The 5 Stages of Revenue Transformation – Stage 2: Surviving the QBR Fire Drill

Dec 23, 2025

The discussion dives into the chaos of QBRs, highlighting how they often feel like fire drills for revenue teams. The struggle to connect activities to actual ROI causes pressure and burnout. Carolyn reveals the hidden costs of poor data practices and the dangers of outdated GTM models. Key insights include the importance of tying contacts to opportunities and making a mindset shift towards data transparency. The conversation emphasizes the need for a solid data architecture to enhance leadership credibility and drive future success.

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INSIGHT

QBR Fire Drills Reveal A Deeper Problem

QBR fire drills happen when teams launch tactics but can't tie work to impact.
Carolyn Dilks says this gap exposes a deeper data problem that undermines leadership confidence.

ADVICE

Avoid Last-Minute Spreadsheets For QBRs

Do stop relying on last-minute spreadsheet assemblies for board decks.
Do create repeatable, unified reporting to avoid low confidence and burnout before QBRs.

INSIGHT

Bad Reporting Destroys Credibility And Pipeline

Messy QBR data erodes credibility and reinforces marketing as a cost center.
Carolyn warns that poor reporting can cost millions in lost pipeline and even jobs.

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You launched the experiments. You spent the budget. And now leadership wants answers. And suddenly every QBR feels like a fire drill.

This is Stage 2 of the revenue leader’s transformation—the moment when activity is high, effort is real, but impact is frustratingly hard to prove. You’re working harder than ever, yet you can’t confidently tie what your team is doing to pipeline, revenue, or real ROI.

This episode is part two of a five-part series exploring the journey B2B revenue leaders go through as they move from reactive execution to full revenue visibility and executive-level confidence. Each stage represents a breaking point, where leaders either confront the real problem or stay stuck explaining away the same issues quarter after quarter.

In this episode, we unpack Stage 2: The QBR Fire Drill—the phase where credibility, confidence, and career momentum are quietly put at risk.

You’re likely in Stage 2 if you’ve ever said, “Board decks take days to build and still don’t tell a clean story.”

What We Cover in This Episode:

Why QBRs become fire drills and what that reveals about your data foundation
The hidden cost of stitching together spreadsheets, slide decks, and conflicting reports
How legacy GTM data models quietly destroy credibility at the executive level
The most common data architecture flaw preventing revenue visibility (and why it’s so easy to miss)
The moment leaders realize they can’t survive another quarter operating this way
What it takes to shift from lagging, backward-looking metrics to forward-looking visibility

This stage forces a hard reckoning.

Not just with your systems, but with your willingness to challenge the status quo, speak uncomfortable truths, and admit that the current way of measuring GTM is no longer good enough.

🔗 CTAs & LINKS:

Get the visibility and strategic priorities your GTM team needs to move decisively. Book your 14-Day Sprint here.

Book a free 1:1 Revenue Visibility Assessment

Follow Carolyn on LinkedIn

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This episode is powered by Passetto. If your pipeline dashboards aren’t giving you straight answers, you’re in good company. Most GTM teams simply don’t have the visibility to understand what’s truly driving pipeline and revenue, what’s slowing them down, or where to focus next.

Passetto changes that. In just 14 days, our Sprint gives you full-funnel visibility, clear answers about what’s working and what isn’t, and a focused set of strategic priorities to accelerate pipeline creation and align your teams immediately.