Measuring Business Performance

Sales leaders need to put an end to this MADNESS. Here's a strategic seller who was put on a PIP after hitting 166% of his $1.2M quota because he didn't hit the required "activity metrics.” There’s a better way to lead: It's simple... Stop treating knowledge professionals like factory workers. Specialized knowledge, building networks, and embracing tech innovation are more important growth levers than measuring activity inputs. This is especially true for strategic sellers. If you're leading sellers who have to engage with multiple executives at large companies and you're scrutinizing their "activity metrics,” I suggest you do an audit of your management style. Here are 3 great places to start: 1. WHO DO YOU WORK FOR? The average tenure of a VP of Sales is 17 months (down from 26 mos in 2010, per Gong). You’re in a high-pressure position, so it’s a good time to think about who you *truly* work for if this trend has any chance to reverse. Instead of thinking of your board and C-Suite as your bosses, what if you flipped the model on its head? This is known as Inversion Thinking. Instead of: “What do I need to show people at the top to keep my job?” Ask: “What can I do to help the people below me reach their full potential?” 2. WHAT IS THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS? Is the team you lead given a revenue quota or something else? Businesses need revenue to survive and grow… Not more meetings on the calendar. So why over-index on activity inputs if the important outcomes are being surpassed? This is known as Linearity Bias, the assumption that a change in one quantity produces a proportional change in another. More calls, emails, and meetings ≠ more revenue. Instead of chastising reps who are over quota but under activity, try deconstructing their unique approach and giving them a platform to share it with the rest of the team. Viewing sellers like this as “lucky” will limit your growth and tenure. 3. HOW MUCH TRUST DO YOU HAVE? “We had 2 reps put in their notice this week, and I know 2 more who are about to resign.” This was verbatim from a Strategic Account AE I spoke with last week at a Series D startup. Why? Because their senior sales team must participate in 2 cold call blitzes each week in addition to 80 outbound outreaches. “We feel like glorified SDRs. 1,000 calls have produced 10 meetings, a 1% return.” They’re fed up and burned out…so they’re leaving. If a tenured seller leaves tomorrow, what’s the cost of finding, vetting, onboarding, and training a new seller? What's the cost of lost momentum with existing pipeline? If you’re leading with activity and not strategy, I guarantee you don’t have trust in your sales team. As we enter 2024, I encourage you to think differently. The era of 17 months tenure, <40% quota attainment, and 63% of sellers experiencing burnout doesn’t have to continue. You can be the change. 🐝 P.S. Strategic sellers seeking a better way, subscribe: https://buff.ly/3noPjbn

Nike recently lost $24 billion in market value in a single day – an 18% decline in its stock price. What can we learn from such a spectacular failure by such a sterling brand? First, don’t blame the CEO for being a fool. John Donahoe led Bain & Company, eBay, and ServiceNow prior to Nike. He’s super-sharp. And that makes the tale all the more instructive. Nike’s disaster stemmed from a change in strategy based on lots of data crunching by smart people. The data said that the most loyal customers wanted edgy, high-priced performance gear, and that market trends were favoring lifestyle clothing. It also said that the company made higher profits when it sold directly through its stores or website. So Nike leaned hard into those areas. In doing so, it neglected mainstream sports apparel and pulled back from the retail partners like Foot Locker where it sold a high percentage of its goods. That did not go well. The company neglected the centerpiece of its brand identity and lost access to retailers who rebounded once the pandemic’s e-commerce boom faded. Adidas, Puma, and many upstarts were more than happy to take the business. Beware data. It is inherently backward-looking. It misses critical subjective factors like brand identity. It may be plentiful in some areas – like around what the most loyal customers buy directly from the firm – but just because data is abundant in some areas doesn’t make those domains more important than others. Of course data has critical uses. But it is also beguiling to focus on hard numbers and ignore what’s more subjective and prospective. Moreover, the people who crunch the data are often junior employees with little experience in the soft variables that drive much business success. The morals of this story are: 1) Manage a business based on a view of the future, not what data says about the past 2) Make that view based on both hard and soft variables 3) Factor some scenarios into your view of the future. A decision like cutting off longstanding sales channels is a difficult one to undo, and it stemmed from inaccurate assumptions about the persistence of trends from the pandemic 4) Above all, don’t let data substitute for judgment. As I got taught years ago at Bain, data should FACILITATE the conversation, not BE the conversation

