Reporting and results calls in English for marketing teams
For agency and in-house marketers in Buenos Aires who report to US clients. A call structure, three full dialogues, templates, and how to say the numbers out loud. Every number here is a sample, not a benchmark.
Book a trial classA structure for a 30 minute results call
US clients want the result first, the reason second and the ask last. Keep the same order every month and the call gets easier for both sides.
- 1
Minutes 0 to 3: open
Say the goal of the call and how long it takes. "I'd like to cover results, what we learned, and next month's plan."
- 2
Minutes 3 to 8: headline
Give the one result that matters against the target, then the two or three supporting numbers.
- 3
Minutes 8 to 15: what drove it
Explain the wins by channel or campaign. Credit the team and name what you changed.
- 4
Minutes 15 to 20: misses and risks
Say the miss plainly, give the likely cause, and say how sure you are.
- 5
Minutes 20 to 26: plan and ask
Propose the next test, the forecast and, if it is justified, the budget request.
- 6
Minutes 26 to 30: close
Recap decisions, owners and dates. Send the summary the same day.
| Situation | Say this |
|---|---|
| Open the call | Thanks for joining. Today I'll cover results, what we learned, and next month's plan. |
| Headline the result | The headline this month: leads are up 18 percent, and cost per lead is down. |
| Explain a dip | Conversions dipped in the second half of the month. Here is what we think happened. |
| Credit the team | Big thanks to the creative team. The new video drove most of the lift. |
| Be honest about uncertainty | We are fairly confident about the trend, but we can't yet prove the cause. |
| Say what you don't know yet | I don't have that number yet. I'll send it by end of day tomorrow. |
| Ask for budget | Given these results, we'd like to propose increasing the budget by 20 percent. |
| Propose a test | We'd like to run a two-week test on a new audience before we scale. |
| Bring bad news early | Before we start, a heads-up: we missed the target this month. |
| Close with next steps | To recap: you'll approve the test, we'll launch Monday, and I'll share early results on the 15th. |
A full 30 minute results call
One agency lead (Maria) and two clients (Dan and Priya). Notice the order: headline, drivers, miss, forecast, ask, recap. Names and numbers are samples.
| Speaker | Line |
|---|---|
| Agency (Maria) | Thanks for joining, Dan and Priya. Today I'd like to cover results, what we learned, and next month's plan. We have 30 minutes. |
| Client (Dan) | Sounds good. Let's start with the headline. |
| Agency (Maria) | The headline: leads are up 18 percent month over month, and cost per lead is down. Revenue is slightly below target. |
| Client (Priya) | How far below target? |
| Agency (Maria) | About 4 percent below. The target was 100 sales and we closed 96. All the numbers here are sample figures. |
| Client (Dan) | OK. What drove the lead growth? |
| Agency (Maria) | Mostly paid search and the new landing page. The page lifted conversion from 2.1 to 2.6 percent. |
| Client (Priya) | And social? |
| Agency (Maria) | Social was flat. It missed its target, and I'll come back to that in a minute. |
| Client (Dan) | Is the new landing page the reason for the lift, or is it something else? |
| Agency (Maria) | It's the most likely reason. The lift started the day it went live. But we didn't run a clean test, so I'd call it strong evidence, not proof. |
| Client (Priya) | Fair. What went wrong on social? |
| Agency (Maria) | Two things. The offer was weak, and our best video was paused for a week by mistake. That one is on us. |
| Client (Dan) | Thanks for saying that. What are you doing about it? |
| Agency (Maria) | We restarted the video on the 19th, and we are testing a stronger offer. I'll share early results on the 15th. |
| Client (Priya) | What should we expect next month? |
| Agency (Maria) | Based on the last three months, we expect between 400 and 450 leads. If social recovers, we could land at the top of that range. |
| Client (Dan) | Are you asking for more budget? |
| Agency (Maria) | Not this month. I'd like to run the social test first, and then bring you a proposal in the quarterly review. |
| Client (Priya) | That works for us. Can you send the deck today? |
| Agency (Maria) | Yes. To recap: you approve the offer test, we launch on Monday, and I send the summary and the deck by end of day. |
| Client (Dan) | Great. Thanks, Maria. |
Weak and strong ways to report results
Vague results and blame-free but empty phrases make a client nervous. A strong line has three parts: the number, the target, and what happens next.
