Top 10 CRO Metrics: A Deep Dive into Boosting Revenue Growth
By Matt Slonaker, Founder of M. Allen

As the Founder of M. Allen, I’ve spent years working with businesses to optimize their revenue operations, and one thing I’ve learned is that data-driven decisions are the backbone of sustainable growth. Recently, I came across a compelling report titled Top 10 CRO Metrics by BoostUp, and it resonated deeply with the principles we’ve built our company on. This report, authored by a team of Chief Revenue Officers (CROs) and industry leaders, outlines key metrics that every revenue-focused organization should track to drive performance. As I flipped through the pages, I couldn’t help but reflect on how these metrics align with the strategies we’ve implemented at M. Allen to help our clients succeed. Let me take you through the insights I gleaned and how they’ve shaped my perspective on revenue optimization.

Pipeline Creation: The Foundation of Growth

The first metric that caught my eye was Pipeline Creation, presented by Julia Herman, Chief Revenue Officer at VLEX. Julia’s quote hit home: “Now you can start to build out a plan of what rep productivity looks like.” At M. Allen, we’ve always emphasized the importance of understanding where your pipeline is coming from. The report breaks down pipeline creation by enterprise rep, showing a clear trend across quarters. In Q1, the pipeline created by source (marketing, channel, and outbound) was relatively balanced, but by Q4, outbound efforts surged, contributing significantly more to the pipeline. The close rate also improved, peaking at 27% in Q4.

This data reinforces a lesson I’ve learned over the years: pipeline creation isn’t just about volume—it’s about quality and source. At M. Allen, we often work with clients to identify which channels are driving the most valuable leads. The report’s business decision questions—like “How much pipeline is created by rep category?” and “How much marketing pipeline is needed?”—are exactly the kinds of questions we ask to help our clients allocate resources effectively. The benefit of tracking this metric, as BoostUp points out, is that it helps identify how much activity is needed to create pipeline and serves as a leading indicator of rep performance. For me, this is a reminder that a healthy pipeline is the lifeblood of any revenue organization.

Opportunity Stage Conversion Funnel: Visualizing the Journey

Next, I was drawn to the Opportunity Stage Conversion Funnel, presented by Neel Kamal, CRO & Co-Founder at BoostUp. The funnel visually maps out conversion rates across stages—Discovery (100%), Substantiation (78%), Selection (50%), Negotiation (32%), and Closed (22%)—over a 72-day cycle. Neel’s insight about identifying “the opportunity stage conversion trends for inbound lead sources” struck a chord. At M. Allen, we’ve seen firsthand how understanding conversion rates at each stage can reveal bottlenecks in the sales process.

For example, the report shows a significant drop between Substantiation (78%) and Selection (50%). This kind of insight is invaluable because it tells me where to focus my team’s efforts—perhaps we need to improve our substantiation process to ensure more opportunities move forward. The business decisions prompted by this metric, such as “Which are the key stages with the highest conversion rates?” and “What are the funnel areas where conversion rates are low?”, are questions I’ve asked countless times while working with clients. The benefit here is clear: by driving more conversion-based targets, we can improve overall pipeline performance and accelerate deal cycles.

RRR – Runway, Risk, Resources: A Holistic View

Matt Durrani, Chief Revenue Officer at VLEX, introduced the RRR – Runway, Risk, Resources metric, which I found particularly insightful. The report forecasts an Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) of $275M, with a breakdown of deals across stages. Stage 1 deals are at $75M, Stage 2 at $125M, and Stage 3 at $75M. Matt’s point about understanding “the pipeline to close within those timelines” is something I’ve seen play out in real-time at M. Allen. We often work with clients to assess their runway—how much time they have to close deals—and identify risks that could derail their progress.

The visual representation of forecasted ARR across stages helps me see where the bulk of revenue is coming from and where we might need to allocate more resources. For instance, the $125M in Stage 2 deals suggests a strong mid-funnel, but the drop to $75M in Stage 3 indicates potential risks in closing those deals. The business decision questions—like “What deals are at risk?” and “What resources are needed to close?”—are critical for any CRO. At M. Allen, we use similar analyses to help our clients prioritize their efforts and mitigate risks, ensuring they have the resources needed to close deals efficiently.

Marketing Productivity: Measuring Efficiency

Greg Pouliot, Chief Revenue Officer at Marketing America, highlighted Marketing Productivity, showing a clear trend in cost per lead across quarters. In Q1 2013, the cost per lead was $1.5M, dropping to $1M by Q4 2013, with small, mid-market, and enterprise businesses contributing differently to the pipeline. Greg’s focus on “getting the best channels” aligns with our philosophy at M. Allen. We’ve always believed that marketing efficiency is about more than just reducing costs—it’s about targeting the right channels to maximize ROI.

The report’s business decision questions, such as “Can marketing be getting a higher ROI?” and “What messaging resonates with customers?”, are questions I’ve posed to my team countless times. By tracking marketing productivity, we can ensure that our clients are investing in the channels that deliver the highest returns. The benefit, as BoostUp notes, is improved budget allocation and more effective marketing campaigns—something I’ve seen transform businesses time and time again.