My Founder friend just called me furious: "We need to talk about LinkedIn. I'm shutting down our account." WHY 90% OF LINKEDIN STRATEGIES FAIL When I asked him why, he showed me their LinkedIn metrics from the past 6 months: 127 posts published 462 hours spent creating content $29,800 spent on a Social Media coach 38,000+ total impressions Total qualified leads generated: Four. This isn't unusual. Most companies are playing a losing game on LinkedIn because they're optimizing for the wrong outcomes. THE COSTLY DELUSION The problem isn't LinkedIn. The problem is focusing on content that looks successful rather than content that actually drives business results. After analyzing data from 300+ B2B companies, I've found a clear pattern: The posts that drive the most business are rarely the ones that perform best according to LinkedIn's metrics. THE $180K POST THAT "FAILED" Last quarter, a client published what seemed like an underperforming post: Only 237 views 14 likes 3 comments Yet that single post generated $180K in closed business within 60 days. Why? Because it addressed a specific challenge that deeply resonated with 5 decision-makers who could actually buy their solution. THE METRICS THAT ACTUALLY MATTER Stop measuring: • Total impressions • Follower growth • Engagement rate Start measuring: • Qualified conversations generated • Sales meetings booked • Revenue attributed to content THE APPROACH THAT WORKS After testing every LinkedIn strategy imaginable across hundreds of companies and millions in revenue, here's what consistently delivers results: (1) Target precision over reach Connect only with people who fit your ideal customer profile and have been active in the last 30 days. (2) Solve specific problems Create content addressing specific challenges your ideal customers actually care about solving. (3) Focus on conversations, not broadcasting Respond thoughtfully to every comment and use them to start meaningful conversations. (4) Be strategically consistent 2-3 high-quality posts weekly outperforms daily low-effort content. (5) Track business outcomes, not vanity metrics The only engagement that matters is the kind that eventually translates to revenue. THE PERMISSION TO PLAY A DIFFERENT GAME • You don't need 10,000 followers. • You don't need viral posts. • You don't need to spend hours crafting the perfect carousel. You just need to consistently show up and provide genuine value to the specific people who can actually buy from you. What if you stopped chasing LinkedIn vanity metrics and instead focused exclusively on creating content for the exact prospects you're best equipped to serve? Want to turn LinkedIn into a predictable revenue channel instead of a time sink? Shoot me a DM - I've helped hundreds of clients build systems that deliver measurable results.

How are you measuring your sales team's activity and capacity to boost outcomes? Our analysis shows that top-performing sales reps allocate 20% more time to direct customer interactions than their peers, while the least effective reps spend up to 45% of their day in fragmented, non-productive tasks. These disparities in time management and capacity utilization are key factors driving sales performance and outcomes. Our data has revealed clear patterns that People leaders should consider: 📊 Top Sales Reps Spend More Time with Customers: The highest-performing reps dedicate more time to direct customer interactions, with the top 25% spending around 20% more time in client meetings than their peers. 📈 Capacity and Efficiency Vary Widely: Sales teams in the top 10% of performance work longer hours, but critically, they spend a greater proportion of that time on high-impact sales activities, with 65 total actions per day versus 25 for under-capacity AEs. ⏳ Time Fragmentation is a Key Obstacle: Reps with lower performance spend 45% of their day in fragmented time, compared to only 20% for top performers. This significantly reduces selling time and customer touchpoints. 👥 Territory Coverage Matters: AEs with high coverage of their clients (90%) see far more frequent interactions than those with low coverage (~45%), impacting overall account management and outcomes. 🕒 Selling Time Influences Performance: Reps in the top quartile spend nearly twice as much time selling (10 hours per week) compared to underperforming reps, leading to significantly better outcomes. 📅 Internal Meetings Consume Valuable Time: Teams that log more than 8 hours per week in internal meetings see reduced customer touchpoints and lower performance. Limiting internal meetings to less than 4 hours per week drives better results. 🏆 Effort and Efficiency Must Align: While some reps are high-effort performers, focusing on time spent in the right activities (i.e., client meetings) is what sets efficient achievers apart. 🔍 Benchmarking Shows Clear Gaps: Comparing sales teams to industry benchmarks can highlight disparities in workday length, customer touchpoints, and meeting intensity, helping teams identify areas for improvement. 💬 Manager Involvement is Key: Teams where managers spend more time supporting reps in strategic customer interactions show higher success rates, while too much involvement in non-client-facing activities can hinder productivity. 📊 Focus on Quality Over Quantity: AEs with fewer client touchpoints but deeper, more meaningful interactions (as shown in top-performing reps) tend to see better results than those who prioritize quantity over quality. Explore more of our detailed findings and sales activity benchmarks at Worklytics in the comments below. How are you optimizing your sales team's capacity and activity to improve outcomes? #PeopleAnalytics #SalesEffectiveness #HRAnalytics #DataDrivenSales #TalentAnalytics