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| The CTR is bad. | CTR came in below our 1.8 percent target, and here is what we are testing. |
| The campaign didn't work. | The campaign did not reach its goal. We think the offer was the issue, and we have a fix for next month. |
| Sales are good this month. | Sales are up 12 percent month over month, mostly from email and paid search. |
| We don't know why it dropped. | We are still confirming the cause. Our best hypothesis is a tracking change on the 10th, and we will confirm by Friday. |
| It was because of the algorithm. | Platform delivery changed mid-month. We adjusted the bids and CPA is back to normal since the 20th. |
| Everything is under control. | Two things are on track and one needs attention. Let me start with that one. |
| We need more budget. | We recommend moving 15 percent of the budget to search, because it returns more per dollar. Here is the data. |
| I think it will grow. | Based on the last three months, we expect leads to grow between 5 and 8 percent next month. |
| The client changed the brief again. | The brief changed on the 8th, so we reset the plan. Here is the new timeline. |
| The numbers are a mess. | The data has a gap between the 3rd and the 6th. I'll show the clean numbers and flag the gap. |
Headline sentences for each channel
Start each channel with one sentence that has the number, the comparison and the meaning. Sample numbers only: use your own.
| Channel | Headline sentence | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Paid search | Paid search brought 320 leads at 24 dollars each, down from 28 last month. | Spend, leads and cost per lead in one sentence. |
| Paid search | Impression share is 62 percent, so there is room to grow before we hit the ceiling. | Say what the number means for the plan. |
| Paid social | Paid social spent 8,000 dollars and returned a ROAS of 2.4, below our target of 3. | Say the target every time. |
| Paid social | Frequency reached 4.1, so people are seeing the same ads too often. We are refreshing the creative. | Give the cause and the action. |
| SEO | Organic sessions are up 9 percent year over year, and non-branded clicks led the growth. | Compare with the same month last year, because SEO is seasonal. |
| SEO | Ten pages moved onto page one this month. The best mover went from position 14 to position 6. | Say "position" for rank. Position 1 is the top. |
| Social (organic) | Organic reach was flat, but engagement rate rose from 3.1 to 3.8 percent. | Reach is people. Engagement rate is actions divided by reach or impressions: say which one. |
| Social (organic) | The short video was our top post, with 45K views and twice the average saves. | Say "top post" or "best performing post". |
| Open rate was 41 percent and click rate was 3.2 percent, both up from last month. | Open rates are less reliable than they used to be, so lead with clicks. | |
| The welcome flow generated 18 percent of email revenue with only 5 percent of the sends. | Name the flow and the share of revenue. | |
| Unsubscribes stayed under 0.3 percent, so the list is healthy. | Give a health signal, not just a win. | |
| All channels | Blended cost per lead was 26 dollars, and search carried most of the volume. | "Blended" means all channels together. |
Comparing periods
Always say what you compare with. "Up 10 percent" means nothing until the client hears "versus what".
