and complaints; and improve its products or services.

However, conducting a CBR is not easy. You need to prepare for it; conduct it; follow up on it.

If you follow these steps and tips carefully, you can conduct a successful CBR that can provide value for your customers and income for yourself. We hope that this blog post has given you some useful information and insights on how to conduct a CBR. 

If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact us. We would love to hear from you. Thank you for reading and happy reviewing!