Data vs Information
There's a critical difference between data and information. Data says "you had 247 leads last month." Information says "you had 247 leads last month, up 12% from the same month last year, with promoter leads growing 25% while web leads declined 8%." One is a number. The other tells a story.
Reports That Drive Decisions
The Weekly Performance Summary
Every Monday morning, your branch managers should open a single report that answers three questions:
- How did we do last week? Total leads, appointments, pitches, sales
- How does that compare? Against the previous week, the same week last year, and the target
- What needs attention? Any rep with a conversion rate below threshold, any branch with falling lead volume
Lead Source ROI
If you're spending money on promoter teams, web advertising, and showroom presence, you need to know which channel delivers the best return. Not just volume — the full picture:
| Source | Leads | Cost | Conversions | Revenue | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Promoters | 120 | £3,600 | 18 | £72,000 | 20:1 |
| Web ads | 45 | £2,000 | 6 | £21,000 | 10.5:1 |
| Showroom | 30 | £500 | 8 | £36,000 | 72:1 |
This table changes how you allocate marketing budget.
The Cancellation Report
Cancellations are the hidden profit killer in glazing. A sale that cancels after the survey but before installation wastes time, materials, and opportunity. Understanding patterns in cancellations — which products, which reps, which lead sources — helps you prevent them.
Promoter Area Analysis
Which postcodes are your promoters most effective in? Where have they been over-canvassing? Which areas haven't been touched in months? Geographic reporting turns your promoter operation from reactive to strategic.
Building a Reporting Culture
The companies that get the most from their reporting are the ones where everyone — from the managing director to the newest sales rep — understands and uses the numbers. This means:
- Keep reports simple — three key metrics per report, not thirty
- Make them visual — charts and trends, not just tables
- Automate delivery — weekly email summaries so people don't have to log in
- Discuss, don't blame — reports should drive conversations, not finger-pointing
The 20-Year Advantage
Having worked alongside glazing companies for over two decades, we've seen which reports actually get used and which gather dust. The difference is always relevance. A report designed by a software company looks different from one designed with a branch manager looking over your shoulder.