You can build the perfect EBR deck - beautiful slides, compelling data, clear outcomes - but if you don't know how to facilitate the conversation, you'll fail to create the strategic impact you're looking for.

In this episode, Mark Bernardin breaks down the critical shift from presenting at executives to facilitating strategic conversations with them. Drawing from hundreds of EBRs with Fortune 500 customers including Lowe's, The Home Depot, and Ernst & Young, Mark shares the systematic approach that allows Customer Success Managers to lead high-stakes meetings with confidence.

You'll learn:

• The fundamental difference between presenting and facilitating - and why most CSMs get this wrong
• The 5 Executive Questions framework that every effective EBR must answer
• How to open with a Strategic Alignment Check that proves you've been listening
• Why strategic pauses are more powerful than rushing through your content
• How to translate metrics into language that resonates with CFOs, CIOs, and CISOs
• The right way to surface problems proactively without looking defensive
• How to read the room and pivot in real-time when energy shifts
• The closing script that creates mutual accountability and locks in next steps
• Why the best facilitators aren't naturally charismatic - they're systematically prepared

This episode includes real examples from Mark's work at Swimlane, Deepwatch, and Palo Alto Networks, showing exactly how to handle challenging situations like executive turnover, security incidents, and roadmap delays while maintaining trust and driving expansion.

Whether you're preparing for your first EBR or looking to elevate your executive presence, this episode provides the frameworks, scripts, and preparation checklist you need to facilitate like you belong in the room.

All frameworks referenced in this episode are detailed in The Executive Business Review Playbook: The CSM's Guide to Owning the Room, available on Amazon.

You've done the prep work. You've aligned internally. You've confirmed the meeting with your executive stakeholders. Now comes the moment that separates good CSMs from great ones: building the actual deck.

Most EBR decks fail before the meeting even starts. They're built around what the CSM wants to say, not what the executive needs to hear. Twenty-five slides packed with usage metrics, support ticket summaries, and product roadmap updates. No strategic alignment. No business outcomes. No clear path forward. Just a status dump disguised as a review.

In this episode, Mark breaks down the six-slide EBR framework he teaches in The Executive Business Review Playbook - the same structure he's used with customers like Lowe's, Ernst & Young, Accenture, and dozens of others. This framework works because it's built around what executives actually care about, not what we think they should care about.You'll learn exactly what each slide needs to accomplish and how to deliver it without losing the room:

• SLIDE 1: Strategic Alignment RecapProve you've been listening. Show the executive you understand their current business priorities and how your platform supports those goals. This isn't a bio slide - it's proof that you know who they are.
• SLIDE 2: Outcomes DeliveredConnect your work to their measurable business results. Not your features. Not your platform capabilities. Their outcomes. Time saved. Risk reduced. Revenue protected. This is where you answer: What did we accomplish together?
• SLIDE 3: Current State and GapsThe honesty slide. Show them what's working, what's not, and where they're leaving value on the table. Executives respect transparency. They can't stand being blindsided. Frame gaps as opportunities, not accusations.
• SLIDE 4: Success Plan and Next StepsMove from observation to action. Tell them exactly what needs to happen next, who needs to do it, and when. Include mutual accountability - what you're committing to AND what they need to do.
• SLIDE 5: Expansion or Roadmap (Optional)Introduce what's next - but only if you've earned it. New features aligned with their priorities. Expansion opportunities. Strategic roadmap initiatives. Read the room. If they're engaged, go for it. If not, skip it.
• SLIDE 6: Recap and CommitmentsYour closer. Summarize what you covered. Confirm action items and owners. Set the date for your next check-in. Don't end with "any questions?" - that's passive. You're leading this meeting. End with clarity.

Mark also reveals the one slide most CSMs screw up completely: Outcomes Delivered. Because most CSMs confuse activity with outcomes. Usage stats and feature adoption are not outcomes. Business results are outcomes. If you can't tie your work to time saved, money saved, risk reduced, revenue generated, compliance achieved, or efficiency gained - you're not delivering an outcome, you're delivering a service. And services are replaceable. Outcomes are not.

Here's the truth: the slides don't matter as much as you think. What matters is whether you walk into that room sounding like someone who understands their business, can connect your work to their goals, and can have a real conversation - not just click through a deck. The slides keep you honest and give the executive something to hold onto after you leave. But the real work happens between the slides.

Perfect for CSMs preparing for their first EBR, experienced practitioners looking to level up their presentation game, or CS leaders building EBR frameworks for their teams.Download the companion guide "The 6-Slide EBR Framework" at ClearPathCX.com for the complete breakdown with examples, common mistakes, and a quick reference table.

Your first Executive Business Review can make or break your credibility as a Customer Success Manager. It's the moment you step out of reactive, day-to-day account management and prove you're a strategic partner who understands the business, drives outcomes, and owns the relationship at the executive level.

But here's the problem: most CSMs either over-prepare or under-prepare. They spend four weeks obsessing over slide animations, or they throw something together two days before the meeting. Neither approach works. And when you walk into that room unprepared - or prepared for the wrong things - executives notice immediately.

In this episode, Mark Bernardin kicks off a four-part mini-series on Executive Business Reviews by tackling the most critical phase: preparation. This isn't about building beautiful decks. It's about doing the strategic groundwork that ensures your EBR actually lands.

You'll learn how to run a readiness audit before you even schedule the meeting - because if you can't answer key questions about the executive's priorities, your proof of value, and your internal alignment, you're not ready yet. Mark walks through the exact checklist he uses from The Executive Business Review Playbook to determine if a CSM is prepared to lead an executive conversation.

From there, Mark breaks down a structured three-week timeline that balances thoroughness with sanity. Week one is all about discovery and alignment - internal syncs with your AE, champion calls to validate assumptions, and strategic data gathering. Week two focuses on building the narrative first, then the deck. And week three is where you rehearse, refine, and prepare for what could go wrong.

You'll also learn what NOT to waste time on during EBR prep - because perfecting slide transitions and building backup decks "just in case" won't save a poorly constructed narrative. Mark shares the pre-flight checklist he runs 48 hours before every EBR, covering logistics, content validation, stakeholder alignment, and contingency planning.

Throughout the episode, Mark draws from real experiences - including a story from his time at Cofense where he nearly built an entire EBR around the wrong executive priority, and only a last-minute champion call saved him from wasting two weeks of work.

This episode also tackles burnout head-on. If you're managing a portfolio of ten accounts, you don't have three weeks to dedicate to one meeting. Mark shares practical strategies for setting time boundaries (13 hours total across three weeks), using reusable templates, delegating data pulls, and rehearsing in bite-sized chunks.

And here's the crucial part: Mark explains when to delay your EBR. A bad EBR does more damage than no EBR. If you're scrambling to finish slides the night before, if you don't know the executive's current priority, or if your internal team isn't aligned - reschedule. Your credibility is more valuable than hitting a deadline.

This episode is part of the Executive Business Review mini-series on ClearPath Conversations, following the 10-episode Path to Green series on rescuing at-risk accounts. Whether you're preparing for your first EBR or looking to tighten up your approach, this episode gives you a clear, actionable framework.

Grab the companion guide - Your First EBR Preparation Checklist - at ClearPathCX.com. It includes the full three-week timeline, readiness self-check, and pre-flight checklist you can use for every EBR moving forward.

If you're reading The Executive Business Review Playbook, this episode maps directly to Chapter 3 on preparation and internal alignment.

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/markbernardin if you're preparing for your first EBR and have questions.