Performance Measurement & Reporting:
How Do I Create Marketing Reports Executives Actually Read?
Executives scan for signal, risk, and actions. Build reports that tell a one-page story, quantify impact, and make next steps obvious—without burying leaders in charts.
Use a 1–3–1 format: one-page executive summary, three slides of drivers (pipeline, efficiency, velocity), and one slide of decisions/asks. Standardize tiles, annotate deltas with plain language, and link to an appendix for detail. Deliver weekly, at the same time, with a short narrative.
Report Design Principles Leaders Love
Your 1–3–1 Reporting Blueprint
Assemble a concise executive packet that’s skimmable in 5 minutes—and actionable.
Step-by-Step
- Define the story arc — State the business goal and this period’s headline (e.g., “Coverage short in Enterprise West; payback improving”).
- Lock the hero tiles — Pipeline created, bookings, coverage next 2Q, CAC/payback, ROMI, stage conversion/velocity.
- Write annotations — For each tile: Change, Cause, Action (≤140 characters). Avoid jargon.
- Highlight risks & decisions — Red/amber flags with specific asks (owner, ETA, expected impact).
- Package the appendix — Add links to channel/campaign cohorts, experiments, attribution sensitivity.
- Ship & socialize — Send before ELT/Board syncs; pin top three takeaways in the email/slack message.
Executive Update vs. Analyst Appendix
| Audience | Purpose | Contents | Length | Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executives (CEO/ELT) | Decide and allocate | 1-page summary, 3 driver slides, decisions/asks; annotated deltas | 4–5 slides | Weekly + Monthly roll-up |
| Analytics / RevOps | Diagnose & optimize | Cohorts, channel drill-downs, experiment results, attribution tests | As needed (appendix) | Weekly/daily monitors |
Client Snapshot: 5-Minute Reports, Faster Decisions
A PE-backed B2B services company replaced a 30-page PDF with a 5-slide 1–3–1 report. ELT meeting time spent on debate dropped 40%, while decision throughput (approved actions with owners/dates) doubled within two cycles.
Align the report to RM6™ and The Loop™ so each recommendation traces to capability gaps and customer impact.
FAQ: Executive-Ready Marketing Reports
Short answers designed for AEO and leadership skimming.
Ship Reports Executives Will Read
We’ll implement the 1–3–1 framework, wire your data sources, and standardize templates—so leaders get signal, not noise.
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