I recently explored a game-changing approach to sales performance—one that shifts the focus from just hitting numbers to actually understanding and improving the factors driving success. Sales teams often work under immense pressure, but what if we focused on leading indicators instead of just lagging results? Here are 10 Sales KPIs that go beyond revenue targets and help build sustainable success: 1️⃣ Lead Response Time ⏳ How fast does your team follow up with inbound leads? A delay of even 5 minutes can cut conversion rates in half. 2️⃣ Qualified Leads per Month 🔥 Not all leads are equal. Tracking qualified leads (instead of just total leads) ensures you focus on real opportunities. 3️⃣ Win Rate 🏆 How many deals are actually closing? A high volume of calls doesn’t mean much if conversions are low. 4️⃣ Average Deal Size 💰 Are you selling bigger solutions, or are deals shrinking? This metric reveals whether your value proposition is strengthening. 5️⃣ Sales Cycle Length 📅 How long does it take to close a deal? Shortening the cycle means optimizing the buyer journey and eliminating friction. 6️⃣ Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) 💸 Are you spending more than necessary to acquire a customer? A sustainable sales process should lower CAC over time. 7️⃣ Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) 🤝 Are customers coming back? A high CLV means you’re selling long-term value, not just one-time deals. 8️⃣ Churn Rate ❌ Are you losing clients faster than you’re gaining them? A high churn rate signals deeper issues with customer experience or product fit. 9️⃣ Sales Productivity Metrics ⚙️ Track key activities like calls, emails, and demos per rep. Are they focusing on high-impact activities or just staying busy? 🔟 Forecast Accuracy 🔮 If projections are constantly off, there’s a disconnect between sales teams and market reality. Refining this improves strategic decision-making. 💡 Here’s the shift that caught my attention: Instead of measuring just outcomes, high-performing teams measure what drives the outcomes. Sales isn’t just about closing deals. It’s about optimizing the right behaviors, refining processes, and creating value—so revenue becomes the natural result. 🚀 Which of these KPIs do you track the most? Let’s discuss! #sales #marketing #business #sale #fashion #shopping #entrepreneur #realestate #digitalmarketing #onlineshopping #b #smallbusiness #deals #style #discount #love #branding #promo #success #forsale #cars #instagram #follow #salestips #instagood #lagos #property #motivation #socialmedia #salesalesale

Your fundraising dashboard shows impressive numbers. Here's what it's hiding from you. You celebrate email open rates without measuring conversions. You track social media followers without monitoring engagement. You count event attendance without measuring follow-up. You report total dollars without analyzing source sustainability. These vanity metrics look good in board reports. BUT they tell you nothing about your future. The organizations that grow don't just track more metrics. They track meaningful ones. Pull up your last dashboard report. For each metric, ask: Does this predict future growth? Does this inform strategic decisions? Does this measure relationship strength? Does this connect to mission impact? If you can't answer "yes" to at least two of these questions, you're tracking a vanity metric. The most successful fundraising teams I work with measure: Second gift conversion rates, not just first gifts. Donor relationship depth scores, not just giving totals. Content engagement-to-action ratios, not just opens. Volunteer-to-donor conversion, not just volunteer hours. Your dashboard isn't just a report card. It's a growth tool that either focuses your team on what matters or distracts them with what doesn't. Stop measuring what makes you feel good. Start measuring what helps you grow. Because in fundraising, what you measure determines what you achieve.

Former Nike CMO’s Massimo Giunco’s LinkedIn post has been going viral lately, as Nike erased $25B of market cap in a single day.  The root of this situation can be traced back to key strategic decisions made in 2020, which seemed like good ideas at the time, but created the present disaster. Initially seen as a cost-saving and streamlining measure, the removal of product categories led to a loss of specialized expertise and innovation. Transitioning to a Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) model was intended to leverage digital sales, but it also resulted in the marginalization of long-standing wholesale partners, who gave Nike’s shelf space to competitors like HOKA and On. Too late, Nike realized that brick-and-mortar was a powerful customer acquisition tool, since most of their followers were already Nike customers. Compounding the problem, the pivot from brand-building to performance marketing led to significant discounting, since Nike struggled to convert digital traffic into purchases without deep price cuts. Nike's recent struggles are a powerful reminder of the delicate balance between innovation and tradition. While digital transformation and direct-to-consumer models are critical in today's market, they must be implemented with a deep understanding of consumer behavior and operational capabilities. #Nike #businessstrategy #digitaltransformation #brandmanagement #leadership #ecommerce #marketing #retail