| Comparison | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Versus last month (MoM) | Leads are up 8 percent versus last month. | Simple, but months have different lengths and seasons. Say so if it matters. |
| Year over year (YoY) | Revenue is up 22 percent compared to the same month last year. | Best for seasonal businesses. Say "same month last year" for clarity. |
| Rolling 30 days | Over the rolling 30 days, cost per lead is 25 dollars. | The last 30 days from today. It moves every day, so give the end date. |
| Week to date (WTD) | Week to date, we have spent 60 percent of the weekly budget. | From Monday until today. Do not compare it with a full week. |
| Month to date (MTD) | Month to date, we are pacing 5 percent ahead of target. | "Pacing" means the projection at the current rate. |
| Quarter to date (QTD) | Quarter to date, we have hit 70 percent of the quarterly goal. | Useful in the last month of a quarter. |
| Last full month | Looking at the last full month, October, leads were 410. | Use full months when the current one is incomplete. |
| Cohort | Customers who joined in March have spent 30 percent more than the February cohort after 60 days. | A cohort is a group that started in the same period. Compare at the same age. |
| Same period, different length | Adjusting for one extra day, the results are in line with last month. | Say when you adjusted, and how. |
| Before and after | In the two weeks after the launch, conversion rate averaged 2.6 percent versus 2.1 before. | Say the length of both windows. |
Saying numbers and trends out loud
| To say | How it sounds | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Grew by 12 percent | Traffic is up 12 percent month over month (MoM). | Say "up" for growth and "down" for a fall. |
| No change | Traffic was flat this month. | Also: "held steady" or "was unchanged". |
| Stopped growing | Growth has plateaued around 40,000 sessions. | A plateau is a flat stretch after growth. |
| Small fall | Conversion rate dipped slightly. | "Dipped" and "softened" are gentle. "Dropped" is stronger. |
| Sudden rise | Spend spiked on the 14th. | "Spiked" is sudden and usually short. |
| Sudden fall | Traffic fell sharply after the update. | "Sharply" or "significantly" for a big change. |
| Improvement over a baseline | We saw a lift of 9 percent in conversions. | A lift is the gain caused by a change or test. |
| Percent vs percentage points | CTR went from 1.5 to 2 percent: a 0.5 percentage point increase, or a 33 percent relative increase. | Points are the gap between two rates. Percent is the relative change. |
| Basis points | The conversion rate rose by 50 basis points. | 100 basis points is 1 percentage point, so 50 basis points is 0.5 points. |
| 12.5 percent | Twelve point five percent. | Say "point" for the decimal. Never say "coma". |
| 3.2x | Three point two x, or three point two times. | Say "x" like the letter. "ROAS of three point two" also works. |
| $1.2M | One point two million dollars. | "M" is million, never "mil". |
| 45K | Forty-five thousand, or forty-five K. | "K" is thousand on slides and in talk. |
| 1,250,000 | One point two five million, or one million, two hundred fifty thousand. | Use "and" only for decimals in some styles: keep it simple. |
| 0.8 percent | Point eight percent, or zero point eight percent. | Both are fine. |
| 1 in 4 | One in four visitors, or a quarter of visitors. | Easier to hear than 25 percent in some cases. |
| Rounding | About 3 million impressions. Roughly a third of the budget. | Round in speech. Keep the exact figure in the deck. |
| Ranges | We expect between 400 and 450 leads. | "Between X and Y" is clearer than "X to Y" for forecasts. |
| A billion | One billion is 1,000,000,000. | In Spanish that is "mil millones". Do not use "billón": in English it means a trillion. |
| Currency | Spend was 12,500 US dollars. Write USD 12,500 on slides. | Say "dollars" for USD. A "$" alone can be read as pesos in Argentina. |
| Per unit | Cost per lead is 24 dollars. ROAS is 3.2, or 3.2 to 1. | Say "cost per acquisition" or "CPA", and say what the letters mean the first time. |
Hedging honestly: attribution and small samples
Hedging is not weakness. It is accuracy. Say what you know, how sure you are, and what would change your mind. Do not hide behind "maybe" when you do have the data.
| Situation | Say this | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Attribution: a channel gets credit | This is what the platform reports. Other channels probably played a part. | Platforms count their own conversions, so totals can overlap. |
| Attribution: last click | On a last-click view, search gets most of the credit. Social may be helping earlier in the journey. | Say which model you use. |
| Attribution: the numbers disagree | The ad platform and analytics show different numbers. They count in different ways, and we use analytics as the source of truth for the total. | Say which source you trust, and why. |
| Correlation, not proof | The timing matches, so it's a likely cause, but we can't prove it. | Use "likely", "suggests" and "consistent with". |
| Small sample | We only have 12 conversions, so I wouldn't draw a conclusion yet. | Say the sample size out loud. |
| Small sample: a range | With this volume, the true rate could be anywhere between 1 and 5 percent. | A range is more honest than one number. |
| Too early | It's too early to call. We need at least two more weeks of data. | Give a length of time, not just "later". |
| Something else changed | We changed the offer and the audience at the same time, so we can't say which one helped. | Say it plainly. It builds trust. |
| Seasonality | Part of this is seasonal. Last year the same weeks looked similar. | Compare with the same weeks last year. |
| Confidence level | I'm fairly confident about the trend, and less confident about the size of the effect. | Separate direction from size. |
Delivering bad news and asking for more budget
Bad news: say it first, give the facts, say how sure you are, say the impact, then the action and the next update. Budget: result, reason, risk, review date.
