How to Optimise Growth with ARISE™ Reporting KPIs in HubSpot

Here at Digital BIAS, we have years of experience working with startups in SaaS or Fintech. 

This experience has enabled us to develop ARISE™, an operating system that spins like a flywheel for tech companies from startup through scale-up to the mid-market. Our experience has also shown that ARISE™ also works for enterprise organisations launching or spinning out a brand new product.

What all of these businesses have in common is that data drives decision-making, strategy, and growth. With its comprehensive set of 151 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), the ARISE™ reporting framework offers a robust foundation for teams using HubSpot CRM to measure and activate data effectively. 

What I find these businesses miss is a culture of continuous improvement, where they regularly review data points against business priorities and business outcomes. ARISE™ helps fine tune data and provides management processes to do it.

This blog post explores the value of these metrics and how they can be leveraged to enhance performance across marketing, sales, customer success, people, and finance.

Why KPIs Matter

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are essential metrics that help businesses track their progress towards specific goals. For SaaS and Fintech companies, KPIs provide insights into various aspects of the business, from customer acquisition and retention to financial health and employee performance.

By measuring these indicators, companies can make informed decisions, identify areas for improvement, and drive growth.

The ARISE™ Reporting Framework

The ARISE™ framework categorises KPIs into five main areas: marketing, sales, customer success, people, and finance. Each category includes specific metrics that are crucial for understanding and optimising different facets of the business.

1. Marketing KPIs

Marketing KPIs help track the effectiveness of campaigns, the reach of advertisements, and the overall impact on lead generation. 

By providing quantifiable metrics, such as conversion rates, return on investment (ROI), and customer acquisition costs, KPIs enable marketers to measure progress toward specific goals and make data-driven decisions. 

These indicators help identify which strategies are working, optimise budget allocation, and enhance campaign performance. For instance, tracking metrics like click-through rates (CTR) and engagement rates can reveal the success of digital ads, while lead generation KPIs such as marketing qualified leads (MQLs) and sales qualified leads (SQLs) offer insights into the quality and potential revenue of leads generated.

Key metrics include:

• Impressions: Measures the number of times ads are displayed.
• Click Through Rate (CTR): Indicates the percentage of people who clicked on an ad after seeing it.
• Leads Generated: Tracks the number of potential customers captured through marketing efforts.
• Email Open Rate: Measures the percentage of recipients who open marketing emails.
• List Growth Rate: Tracks the increase in the number of email subscribers.

2. Sales KPIs

Sales KPIs focus on the performance of the sales team and the effectiveness of sales strategies. 

By tracking KPIs such as conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, and sales cycle lengths, organisations can gain valuable insights into their sales processes and identify areas for improvement. These indicators help sales managers and teams to align their efforts with business objectives, optimise resource allocation, and enhance overall sales effectiveness. 

For instance, monitoring the sales win rate and pipeline metrics can reveal the efficiency of the sales funnel, while customer lifetime value (CLV) and churn rates provide a deeper understanding of customer retention and satisfaction. Ultimately, sales KPIs enable data-driven decision-making, fostering continuous improvement and driving revenue growth.

Important metrics include:

• Deals Generated: The number of deals created through sales efforts.
• Deals Won: The number of deals successfully closed.
• Lead to Customer Conversion Rate: The percentage of leads that convert into paying customers.
• Cost Per Lead: The cost associated with acquiring a new lead.

3. Customer Success KPIs

Customer success Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) measure how well the company is meeting customer needs and ensuring their satisfaction. 

By tracking KPIs such as Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), and Customer Effort Score (CES), companies can gain valuable insights into customer loyalty, satisfaction, and the overall customer experience. 

These metrics enable businesses to identify areas for improvement, optimise their customer success strategies, and proactively address issues before they lead to churn. For instance, a high NPS indicates strong customer loyalty and advocacy, while a low CES suggests that customers find it easy to interact with the company, leading to higher satisfaction and retention rates. 

Therefore, customer success KPIs provide a data-driven approach to enhancing customer relationships, driving long-term growth, and maintaining a competitive edge in the market.