CX pros are some of the worst at proving their impact. And it’s not because the work isn’t meaningful—it’s because the way you talk about it is boring, vague, and full of vanity metrics that no one cares about. Here’s what execs hear all the time: Fluffy, Vanity-Driven Reporting: “We implemented proactive delivery notifications, which improved customer satisfaction by 15%.” Yawn. Execs don’t give a sh!t about satisfaction percentages unless it ties directly to revenue, cost savings, or risk reduction. That report? Straight to the trash. Now, here’s a framework I leveraged to get their attention: Crisp, Business-Driven Reporting: “We identified delivery confusion driving 35% of support calls, costing $50K/month in avoidable expenses. By launching proactive delivery notifications, we reduced WISMO calls by 30%, saving $150K/quarter and boosting repeat purchases by $200K.” Notice the difference? The first one is fluff. The second one screams, “I drive business outcomes.” The Problem CX pros love talking about inputs (what you did) and vanity metrics (how people feel), but you fail to connect them to outputs that matter to the business. You’re sabotaging your seat at the table by not speaking the language of execs. The Fix: CX Impact Reporting Framework 1. Insight: “This specific insight—[INSIGHT]—directly impacted [BUSINESS METRIC] due to [ROOT CAUSE].” 2. Actions & Results: “We took these specific actions: [ACTIONS], which led to [PRIMARY OUTCOME], resulting in [IMPACT ON BUSINESS OUTCOME].” 3. Second/Third-Order Benefits: “Additionally, these actions created [SECOND/THIRD ORDER BENEFITS] such as [ADDITIONAL IMPACTS].” If you want to get execs to actually care about your work, stop relying on fluff like NPS and start proving how your actions drive real, measurable business results. What’s the worst “CX impact” statement you’ve heard? Drop it below. Let’s call out the BS together. 👇

As a former Nike retailer witnessing the company's evolution since 1984, the recent statements by the new CEO have sparked my interest in considering investing in Nike stock. The CEO highlighted critical mistakes that contributed to an 8% decline in quarterly sales compared to the previous year, emphasizing the urgency to address these issues to avoid becoming irrelevant in the market. The identified missteps include being excessively promotional, losing focus on the core essence of sports, and straining relationships with marketplace retailers. The promotional strategy, particularly through company-owned retail and direct-to-consumer channels, has unveiled a lack of comprehension within the company regarding effective partnerships. This approach risks overshadowing retail partners, leading to competition rather than collaboration and mutual success. Moreover, the diversion from the core sporting focus, accentuated by ventures into political realms like the Kaepernick campaign, has raised concerns about the brand's priorities. Linking executive compensation to non-commercial metrics further underscores the shift away from traditional business drivers. The strained relationships with retailers, exemplified by the abrupt termination of several partnerships, reflect a historical pattern of prioritizing direct sales over collaborative retail efforts. The recent re-engagement with retailers signals a positive shift that could benefit both parties in the long run. While facing challenges, Nike retains the potential to reclaim its prominent position in the sporting industry by addressing these critical issues and realigning its strategies for sustainable growth. #nike #kingofsport #themightyhavefallen Academy Sports + Outdoors Macy's DICK'S Sporting Goods (Source: Business Insider)

When the Icon Stumbles... What can we learn from Nike’s leadership reset? Nike is no stranger to reinvention. But with revenue down 10% year-on-year, net income plunging 86%, and fresh U.S. tariffs set to carve a billion-dollar hole in next year’s results, even this iconic brand has been forced to look hard in the mirror. CEO Elliott Hill’s new “Win Now” mandate is about more than financial rescue - it’s a cultural reset. By rebalancing its product portfolios through a renewed “sports offense” strategy, repositioning Nike Direct toward a premium full-price model, and repairing relationships with partners like Amazon and DICK'S Sporting Goods, Hill is challenging leaders across the business to return to fundamentals: authentic consumer connection, bold brand storytelling, and disciplined operational execution. This is far beyond a cost-cutting exercise. It recognizes that excess inventory, over-reliance on promotions, and strained retail partnerships are cultural issues as much as commercial ones. Hill’s signal is clear: to reignite growth, Nike’s leaders must think and act with the same creativity, focus, and competitive drive they demand of their athletes. Will it work? Well, yeah, I think it might... ✅ Return to a clear brand purpose Nike’s superpower has always been storytelling that inspires action - rooted in authentic sport culture. That emotional connection is difficult for competitors to replicate. ✅ Focus on full-price selling Shifting away from promotions and back to a premium positioning - even in a soft retail climate - protects brand equity and long-term value. ✅ Rebuilding partnerships Recommitting to partners like Amazon and Dick’s supports a healthier omnichannel model, expanding reach without sacrificing control. ✅ Strong culture and leadership muscle Few companies have Nike’s legacy of resilience, speed, and cultural confidence. That matters. Organizations with a clear mission, shared values, and cohesive leadership are better equipped to weather volatility. ✅ Disciplined inventory and supply chain reset Holding inventory flat at $7.5B, while actively reducing it, shows Nike is learning from overproduction mistakes. That operational discipline restores focus, frees up cash, and lowers risk. Leadership takeaway: In moments of drift, it’s not just strategy that must shift - but the mindsets and behaviors of those leading it. Nike’s reset is a case study in turning a brand’s legendary DNA into a call to action: to inspire, to challenge, and to execute with discipline. For leaders across any industry, the lesson is unmistakable: strategy without cultural alignment will fail. Results are built on belief - and belief is built on leadership.