| Speaker | Line |
|---|---|
| Agency (Maria) | Before we start, I have some bad news. Conversions dropped 30 percent last week. |
| Client (Dan) | 30 percent? What happened? |
| Agency (Maria) | Here is what we know. The drop started on the 10th, the same day the checkout page was updated. |
| Client (Dan) | Are you saying our site caused it? |
| Agency (Maria) | I'm saying the timing matches, and I don't want to blame anyone yet. Traffic and ad delivery are normal, so we think the problem is after the click. |
| Client (Priya) | How sure are you? |
| Agency (Maria) | Fairly sure, not certain. We are checking the tracking tag and the form now, and I'll confirm by Friday. |
| Client (Dan) | What is the impact so far? |
| Agency (Maria) | About 40 fewer sales than expected in the sample week. We paused the two campaigns with the highest spend to limit the loss. |
| Client (Priya) | Did you ask us before pausing them? |
| Agency (Maria) | No, and I should have called first. We paused them for one day to protect the budget. We can turn them back on right now if you prefer. |
| Client (Dan) | Keep them paused until you confirm the cause. |
| Agency (Maria) | Understood. I'll send an update tomorrow at noon, and a full write-up on Friday with the cause, the fix and how we prevent it. |
| Speaker | Line |
|---|---|
| Agency (Maria) | I'd like to make a recommendation. We propose increasing the search budget by 20 percent. |
| Client (Dan) | Why search, and why now? |
| Agency (Maria) | Search has returned more per dollar than any other channel for three months. It's also not capped by demand yet: we are missing about a quarter of the available impressions. |
| Client (Priya) | What do we get for the extra money? |
| Agency (Maria) | We expect more leads at a similar cost per lead. Our forecast is between 40 and 60 extra leads a month. That is a range, not a promise. |
| Client (Dan) | What's the risk? |
| Agency (Maria) | Returns usually shrink as you scale. To limit that, we'd release it in two steps: 10 percent now, and 10 percent after two weeks if cost per lead holds. |
| Client (Priya) | What if it doesn't work? |
| Agency (Maria) | We'd review on the 15th. If cost per lead rises above the limit we agree on today, we go back to the current budget. |
| Client (Dan) | I need to check this with finance. |
| Agency (Maria) | Of course. I'll send a one-page summary with the numbers today. Could we have your answer by the 5th, so we can launch on the 8th? |
| Client (Dan) | That should work. |
Hard client questions and how to answer them
Answer first, then explain. Say what you know, what you don't, and what you will do. The B2 answer is clear and correct. The C1 answer adds nuance and sounds more senior.
Why did CPA go up?
CPA went up because the audience got more expensive and conversions dropped. We changed the ads and CPA is going down again.
CPA rose mainly because auction costs increased while the conversion rate softened. We refreshed the creative on the 12th and CPA has been trending back down since. If it doesn't recover by next week, we'll rebuild the audience.
Give one main cause, one action, and a date for the next check.
Is this working?
Yes, partly. Leads are up and cost is stable, but sales are still below the target. We need one more month of data.
It's working at the top of the funnel, and it's too early to say for revenue. Leads are up and cost is stable, but the sales cycle is long, so I'd give it another month before drawing a conclusion.
Do not answer only yes or no. Say what is working, what is not, and what you need to decide.
Why should we increase the budget?
