The 10-Minute Prep
Run the quarterly review for the client:
"Switch to Acme"
"Run a quarterly review for Acme"The /cmo-quarterly command assembles a panel that pulls together:
| Section | What It Includes |
|---|---|
| Rock status | Every rock, its progress, on-track/off-track/complete |
| Scorecard | KPI trends across the quarter |
| Campaign outcomes | What ran, what worked, what didn't |
| Key decisions | Major choices made this quarter |
| Open commitments | What's still in flight |
| Wins | Accomplishments worth highlighting |
The panel turns the data into a narrative: what happened, why it matters, and what comes next.
What to Present vs. What to Have Ready
Reviews fail when you present everything. Clients need the story, not all the data.
Present:
- 3-5 biggest wins (with numbers)
- Rocks completed vs. planned
- One or two things that didn't work and what you learned
- Recommendation for next quarter's priorities
Have ready if asked:
- Full scorecard with every KPI
- Campaign-by-campaign breakdown
- Budget spent vs. allocated
- Sprint deliverable completion rates
Pull the backup data before the meeting:
"Show me the scorecard for Acme"
"What campaigns ran this quarter for Acme?"
"How did we pace this quarter?"Having it loaded in Armbrain means you can answer any drill-down question live. You don't need it on a slide.
Comparing This Quarter to Last
Show trajectory across quarters, not snapshots:
"Compare our Q1 and Q2 rocks for Acme"
"What campaign outcomes improved from last quarter?"Armbrain stores rocks and campaign outcomes with quarter metadata. The comparison shows if work is accelerating, plateauing, or stalling, giving you data for an honest conversation.
Setting Up Next Quarter Before the Meeting Ends
The best quarterly reviews end with next quarter's rocks already roughed in. Don't let the client leave the room without committing to priorities.
During the review meeting:
"Quick note: Acme wants to focus Q3 on partner channel and product launch"
"Quick note: Sarah wants website redesign as a Q3 rock"After the meeting, formalize it:
"Start Q3 2026 for Acme with these rocks:
- Partner Channel Launch (owner: Sarah, description: 3 partner integrations live by Q3 end)
- Product Launch Campaign (owner: Ben, description: Full launch sequence - PR, email, paid)
- Website Redesign (owner: Sarah, description: New site live by September 1)"The next quarterly review already has its foundation. No "what did we agree to?" confusion in week 3.
The Cross-Client Quarterly View
If you manage 5+ clients running Business OS, check pacing across all clients at once:
"How are all my clients pacing this quarter?"This gives you a dashboard view:
Acme Corp: 3/4 rocks on track, 1 at risk
Beta Inc: 2/3 rocks complete, 1 dropped
Gamma LLC: 4/4 rocks on track
Delta Co: 1/3 rocks on track, 2 off track <-- needs attention
Spot the trouble clients before they walk into their review meeting and surprise you. Delta Co needs a pre-meeting conversation about what went wrong and how to recover.
Quarter Transition Checklist
| Step | Command | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Check pacing | quarterly_pacing | Final status before closing the quarter |
| Review rocks | get_rocks | Confirm which completed, which carry over |
| Start new quarter | business_os | Create next quarter's rocks |
| Import sprint plan | business_os | Break rocks into bi-weekly deliverables |
| Update cadence | mind | Set the active quarter and sprint |
The full transition takes 5 minutes per client. For 6 clients, you're done in 30 minutes and every client starts the new quarter with a clean slate.
Related Guides
- Quarterly Planning - detailed guide on rocks, sprints, and pacing
- Quarter Transition - the mechanics of closing and opening quarters
- Business OS in Armbrain - full Business OS toolkit reference
- Handing Off a Client - when the quarterly review becomes the last review