Because “more leads” isn’t a strategy. It’s a wish.
Founders and marketers love dashboards—until the numbers start arguing with each other. If you’re in healthtech or B2B SaaS, you don’t need another 47-metric spreadsheet; you need a short list of metrics that predict revenue and stop you from celebrating vanity wins.
This post doesn’t reveal any secret playbooks. It’s a field guide to the numbers that actually move the business, explained like a human would (with minimal jargon and only occasional sarcasm).
The Core Twelve
1) MQL → SQL Rate
How many “marketing qualified” leads become “sales qualified.”
- Good sign: 30–45% (warm B2B/healthcare)
- Red flag: You’re generating form fills, not intent.
2) SQL → Won Rate
If sales can’t close what you send, either targeting or expectations are off.
- Good sign: 20–30% (assuming real demos)
- Fix levers: ICP clarity, demo quality, sales follow-up speed.
3) No-Show Rate (Demos)
Silent killer. If people aren’t showing up, your bookings are wishful thinking.
- Target: <15% with good reminders and calendar discipline.
4) Time to First Touch
How quickly sales responds to a new lead.
- Target: <10 minutes during business hours. Minutes matter.
5) Cost per Demo (CPD)
Not CPL. Demo. The moment of truth.
- Use this to compare channels apples-to-apples.
6) Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
All acquisition costs ÷ new customers.
- Use cohorts. Don’t hide agency/tools under the rug.
7) Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
Revenue ÷ Ad Spend.
- Decent for short cycles; pair with CAC/LTV for B2B sanity.
8) Lifetime Value (LTV)
Average revenue per customer over time.
- If you don’t know this, you’re negotiating blind.
9) Payback Period
How long to recover CAC.
- Target: <12 months in B2B; <6 is lovely.
10) Conversion Rate (CVR)
LP visits → demos or trials.
- Fix inputs: load speed, above-the-fold clarity, social proof, friction.
11) Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Are your ads interesting to the right people?
- Low CTR + high CPC = your hook isn’t hooking.
12) Channel Mix Contribution
% of revenue by channel (Search, Social, Email, Direct, Partnerships).
- If one channel is doing 80% of the work, you’re one algorithm tweak away from a bad week.
Vanity Metrics (Handle With Tongs)
- Impressions: Nice to have. Not proof of life.
- Followers: Plenty of silent audiences.
- Average Position / Share of Voice (without context): Helpful only if tied to revenue movement.
- Time on Page: Can mean “engaged” or “confused.” Check against conversion.
How to Read This Like a Pro (Weekly Ritual)
- Top line: Demos booked, SQLs, Won deals, Revenue.
- Acquisition sanity: CPD, CAC, ROAS by channel.
- Funnel health: MQL→SQL, SQL→Won, No-Show%.
- Ops friction: TTF Touch, lead source hygiene (UTMs), broken forms/tracking.
- Notes & moves: What we changed last week; what we’ll test next.
If a metric can’t influence a decision this week, it belongs in monthly review—not in Monday stand-up.
Landing Page Truths (That Age Well)
- One promise, one CTA. Every extra choice is a leak.
- Proof above the fold. Logos, testimonials, numbers—earn trust first.
- Speed beats pretty. Sub-2.5s or you’re feeding your bounce rate.
- Calendly inline if you book demos. Don’t make people hunt for it.
- Mobile first. Your desktop masterpiece is a mobile shrug.
Creative That Doesn’t Waste Impressions
- Hooks: Problem → Relief in one line.
- Formats that work: Short video, testimonial snippets, crisp carousels.
- Refresh cadence: 10–14 days for high-frequency audiences.
- Message-market fit check: Does your copy sound like your buyer—or like your brand talking to itself?
Attribution Without Tears
- Own your UTMs. One naming convention, everywhere.
- Log the last touch before demo (not just first touch).
- Dashboards: Channel → Cohort → Demo → SQL → Won.
- Accept that perfect attribution is a myth. Use directionally correct + common sense.
When to Scale (and when to breathe)
Scale when, for 7–10 consecutive days:
- CPD ≤ target and CVR ≥ median, and No-Show ≤ 15%, and sales bandwidth exists.
Pause/patch when: - CPD drifts up, CTR drops, or your LP starts acting like a museum.
Closing Thought
Marketing isn’t about collecting pretty numbers—it’s about moving a few right numbers with boring consistency. If you speak in MQL→SQL→Won, CPD/CAC/LTV, and payback, you’ll make better creative, friendlier dashboards, and fewer impulsive budget moves.
Want a non-embarrassing dashboard calibrated to your funnel (no secret sauce, just clean thinking)?
Email: darshansaravana2002@gmail.com
WhatsApp: +91-7339213236
No growth hacks were harmed in the making of this post.