Start with the business objective
Clarify whether the priority is market learning, customer acquisition, expansion or profitability. Use measures that fit that objective and the observation period. A startup validating an offer needs a different review from a mature business optimizing a repeatable acquisition process.
Connect measures to decisions
Ask which audience and programs are producing qualified progression, where buyers stall and what the team has learned. Separate leading indicators from commercial outcomes and attributed revenue from incremental impact. Require consistent definitions so changes in reporting rules are not mistaken for growth.
Review ownership and action
A leadership review should end with a choice, an owner and a date. Ask what will continue, change or stop and which evidence would reverse that decision. Include constraints from product, sales and delivery rather than assigning marketing responsibility for outcomes it cannot control alone.
Put the decision into practice
- State the business objective.
- Agree metric definitions.
- Review cohort and timing effects.
- Identify the decision behind each metric.
- Record actions and accountable owners.
Bring the business question, the evidence already available and the constraints that matter. Discuss your next step with Nancy Chou.
Run the review from a decision memo
Ask the marketing owner to state the business objective, the choice required now and the evidence supporting it. Separate activity completed, customer response, commercial progression and financial outcomes. For example, an increase in enquiries can coexist with weaker sales acceptance; the useful question is which audience or qualification choice should change. Require consistent definitions and a comparable observation period before interpreting a trend.
Use uncertainty as an executive input
A report should identify what is not yet known and the cost of waiting. Where attribution is incomplete, distinguish observed association from incremental impact. Ask which assumption could reverse the spending recommendation and whether a smaller test could resolve it. The review should end with an owner, a decision and a date for reassessment. It should not require every metric to improve simultaneously or reward a dashboard that conceals an unresolved commercial problem. Lead generation KPI definitions and formulas.
A report with rising enquiries and falling acceptance
Hypothetical decision exercise. Imagine a monthly report showing more enquiries while sales accepts a smaller share. Ask whether the audience, qualification rule or follow-up changed. Reconcile the population and review rejected examples before celebrating or cutting the program. The executive decision may be a targeting repair rather than a budget change. Assign the investigation and specify which finding would justify the next investment.