This channel gives the best return per dollar. If we add 20 percent, we expect more leads at a similar cost.
Search is our most efficient channel, and it isn't yet capped by demand. Adding 20 percent should scale leads at a similar cost. To limit the risk, I'd release it in two steps and review after two weeks.
Link the budget to a result, a risk and a review date. Never ask for money without a reason.
Can you guarantee these numbers next quarter?
We can't guarantee them, but based on the last three months, we expect a similar result. We will update you every month.
I can't promise a specific number, because it depends on the market and the platforms. What I can say is that our forecast is between X and Y, and I'll tell you early if we move away from that range.
Do not promise. Give a range, the assumptions behind it, and when you will update it.
Why are we paying for this if it doesn't get direct sales?
This channel helps people find us before they buy. Direct sales are low, but it supports search and email, which convert.
It's an upper-funnel channel, so judging it on last-click sales undersells it. What we can measure is whether branded search and direct visits rise when it runs. If they don't, I'd recommend cutting it.
Explain the role of the channel, then offer a way to test it and a clear exit.
Our competitor seems to be doing better. What are they doing that we aren't?
We can see their ads, but not their results, so we can't say they are doing better. We can compare our ideas with theirs and test the best ones.
From the outside we only see their activity, not their performance, so I'd be careful about drawing conclusions. What I can do is bring three of their tactics that we haven't tried, and we can test the ones that fit your goals.
Do not guess a competitor's numbers. Turn the worry into a test.
The numbers in your report don't match our internal numbers. Which one is right?
The numbers can be different because we count in different ways. Let's compare how each one is counted, and agree on one source.
It's common for two systems to disagree, and it usually comes down to definitions, such as the time zone, the attribution window or how duplicates are handled. I'd suggest we walk through one week line by line and agree on a single source of truth.
Do not defend your number. Ask how theirs is counted, then align on definitions.
Why did it take so long to fix this?
You are right, it took too long. We found the problem late. From now on, we will check the tracking every week.
That's fair. We found it later than we should have, because we weren't monitoring that metric daily. We've now set up an alert, so a drop like this reaches us the same day.
Accept what is true, then say the concrete change. Do not over-apologize.
Can we see results faster?
We can move faster on some things, like new ads. Other results, like SEO, take months. I can show you a plan with quick wins and long-term work.
Some levers move within days, such as bids, creative and landing pages, and others, like organic growth, take months. I'd suggest we split the plan into quick wins and longer bets, so you see progress in both.
Separate what is fast from what is slow. Never promise speed on something that depends on the platform.
What would you cut if we reduced the budget by 20 percent?
We would cut the campaigns with the lowest return first. That is about 10 percent of the results but 20 percent of the spend.
I'd start with the lowest-return campaigns, since they use a larger share of spend than of results. Then I'd protect search and the welcome email flow. I can show you the projected impact of each cut before you decide.
Answer with a priority order and the impact. It shows you know the numbers.
Asking for time or data, and handling a client who blames you
| Situation | Say this | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ask for more time | Can I take until Thursday to look into this and come back with a proper answer? | Give a day, not "soon". |
| Ask for more time | I'd rather not guess. Let me confirm the number and send it by end of day. | Better than a wrong number. |
| Ask for more time | That deserves a proper analysis. Could we cover it in the next call? | Offer a date for the answer. |
| Ask for data | Could you share access to your analytics, or an export of last month's sales? | Say what, and in what format. |
| Ask for data | To compare with your numbers, could you send the internal figures for the same dates? | Name the dates. |
| Ask for data | Do you have the offline sales by campaign? It would help us close the gap. | Explain why you need it. |
| Ask for a decision | To keep the launch date, we need your approval by Wednesday. | Give the cost of waiting. |
| Confirm what you need | So I'm clear, you'd like the results by channel and the forecast, correct? | Repeat the request to avoid rework. |
| Follow up politely | Just a reminder that we're waiting on the data to finish the report. Could you send it by Friday? | Polite and clear about the deadline. |
| Push back politely | We can do that, but it would move the launch by a week. Would you like to go ahead? | Show the tradeoff instead of saying no. |
When a client blames the agency: listen, own what is yours, separate what is not with facts, and end with a next step. Do not argue in the first minute.