Cost Efficiency: Balancing Investment and Returns

Werner Schmidt, CRO & Co-Founder at BoostUp, tackled Cost Efficiency, showing ARR and ROI (Cost Efficiency) over a six-month period. The ARR peaked at $10M in January 2022 but dropped to $5M by June 2022, while ROI fluctuated, reaching 5x in June. Werner’s emphasis on “analyzing the revenue generated versus the costs incurred” is a principle I’ve built M. Allen around. We often work with clients to ensure their investments are yielding sustainable returns, and this metric provides a clear framework for doing so.

The business decision questions—like “What are the key factors impacting cost efficiency?”—are critical for understanding where to optimize. At M. Allen, we’ve used similar analyses to help clients adjust their strategies, ensuring they’re not overspending on low-return initiatives. The benefit of tracking cost efficiency, as the report highlights, is that it allows for better forecasting and a more sustainable business model—something I’m passionate about helping our clients achieve.

Rep Productivity: Maximizing Output

Julia Herman also presented Rep Productivity, showing a productivity waterfall that breaks down existing deals, new deals, and churn. The report highlights a net new ARR of $1M, with $500K from existing deals and $750K from new deals, offset by $250K in churn. Julia’s point about understanding “how much productivity is created by rep category” is something I’ve seen make a huge difference for our clients at M. Allen.

By tracking rep productivity, we can identify which reps are driving the most value and where we need to provide additional support. The business decision questions—like “How much marketing pipeline is needed?”—help us align our sales and marketing efforts to maximize output. The benefit, as BoostUp notes, is that it allows us to target reps by performance and improve overall productivity—a strategy that has proven effective in our work at M. Allen.

Risk-Based Pipeline: Mitigating Uncertainty

Neel Kamal’s Risk-Based Pipeline metric introduced a new perspective, categorizing deals into high, medium, and low risk. The report shows a total pipeline of $1.5M, with $500K in high-risk deals, $750K in medium-risk, and $250K in low-risk. Neel’s focus on “making more accurate effective pipeline decisions” is something I’ve seen transform how businesses approach their sales strategies.

At M. Allen, we often work with clients to assess the risk profile of their pipeline, ensuring they’re not overly reliant on high-risk deals. The business decision questions—like “What is the true quality of the pipeline?”—are critical for making informed decisions. The benefit of this metric is that it provides early indicators of deal health, allowing us to mitigate risks and improve close rates—something I’ve seen lead to significant improvements in revenue performance.

Sales Productivity: Driving Results

Finally, Werner Schmidt’s Sales Productivity metric showed a clear trend in ARR across quarters, peaking at $181K in June 2022. Werner’s emphasis on “measuring the revenue generated by the sales team” is a principle I’ve always believed in. At M. Allen, we work closely with sales teams to ensure they’re operating at peak efficiency, and this metric provides a clear framework for doing so.

The business decision questions—like “How can you increase your sales capacity?”—are questions I’ve asked countless times while working with clients. By tracking sales productivity, we can identify areas for improvement and ensure our clients are maximizing their revenue potential. The benefit, as BoostUp notes, is that it allows for better resource allocation and improved sales performance—something I’ve seen lead to transformative results.

Pipeline Conversion: Closing the Loop

The report wrapped up with Pipeline Conversion, again presented by Julia Herman. The data shows close rates improving from 23% in Q1 to 25% in Q4, with new ARR peaking in Q2. Julia’s insight about “slicing and dicing the data in as many segments as we can” is something I’ve seen make a huge difference in our work at M. Allen. By understanding conversion rates at a granular level, we can identify where to focus our efforts and improve overall performance.

The business decision questions—like “How much pipeline is created by rep category?”—help us align our strategies to maximize close rates. The benefit of tracking pipeline conversion, as BoostUp highlights, is that it provides a leading indicator of rep performance and helps identify target areas for improvement—something I’ve seen lead to significant revenue growth for our clients.

My Takeaway as a Founder

As I reflect on the Top 10 CRO Metrics report, I’m struck by how closely these metrics align with the principles we’ve built M. Allen around. From pipeline creation to sales productivity, each metric provides a clear framework for driving revenue growth through data-driven decisions. At M. Allen, we’ve seen firsthand how tracking these metrics can transform a business, helping our clients optimize their operations and achieve sustainable growth.

For me, the key takeaway is the importance of understanding your data at a granular level. Whether it’s identifying the source of your pipeline, assessing the risk profile of your deals, or measuring the productivity of your sales team, these metrics provide the insights needed to make informed decisions. As a founder, I’m more committed than ever to helping our clients leverage these kinds of insights to drive their revenue performance. The Top 10 CRO Metrics report is a powerful reminder of the impact that data can have on a business—and I’m excited to continue this journey with our team at M. Allen.