Key metrics include:

• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): The total revenue a business can expect from a customer over the lifetime of the relationship.
• Customer Retention Rate: The percentage of customers who continue to use the product over a specific period.
• Net Promoter Score (NPS): Measures customer loyalty and the likelihood of them recommending the product to others.
• Customer Effort Score (CES): Indicates how easy it is for customers to interact with the company and achieve their goals.

4. People KPIs

People KPIs focus on employee performance and satisfaction, an ideal way to understand how to maintain a productive and motivated workforce. 

By tracking KPIs such as employee engagement scores, turnover rates, and productivity metrics, organisations can gain insights into the overall well-being and effectiveness of their employees. These indicators help identify areas for improvement, such as training needs, workload management, or recognition and reward programs. 

Additionally, people KPIs related to employee satisfaction, such as job satisfaction surveys and feedback scores, provide valuable information on factors that contribute to employee motivation and retention. 

By monitoring and addressing these KPIs, organisations can foster a positive work environment, enhance employee morale, and ultimately drive business success through a highly engaged and satisfied workforce.

Important metrics include:

• Employee Satisfaction Score: Measures how satisfied employees are with their job and the company.
• Employee Turnover Rate: The rate at which employees leave the company.
• Training Completion Rate: Tracks the percentage of employees who complete training programs.

5. Finance KPIs

Finance Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are essential metrics that provide invaluable insights into the financial health and performance of a company. 

By tracking and analysing KPIs such as revenue growth, profitability ratios (e.g., gross profit margin, net profit margin), liquidity ratios (e.g., current ratio, quick ratio), and efficiency ratios (e.g., accounts receivable turnover, inventory turnover), businesses can gain a comprehensive understanding of their financial standing. 

These KPIs help identify areas of strength and weakness, enabling data-driven decision-making and strategic planning. For instance, monitoring revenue growth and profitability ratios can reveal the company's ability to generate profits and sustain growth, while liquidity ratios assess its capability to meet short-term obligations. 

Additionally, efficiency ratios provide insights into the effective utilisation of resources and the overall operational efficiency. By regularly measuring and evaluating these finance KPIs, companies can proactively address financial challenges, optimise resource allocation, and ultimately enhance their overall financial performance and long-term sustainability.

Key metrics include:

• Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR): The predictable revenue generated from subscriptions each month.
• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): The cost of acquiring a new customer.

• Churn Rate: The percentage of customers who stop using the product over a specific period.

Leveraging HubSpot CRM

HubSpot CRM is a powerful tool that can help SaaS and Fintech teams effectively track and analyse key KPIs. 

With its reporting and analytics capabilities, HubSpot CRM provides real-time visibility into various metrics such as customer acquisition costs, monthly recurring revenue (MRR), churn rates, and customer lifetime value (LTV). Teams can leverage customisable dashboards and reports to gain insights into their sales pipeline, marketing campaigns, and customer service operations. 

Additionally, HubSpot CRM's integration with additional tools and platforms allows for seamless data consolidation, enabling teams to make data-driven decisions and optimise their strategies for growth. By leveraging HubSpot CRM's KPI tracking and analysis features and integrating the ARISE™ KPIs into HubSpot, SaaS and Fintech companies can monitor their performance, identify areas for improvement, and align their efforts towards achieving their business objectives.

Teams can:

• Automate Data Collection: HubSpot can automatically collect and organise data from various sources, reducing manual effort and ensuring accuracy.
• Create Custom Dashboards: Teams can build custom dashboards to visualise KPIs and track performance in real time.
• Generate Reports: HubSpot's reporting tools allow teams to generate detailed reports on KPIs, providing insights that can inform strategic decisions.
• Set Goals and Track Progress: Teams can set specific goals for each KPI and track progress towards these goals, ensuring alignment with overall business objectives.

In closing

With its comprehensive set of KPIs, the ARISE™ reporting framework provides a solid foundation for measuring and activating data in SaaS and Fintech companies. By leveraging HubSpot CRM, teams can automate data collection, create custom dashboards, generate insightful reports, and set and track goals effectively.

This data-driven approach enables companies to make informed decisions, optimise performance, and drive growth in a competitive market.

By focusing on these key metrics, SaaS and Fintech teams can ensure they meet customer needs, optimise their marketing and sales efforts, maintain a motivated workforce, and achieve financial health. Combining the ARISE™ KPIs and HubSpot CRM is a powerful strategy for success in your go-to-market strategy.