| Move | Say this | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Stay calm | I understand the frustration. Let's look at what happened. | Do not answer with a defense first. |
| Own what is yours | That part was our mistake, and I'm sorry. Here is how we fixed it. | One short apology. Then the fix. |
| Separate what is not yours | The ads ran as planned. The drop came after the click, so I'd like to look at the page together. | Use facts, and keep the tone neutral. |
| Ask before defending | Can you tell me more about what you're seeing? I want to be sure I understand. | Listen first. |
| Use shared language | Let's look at how we can fix this together. | "We" keeps it a team problem. |
| Show the timeline | Here is the sequence: the change went live on the 10th, the drop began on the 10th, and we flagged it on the 12th. | A timeline is less emotional than opinions. |
| Agree on the next step | What if we review the numbers together on Friday and agree on what to change? | End with a meeting and a decision. |
| Do not say | It's not our fault. | It sounds defensive, even if it is true. |
| Say instead | Let me show you what the data says, and then we can decide together. | Same idea, calmer tone. |
A QBR: structure and script
A quarterly business review (QBR) is longer and more strategic than a monthly call. Plan 45 to 60 minutes. Start from the client's business goals, not your metrics.
- 1
1. Open with the business goal
Start from their goals, not your metrics. "Our goal this quarter was to grow qualified leads by 15 percent. Here is where we landed."
- 2
2. Quarter results against goals
Show each goal, the result and the gap. Use the same three or four metrics as the last review.
- 3
3. Trends over the quarter
Show the three months, not only the last one. "The trend is up, with a dip in month two that we explained."
- 4
4. Wins and learnings
Two or three wins with the reason. Then what you learned, including what did not work.
- 5
5. Misses and risks
Say the miss, the cause and the fix. Add the risks for next quarter, such as seasonality or a platform change.
- 6
6. Strategy and priorities
Say what you will focus on next quarter and what you will stop doing.
- 7
7. Budget and forecast
Give the forecast as a range, the assumptions behind it, and any budget request with the expected return.
- 8
8. Decisions and owners
End with the list of decisions you need, who owns each one, and by when.
| Moment | Say this |
|---|---|
| Open | Thanks for making time. This is our quarterly review, so I'd like to zoom out from the month and look at the whole quarter. |
| Goal | Our goal for the quarter was to grow qualified leads by 15 percent. We reached 12 percent, so we are 3 points short. |
| Trend | The first month was strong, the second month dipped, and the third month recovered. Here is why. |
| Win | The biggest win was the new landing page. It lifted conversion by about half a point and stayed there. |
| Learning | We learned that short offers beat long ones. We also learned that our video ads wear out after about three weeks. |
| Miss | The miss was paid social. It never reached its target, and I want to be clear about why. |
| Risk | One risk for next quarter is seasonality. Demand usually slows in the summer, so we've built that into the forecast. |
| Strategy | Next quarter we will focus on search and email, and we'll stop the two social campaigns that did not work. |
| Forecast | We expect between 1,200 and 1,400 leads. That is a range, and it assumes the budget stays as it is. |
| Budget | If you agree, we'd like to move 15 percent of social budget to search. Here is the expected impact. |
| Close | To close, here are the three decisions we need from you, who owns each one, and the dates. |
| Slide | Say this |
|---|---|
| Title and agenda | Today I'll cover three things: results, what we learned, and the plan for next month. |
| Executive summary | The short version: we hit two of three targets, and here is the one we missed. |
| Goals and targets | These are the targets we agreed on in January. I'll compare every result against them. |
| Headline metrics | Leads are up 18 percent, cost per lead is down, and revenue is slightly below target. |
| Channel performance | Search led the month. Social was flat, and email had the highest return per dollar. |
| Wins | Two things worked well. The new landing page lifted conversion, and the video ads brought cheaper leads. |
| Misses | Paid social missed its target. Here is the cause we found and what we are doing about it. |
| Learnings | What we learned is that short offers beat long ones, and we will apply that from now on. |
| Forecast | Based on the last three months, we expect between 400 and 450 leads next month. |
| Recommendations and budget | We recommend moving part of the budget to search. Here is the data behind that. |
| Next steps | These are the decisions we need from you, who owns each one, and by when. |
Templates: monthly email and Slack update
Send the email the same day as the call. Keep the Slack update short, so people read it. Replace the sample numbers with your own.
