How many of your clients would like a drink with you?

->-> Introducing the business world's most surprising KPI

If you work in a big, fat, stupid, bureaucratic business you can be sure they refer to the "KPI" - Key Performance Indicator. 

This is just a fatuous, pseudo-intellectual bit of jargon that refers to measuring how well you're doing. 

I have my own version which will never let you down, is infinitely simpler - and far more fun.

It is the B. I. A. - short for Birds Infallible Alcoholometer. 

You may think the key to success lies in your good looks, your skill at selling, your brilliant organisational talents, your willingness to work a 70 hour week, your ability to outsell everyone else, or perhaps drive a harder bargain.

They all help. But the real key was well defined by Lee Iacocca the former CEO of Chrysler who advised his people "If you want to succeed you'd better get on with people - because that's all we've got around here."

My theory after 60 odd years' experience is that a good way of measuring how well you're doing or will ever do is how many of your clients or customers would like to have a drink with you.

If it's more than 10 you're doing extremely well.

Between 5 and 10 you're doing OK, but have room for improvement.

If it's less than 5 you're in trouble. 

When I started my agency with two partners - who'd had enough after the first few years - I had one aim in mind. 

It had nothing obviously to do with marketing.

Any time I met a prospective client or actual client, not matter what the occasion I wanted it to make it a pleasure for them. Enough of a pleasure that they would want to come back.

I applied the same approach to my colleagues.

The best testimony came when I went broke in 1970, before I even had an agency. One of the few things that cheered me up was the way my staff, recently thrown into unemployment, used to take me out for drinks. 

Actually John Ashton who had been running my mailing house even coughed up for two suits I'd had made by my tailor in Soho but couldn't afford to pay for.

So there you are. 

Don't lie awake worrying about strategy, marketing or creative. As long as they're pretty much on track just ask yourself how many of the people you deal with would enjoy an evening of your company.

I am happy to say that before Covid hit I got a fairly constant stream of suggestions to meet my clients for drinks, which I hope will resume.

Of course it does help that they get excellent results - which you can too if you drop me a line.

Best,

Drayton