The Most Important KPI for Inbound

Posted by Joe Jerome on 3/11/15 6:00 AM

What is your most valuable KPI for inbound?

Is it a secret? Is it worth sharing?

This type of "stuff" is pretty highly guarded. I will share with you a metric I ran today.

It's late in the evening here about 9pm. And I ran a new metric or KPI for inbound.

 

Why would I be creating new Inbound KPI's at 9pm?

We are in a bid for a proposal. The prospect asked a bunch of questions for me to fill out.

The questions were kind of like these: "What was your most proud project? What do you do best? Are we a fit?"

What answer are you looking for to find a partner?

How do you choose: Test or Testimonial?

Instead of answering the questions I sent a review.

It was written by an extremely successful company founder to anotherCEO.He's someone that anyone in Inbound would know.

The reply from the prospect was, "This is helpful, do you also have the answers to the questions?"

The Responsive Metric

Tonight I was talking to a friend and mentor. I said "Can you believe I sent this and they still want these other questions answered?"

He asked "Do they know that you are working this late?" I answered, "No."

Inbound-KPIs

He said "Clients value responsiveness and availability." He told me a great story on how he closed a multi-million dollar deal because his availability made the difference.

I said "That's interesting... All of our reviews have one common thread "[Brand Builder Solutions] are responsive."

It seems funny that "responsive" is the most powerful common thread among the "delighted."

So I just plugged all of our reviews into a keyword tool. I didn't discriminate. I used a full sample.

Here are top 8 adjectives from the keyword density tool.


1. Responsive (this was the 3rd highest word used in thousands of words)

2. Great

3. Easy (coming from phrase "easy to work with")

4. Excellent

5. Super

6. Happy

7. Fast

8. Nice

You can validate this on your own here.

The most important inbound KPI.

Is the keyword density of what others say the most important KPI?

I love these words "Great, Excellent, Super, and Nice."

Are these the words that get you excited about your favorite companies, "Responsive, Easy to Work With, and Fast?"

This word stood out. It's how our customers described themselves, not us... "Happy!"

Are your best customers the ones that tell you that they are Happy?

Is my prospect a fit? I don't know.

Do I want them to be happy? Yes!

Should I just fill out the answers?

Do you think filling out test questions on a sheet will identify the fit that will lead to "happy?"

When you hire someone, who do you hire?

  • The person who passes the "test?"
  • The person who tells you they are great?
  • Or the person who everyone is telling you to hire?

Are you looking for a partner who is "Responsive, Easy to Work With, and Fast" where the experience makes you "Happy"?

Will you agree to use these 8 adjectives in our next review? Here's how you start.

Topics: sales

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