Performance Measurement & Reporting:
What Marketing Metrics Belong in Executive Dashboards?
Executives don’t need every metric—they need signal. Build a dashboard that connects reach → pipeline → revenue, shows efficiency & velocity, and flags risks before they hit the forecast.
An executive dashboard should show outcomes and drivers: pipeline & revenue (by source and segment), efficiency (CAC, ROMI), velocity (lead→opportunity→closed-won cycle time), coverage & forecast risk, and data quality. Limit to 10–12 tiles, refresh weekly, and annotate changes with clear narratives.
Design Principles for Executive Dashboards
The Executive Metrics Blueprint
Use this blueprint to pick the right 10–12 tiles. Add drill-downs in a secondary view for the analytics team.
Outcome & Efficiency
- Pipeline Created (Sourced & Influenced) — by segment/region and quarter vs. target.
- Bookings / Revenue Attributed — last 90 days and YTD with attribution scope noted.
- Pipeline Coverage — next 2 quarters; coverage ratio by segment.
- CAC & Payback — fully loaded acquisition cost and months to recover.
- ROMI — incremental revenue ÷ marketing investment for top programs.
Velocity & Quality
- Stage Conversion & Cycle Time — Lead→MQL→SQL→Opportunity→Closed-Won rates and median days.
- SLA Performance — MQL response time and acceptance rate by sales.
- Data Health — % records complete, dedupe rate, consent status, tracking coverage.
- Channel Mix & Lift — Contribution of paid/owned/earned; lift vs. baseline on key experiments.
- Forecast Accuracy — Variance of marketing-sourced forecast vs. actuals.
Executive Views vs. CMO & RevOps: What Each Needs
| Audience | Primary Questions | Essential Tiles | Drill-Downs | Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board / CEO | Are we on track to hit revenue? Where are risks? | Pipeline vs. target, bookings, coverage by segment, CAC/payback, ROMI | Segment/region variance, top/bottom programs, forecast accuracy trend | Monthly + QBR |
| CMO / ELT | What’s driving (or blocking) growth? | Stage conversion & cycle time, SLA performance, channel mix & lift, data health | Campaign cohorts, experiment results, attribution model sensitivity | Weekly |
| RevOps / Analytics | Where should we optimize processes and data? | Source hygiene, dedupe rate, lead routing errors, tracking coverage | Field-level completeness, API error logs, SLA breach heatmaps | Daily monitors |
Client Snapshot: From Vanity to Velocity
After replacing a 40-tile vanity dashboard with a 12-tile executive view, a mid-market SaaS firm cut lead→SQL time by 28%, improved MQL acceptance by 22%, and met pipeline coverage targets two quarters in a row—thanks to visible SLA and data-health tiles.
Pair your metrics with RM6™ capabilities and map initiatives to The Loop™ so every tile ladders to revenue impact.
FAQ: Building Executive Marketing Dashboards
Answers tuned for AEO and leadership quick scans.
Build the Executive Dashboard Leaders Trust
We’ll define your revenue math, connect sources, and ship a 12-tile exec view with drill-downs—aligned to targets and forecast.
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