| Part | Write this |
|---|---|
| Subject | Monthly results: October. Leads up 18 percent, revenue 4 percent below target |
| Greeting | Hi Dan and Priya, |
| Opening line | Here is the summary of October. The full deck is attached, and we covered it on our call today. |
| Headline | Leads grew 18 percent month over month, and cost per lead fell to 24 dollars. Revenue was 4 percent below target. |
| What worked | The new landing page lifted conversion from 2.1 to 2.6 percent, and paid search carried most of the growth. |
| What did not | Paid social missed its target. The offer was weak and our best video was paused for a week. It is fixed as of the 19th. |
| Next month | We expect between 400 and 450 leads. We will test a stronger offer on social and share early results on the 15th. |
| Decisions needed | 1. Approve the offer test by Wednesday. 2. Send the internal sales export for October by Friday. |
| Closing | Let me know if you have questions. Happy to walk through any slide. |
| Signature | Best, Maria |
| Part | Write this |
|---|---|
| Header | Weekly results update, week of October 14. All figures are samples. |
| Headline | Leads: 96, up 9 percent versus last week. Cost per lead: 25 dollars, flat. |
| Good | Paid search is pacing 5 percent ahead of target. The new ad group is our top performer. |
| Watch | Paid social frequency is 4.1. We are refreshing the creative today. |
| Blocker | We are waiting on the July sales export from your team. Could you send it by Thursday? |
| Next | We launch the offer test on Monday and will report the first results on the 15th. |
| Tone tip | Keep it to five lines. Put the number first. Tag only the person who needs to act. |
Presenting a test plan
A good test plan has a hypothesis, a variant, a metric and a duration. Agree the success criteria before you launch, so nobody moves the goalposts later.
| Part | Say this | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hypothesis | We believe that a shorter offer will increase the lead conversion rate, because visitors are leaving the long form. | Use: "We believe that … will …, because …". |
| Variant | Version A is the current page. Version B has a shorter offer and a single button. | Say what changes, and change one thing at a time. |
| Primary metric | Our main metric is the lead conversion rate. We'll also watch cost per lead. | One primary metric, one or two guardrails. |
| Audience | We'll show it to 50 percent of new visitors from paid search. | Say who sees it and how it is split. |
| Duration | We'll run it for two weeks, or until we have at least 100 conversions per version. | Set the end before you start. |
| Success criteria | We'll call it a win if version B beats A by at least 10 percent. | Agree the threshold now, not after the results. |
| Risk | The risk is small: half of the visitors will see the current page, so we can stop at any time. | Say how you limit the risk. |
| Decision | If B wins, we'll roll it out to all traffic. If it loses, we keep A and try another idea. | Say what happens in each case. |
| Ask | Could you approve the test by Wednesday, so we can launch on Monday? | End with one clear ask. |
| Report later | The test ended. Version B lifted conversion, but the sample is small, so I'd call it a strong signal, not a certainty. | Hedge honestly, as in the section above. |
Screen sharing language for dashboards
Say where you are, what you filter and which period you use. Tools change their menus often, so only name a feature when you are sure. If not, describe what you see.
