I’ll be direct: the traditional QBR model most MSPs follow is flawed.
Too many MSPs believe that meeting once a quarter to review tickets, projects, and performance metrics proves their value. They then talk about what’s coming next and call it “strategic.”
It’s not. It’s reporting.
You’re meeting the wrong person
At the beginning of the relationship, you meet with the owner, CEO, or executive team. They sign the contract.
But once onboarded, you’re usually handed off to an office manager, controller, or executive assistant as your primary contact.
And then what happens?
You run your QBR with that operational point of contact.
That person is important. But a strong relationship with them alone will not guarantee you keep the client.
You must maintain a direct relationship with the CEO, owner, or executive team. They signed the contract. And they are the ones who decide whether you stay.
If you want to be a trusted technology advisor, you must be in front of decision-makers. Period.
Strategy and operations are not the same meeting
Most MSPs try to cram everything into a quarterly review. That’s the mistake.
You need two separate conversations:
1. Annual Strategic Planning (Led by the vCIO)
Audience: Owner, CEO, executive team
Focus: Business goals, risk, cybersecurity, growth plans, budgeting, long-term roadmap
This is where you align technology to business outcomes and create excitement about what’s next.
If your vCIO isn’t leading this meeting, you’re not using the role correctly.
2. Operational Reviews (Led by the Account Manager)
Audience: Operational contact
Focus: Service delivery, open issues, recurring problems, user experience
This keeps the relationship healthy, but it’s not strategy.
Your vCIO shouldn’t routinely lead or even be in these meetings unless something technical requires it.
The test
Ask yourself this:
If your operational PoC left tomorrow, would you still have executive support?
If the answer isn’t a confident yes, your QBR process isn’t working for you.
Executive alignment doesn’t happen by accident. It requires a structured strategic process.
Build that process, and retention follows.
Check out our vCIO Process
Simon is the President of S3 Technologies, a leading Canadian MSP he co-founded in 2003. He built and scaled the vCIO team which eventually lead to him co-founding Propel Your MSP in 2018 to help MSPs with their vCIO services.
