Traction

At the end of 2021, I was introduced to this book. It popped up time and time again and many of those I mentioned it to ran out and bought a copy.

Chap 5 - The Data

Begins with a great story of a plane somewhere over an ocean. The gauges aren't working so while the plan is still flying, it has no idea where it's going or if it has enough fuel to get there.

If you don't know where you're going, you'll never know when you get there.

Why Focus on the Data?

To sleep better at night
To change the future
Because what improves is what's measured.
To keep a pulse on the health of your business.
To be proactive instead of reactive
To drive clarity, commitment, and accountability.
To know the metrics of success (and get everyone on the same page).

The metrics of success are key! If your client has one expectation and you have another, you're going to fail! You might succeed in your book, but fail in theirs. To avoid this, get on the same page with regards to your metrics.

Scorecard

Here's the sample.

I will put my scorecard in a Google Sheet.

What are the 5 markers of my current business?

Number of leads/day (goal is 2/day)
Number of issues closed (milestones)
Number of issues aged 14 days (goal is to close them within 14 days).
Number of new titles/webpages/articles published each week
Number of contacts made in our outreach campaigns

One of the key goals I make a pact with my clients is 1000 books. Our measure of success is to get 1000 books in the hands of readers, over the life of the book.

The main takeaways

Have 5-15 numbers that measure the pulse of your business.
Everyone must 'own' their number and report on it weekly.

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