| Moment | Say this | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Let me share my screen. Can you see it OK? | Ask before you start talking about the screen. |
| Show the window | I'll share just this window, so you don't see my other tabs. | Good practice with client calls. |
| Point at a place | On the left, you can see the campaign list. At the top right is the date range. | Say where, then what. |
| Set the date range | I've set the date range to the last full month, so the numbers match the deck. | Say the range every time you change it. |
| Looker Studio | This is the report in Looker Studio. The scorecards at the top show the main metrics, and you can use the date filter to change the period. | Only say what you see. Filters and controls can differ by report. |
| Google Analytics 4 | I'm in GA4, in the reports section. Here you can see traffic by channel. If you want a deeper look, I'd use an exploration. | GA4 has Reports and Explore. If you are not sure of a name, describe the screen. |
| Meta Ads Manager | This is Meta Ads Manager. I'm looking at the campaign level, and I've added the columns for spend, results and cost per result. | Say the level: campaign, ad set or ad. |
| Google Ads | This is Google Ads. Here are the campaigns, and I'm comparing this period with the previous one. | Mention comparisons out loud. |
| Filter | I'm filtering by this campaign, so these numbers are only for the offer test. | Say what the filter is, or they will read the wrong number. |
| When you are not sure | I'm not sure where that setting is in the tool. Let me check and send you a screenshot after the call. | Better than guessing a menu name. |
| Slow down | Let me pause here so you can read it. Does anything look unclear? | Give people time to read. |
| Stop sharing | I'll stop sharing now. I'll send the link and a PDF of this view after the call. | Say what you'll send. |
| Tech problems | Sorry, I lost my screen. Give me a second to share it again. | Stay calm and keep talking. |
Questions
- How do I start a monthly results call in English?
- State the goal and the time: "Today I'll cover results, what we learned, and next month's plan." Then give the headline result right away.
- How do I say the bad news without sounding defensive?
- Say it early and plainly, then give the cause and the action: "We missed the target. Here is why, and here is what we are changing."
- What is the difference between percent and percentage points?
- Percentage points are the gap between two rates. If CTR goes from 1.5 to 2 percent, that is 0.5 percentage points, or a 33 percent relative increase.
- What are basis points?
- One basis point is 0.01 percentage points, so 100 basis points is 1 percentage point. Some finance-minded clients use them. In marketing, percentage points are usually clearer.
- What does MoM, QoQ and YoY mean?
- Month over month, quarter over quarter and year over year. Each compares a period with the one before it, or with the same one a year ago.
- What is the difference between WTD, MTD and QTD?
- Week to date, month to date and quarter to date. Each runs from the start of the period until today, so do not compare it with a full period.
- How do I say I am not sure about the cause?
- Say what you know and what you don't: "We are fairly confident about the trend, but we can't yet prove the cause. We will confirm by Friday."
- How do I talk about attribution honestly?
- Say which model or source you use, and that platforms count in different ways: "This is what the platform reports. Other channels probably played a part."
- What do I say when the sample is too small?
- Say the size and refuse to conclude: "We only have 12 conversions, so I wouldn't draw a conclusion yet. We need two more weeks."
- How do I ask a client for more budget?
- Tie it to a result and a risk: "Search returns more per dollar. We propose adding 20 percent and reviewing after two weeks."
- How do I ask for more time to answer a question?
- Give a date: "I'd rather not guess. Let me confirm the number and send it by end of day." Then do it.
- What do I say when a client blames the agency?
- Stay calm, own what is yours, and show the facts: "That part was our mistake, and I'm sorry. Here is the timeline and how we fixed it."
- Should I say "dollars" or "pesos" with a US client?
- Say "dollars" and write USD 12,500 on slides. A "$" alone can be read as pesos in Argentina, so be explicit.
- How do I say 1,250,000 or $1.2M out loud?
- "One point two five million" or "one million, two hundred fifty thousand". $1.2M is "one point two million dollars". On slides, use 1.25M.
- What is a QBR and how is it different from a monthly call?
- A QBR is a quarterly business review. It looks at three months, links results to business goals, and often includes strategy and budget. A monthly call is more tactical.
- What should a test plan include?
- A hypothesis, the variant, one main metric, the audience, the duration and the success criteria. Agree all of them before launch.
- Can I use notes or a script during the call?
- Yes. Keep the headline, the numbers and the ask in short notes. Do not read whole sentences: it sounds flat and makes questions harder.
Keep going
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