In business, it’s always important to pay attention to the metrics…right? Well…sometimes. If you read this blog on a regular basis, you might know I really enjoyed the book “The 4 Disciplines of Execution.” I talk about that book and it’s concepts a bit here. One of the concepts I love in the book is the idea of focusing on “lead measures.” It allows you to focus on numbers that will lead to the success you want. For example, if you focus on making sales calls, (which you have control over) you should ultimately push your sales up (a lag measure). I love it because I have control over the lead measure. I decide whether I do it or not. The challenge for me recently, is I was focusing almost solely on the lead measure. The lead measure is great. But at some point you have to sell something. At some point you need to re-evaluate to make sure you are hitting your numbers. This gives you a chance to evaluate whether you are using the right lead measure. If it does not ultimately lead to sales, it’s not a great lead measure. Without sales, you will fail. But don’t worry…I am not throwing out the baby with the bath water. I need to focus on both. I need to continue to track my number of meetings. I need to make sure I am actively sending ideas to clients. But I need to make sure my sales (and the sales of my team) are following the activity. If it doesn’t, then I am missing the point. Our content efforts are up. Our web traffic is up. Our time on our website is up. That’s all great. But as in any effort, the metrics are important…so long as you are focusing on the right ones. Make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for our VIP newsletter here. We are posting new content each and every day.
