Part two of a two-part series on data-driven consulting.
In the Winter 2026 edition of Insights, I shared how Brooke Daly and Jennifer McKenzie’s 51³Ô¹Ï conference presentation on key performance indicators (KPIs) opened my eyes to running a more data-driven business. Several months later, I’ve implemented KPIs in my practice with surprisingly little effort and insightful results. But I wanted to learn from someone who has been doing this for years, so I reached out to 51³Ô¹Ï Vice President for Education & Training Brooke Daly, founder and CEO of Advantage College Planning, to talk about how she’s built sustainable tracking systems into her practice.
Getting Started
I asked Brooke what KPI she tracked first, and she explained, “When I first started, I was presenting a lot of seminars and webinars, and I needed a way to track consultation requests, the success of each marketing event, and how effective I was in my consultations. So, my first KPIs were: number of families attending my events, percentage who signed up for a consultation after an event, and my win rate (the percentage of consultations that turned into customers).”
By starting small and tracking her primary lead source from start to finish, she quickly figured out which marketing events were worth her time and which weren’t. For independent educational consultants (IECs) feeling overwhelmed about where to begin, Brooke suggested, “Think about your pain points first, and be honest with yourself. Where are you avoiding tracking because you don’t want to know?” She recommends starting with a client satisfaction survey to discover your Net Promoter Score (a metric that asks, “How likely are you to recommend our services?” on a 0-10 scale).
Keep It Simple
One of my biggest concerns was whether I’d need expensive software. While Brooke’s husband created a custom system for their practice, she was quick to emphasize, “A spreadsheet works! Don’t overcomplicate it. Most IECs are tracking prospective clients, consultation rate, and win rate in some kind of software or spreadsheet.”
For surveys, platforms like Mailchimp, Google Forms, or SurveyMonkey work well. Many IECs track hours using spreadsheets, Dubsado, or CollegePlannerPro. So, chances are, what you’re using now will work.
Time Commitment and Data-Driven Decisions
I was curious about the time commitment. Brooke confirmed what I’ve discovered—KPI tracking integrates into your regular work: “I can’t really lump all my KPI tracking time together, because I’m looking at data when I’m performing business management and marketing tasks. For example, I look at email open rates when working on email marketing, or inquiry response time when looking at my team to refine our sales process.” KPIs aren’t something you review once a quarter. They help in making daily decisions.
What really stood out to me was hearing how KPI tracking drives real decisions. Brooke shared an example: “About a year ago, we transitioned from our consultants doing initial outreach to having our director of community engagement make the first call, then having the consultant schedule the consultation.”
Centralizing initial contact through one person seemed logical. But three months later, the data showed their consultation rate had dropped. “We figured out that having another person involved was confusing for some families and slowed down the process.” Without KPI tracking, this change might have continued indefinitely. Instead, the data made it clear they should pivot back, removing emotion from the decision.
Time Tracking and Email Marketing Insights
After feeling particularly burned out this past season, with some clients applying to more than 20 schools, Brooke’s time-tracking insights really hit home for me. “We look at the number of hours we spend per client as closely as we can.” Tracking her hours showed her she needed to change her pricing. “Before I grew my team, I had a comprehensive package that didn’t limit applications or hours, and that was a huge rookie mistake. I ended up spending an exorbitant amount of time with one student who applied to over 20 schools, including all the Ivies.” Time tracking also led to limiting essay drafts to three per essay. “As we all know, essay review is time-consuming, and this has helped set the expectation that we won’t volley the essay unlimited times.”
When I asked about email marketing, Brooke excitedly answered, “Oh, I love email marketing analytics! We track opens and clicks very closely and pay attention to the most engaging content. We repurpose it and put it in other areas if it performs really well.” Brooke also talked about close rates and why context is key: “We know prospective clients from our website or outdoor signage have a slightly lower close rate than referrals. So, we look granularly at where the family is coming from and adjust our expectations accordingly.” Interestingly, she noted, “When we increase prices, I always expect our close rate to change, but historically it hasn’t happened yet.”
My KPI Journey
Since that initial 51³Ô¹Ï session, I’ve seen how starting small can improve my business practice. I began by tracking just two metrics: revenue per client and my close rate. I also automated my follow-up process by implementing an email drip campaign with a direct calendar link for scheduling consultations. This has made a huge difference. We’re not losing families anymore because scheduling took too long, especially during the busy fall months.
As a result, my work is simpler, and my team and I have more students signed up this year than last. This spring, I’m adding a Net Promoter Score. As Brooke advised, I’m focusing on the insights, not worrying about the results.
Next Steps
If you’re inspired to learn more, Brooke Daly and Jennifer McKenzie will present “Metrics that Matter Part 2: Using KPIs to Drive Success” at the 51³Ô¹Ï 2026 Annual Conference in Baltimore. This presentation focuses on how to track data using practical tools to build simple, sustainable systems.
The lesson from Brooke is simple. Start with one metric that matters to you, use whatever tools you have, and let the data guide you. Your future self, and your business, will thank you.
By Jennifer MacLure, MA, NCC, 51³Ô¹Ï (CA)