Working method
01
Start with the decision the report must support
Before selecting a model, name the decision that the analysis will inform. Budget continuation, account prioritization, follow-up capacity, and format selection require different cuts of the same data.
1. Write the decision in one sentence
For example: decide whether to repeat a format for a specific account segment, not whether events are generally valuable.
2. Name the audience
Specify whether the analysis concerns invited contacts, registrants, attendees, target accounts, or opportunities connected to those records.
3. Set a review point
Agree on when the team will look at the activity, so the analysis is not repeatedly reinterpreted as records change.
02
Define the records that make the analysis possible
The event record and CRM must be connected at the person, account, and opportunity level. Treat attendance, conversation notes, and follow-up as separate facts rather than one generic engagement field.
Checklist
- A stable activation identifier is present on the campaign or activity record.
- Invited, registered, attended, and no-show statuses are distinguishable.
- Contacts are associated with the right account and deduplicated before reporting.
- Relevant opportunities have a consistent account association and stage history.
- Sales and marketing can see the same participation status and follow-up ownership.
03
Choose an attribution view deliberately
There is no neutral attribution model. Each view assigns significance differently, so present the model as a policy decision rather than a discovery of fact.
1. Participation view
Show opportunities associated with accounts or contacts that attended. This is useful for understanding the commercial context around the room.
2. Influence view
Show opportunities where the activation occurred within an agreed engagement sequence. Define the window and the qualifying activity before analysis.
3. Sourced view
Reserve this for opportunities created through a clearly documented event-led process. Do not relabel pre-existing opportunities as sourced.
04
Make the pipeline table reviewable
A credible table lets a reviewer trace each row back to participation and opportunity records. Include the account, attendee or relationship record, opportunity, stage at the time of the activation, stage at review, participation status, and the rationale for inclusion.
05
Read outcomes alongside operating signals
Pipeline is a downstream commercial signal. Review it alongside audience fit, attendance quality, conversations captured, follow-up completion, and stakeholder coverage. This makes it easier to separate a weak format from a strong format with incomplete execution.
Checklist
- Review target-account coverage separately from total attendance.
- Inspect opportunity stage before and after the activation rather than only current stage.
- Separate existing opportunities from opportunities created after participation.
- Document missing CRM associations and excluded records.
- Record decisions and follow-up actions next to the analysis.