What if the client cancels the QBR every quarter?

Then the contract has a problem the QBR isn't going to fix. Escalate to the budget holder once, ask why, and listen. If it keeps happening, the relationship's already drifting and the QBR was a leading indicator.

Should the QBR be in person or remote?

Remote for clients under £50k ARR. In person at least once a year for clients above. The annual in-person QBR is one of the best retention investments an MSP can make.

What if we don't have the data for half these slides?

Then the QBR becomes the forcing function for getting the data. You can't run a meaningful QBR without service metrics, security metrics, and CSAT. Work backwards from the QBR slide template and stand the data up over the next quarter.

How long should a QBR deck be?

Six slides is the cap. Anything more, you're padding. The client will respect a sharp 30-minute QBR more than a 90-minute slide tour.

How often should MSPs run QBRs?

Quarterly for clients above a defined revenue threshold (most MSPs use £24k ARR or £2k MRR). Every 6 months for the layer below that. Annually for the bottom 30% of the book.

How to Use QBRs to Justify Your MSP Pricing | Assurix

Most MSPs waste QBRs on status updates. The best use them to build evidence that makes price increases easy to justify - and clients who rarely push back.

The QBR opportunity MSPs are missing

Most MSPs run QBRs as status updates: here is what broke, here is what we fixed, here are your open tickets. Clients nod along and wonder why they are paying what they are paying. The best MSPs use QBRs as evidence sessions that continuously justify the relationship and make price increases a formality.

What a pricing-ready QBR looks like

Leads with outcome data, not activity counts
Shows security posture trends the client can verify independently
Quantifies incidents prevented, not just tickets closed
Documents regulatory readiness against CAF or Cyber Essentials standards
Ends with a forward-looking improvement plan that reinforces ongoing value

The price increase conversation

MSPs who run evidence-led QBRs rarely face pushback on annual price increases. When a client has seen quarterly evidence of what they are getting, the increase is contextualised against demonstrated value rather than abstract promises.

Building the evidence trail

A single strong QBR does not justify a price increase. A pattern of QBRs that consistently show improving security hygiene, consistent SLA performance, and proactive client communication builds the case over time.

Visit https://assurix.com/resources/use-qbrs-to-justify-pricing to view the full interactive page.