The 3-4 Numbers That Actually Matter for Your SME
Part 1: The "Feel-Good" Numbers (That Don't Pay the Bills)
These numbers are easy to count but have almost no connection to your pipeline.
- Likes/Followers: A “like” is a 1-second, zero-cost click. It is not a buying signal. I would rather have 100 followers who are all my ideal clients than 10,000 random followers who will never buy.
- Impressions: This is just the number of times your post appeared on someone’s screen. It doesn’t mean they read it, understood it, or cared about it.
- Email Open Rate: This number is unreliable (due to Apple’s privacy changes) and misleading. A 50% open rate means nothing if 0% of people take the action you actually want them to.
Part 2: The "Commercial" Numbers (The Ones That Do)
These are the 3-4 numbers that actually tell you if your marketing is working. They connect directly to your sales pipeline and your bank account.
1. Qualified Conversations / Meetings Booked
This is it. This is the single most important number for any B2B service company. How many real conversations with qualified prospects did your marketing activity (LinkedIn, website, etc.) generate this month? This is the ultimate destination.
2. Conversion Rate (from Enquiry to Meeting)
This tells you about the quality of your leads. Of all the people who filled out your website’s contact form, what percentage of them were a good fit and resulted in a meeting?
- If this number is high (e.g., 80%), your website messaging is perfectly tuned.
- If this number is low (e.g., 10%), you’re attracting the wrong audience.
3. Pipeline Value Generated (by Source)
This is the number for your board meeting. Of all the new, qualified opportunities in your sales pipeline, what is their total potential value (in £)? And, crucially, where did they come from?
(e.g., LinkedIn Outreach: £45,000, Website Enquiry: £30,000, Referral: £70,000)
This tells you exactly where to put your time and money.
4. Sales Cycle Length
How long does it take, on average, to move a prospect from that “first meeting” to a “signed proposal”? Good marketing and a clear process should shorten this cycle by answering questions and building trust before you even get in the room.
The 3-4 Numbers That Actually Matter for Your SME
Part 1: The “Feel-Good” Numbers (That Don’t Pay the Bills) These numbers are easy to count but have almost no connection to your pipeline. Likes/Followers: A “like” is a 1-second, zero-cost click. It is not a buying signal. I would rather have 100 followers who are all my ideal clients than 10,000 random followers who […]
Is Your LinkedIn Profile an Asset or Just a CV?
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