STEP 5.2: A CASE STUDY
Finds Her Levers
Maria's launch was a success! But a month later, she feels lost. She's busy posting on LinkedIn, but isn't sure if it's actually leading to new clients. She's worried she's chasing vanity metrics that don't lead to sales.
The Challenge
How can Maria know where to focus her limited time and energy? She needs a simple way to measure the health of her coaching business and understand what actions actually lead to growth.
The Action
Maria uses the `Acquisition, Activation, Retention` framework to identify the few numbers that truly matter for her coaching business.
1. Acquisition KPI
"The best metric isn't likes or followers; it's the number of new newsletter subscribers from my LinkedIn profile each month. It directly tells me if my content is translating into real interest from potential clients."
2. Activation KPI
"The first key action is booking a discovery call. So my activation metric will be the number of discovery calls booked each month. This is the 'aha' moment where a follower becomes a lead."
3. Retention KPI
"My automated follow-up email asks for feedback and a testimonial. So my retention metric will be the number of client testimonials collected each month. This directly measures client success and fuels future marketing."
The Outcome
Maria creates a simple spreadsheet to track her three chosen KPIs. Now, instead of wondering if her LinkedIn posts are "working," she can see a direct connection between her content, new leads, and happy clients. She is no longer distracted by vanity metrics.
| Month | Acquisition (Subscribers) | Activation (Calls Booked) | Retention (Testimonials) |
|---|---|---|---|
| August | 50 | 5 | 1 |
| September | 75 | 8 | 3 |