Quarterly business review. I presented our field marketing results to the executive team.
My slides were full of impressive numbers:
- 18 events executed across 8 regions
- 1,240 total attendees
- 840 badge scans collected
- 92% average event satisfaction score
The CRO stopped me: "These are activity metrics, not outcome metrics. How much pipeline did you create? How much did you influence? What's the ROI?"
I didn't have good answers.
I'd been tracking what was easy to measure (attendance, scans, satisfaction) instead of what actually mattered (pipeline, revenue, ROI).
The CMO was direct: "Rebuild your metrics framework. I need to know if field marketing is worth the investment."
I spent the next 30 days completely rebuilding how we measure field marketing. I eliminated vanity metrics. I built dashboards around revenue impact.
The new framework tracks 8 metrics that directly connect field marketing to revenue:
- Event-sourced pipeline (first-touch attribution)
- Event-influenced pipeline (multi-touch attribution)
- Cost per qualified lead (efficiency metric)
- Sales attendance rate (engagement metric)
- Deal velocity impact (acceleration metric)
- Win rate for event-touched deals (quality metric)
- Attendee quality score (targeting effectiveness)
- ROI by event type (budget allocation guide)
These 8 metrics transformed field marketing from "nice to have brand activities" to "quantifiable revenue driver."
Here's why each metric matters and how I track them.
Metric 1: Event-Sourced Pipeline (First-Touch Attribution)
What it measures: How much net-new pipeline is directly created by field marketing events.
Why it matters: This proves field marketing generates new business, not just engages existing prospects.
How I calculate it:
An event gets first-touch credit if:
- Prospect attended the event
- Prospect had zero prior meaningful engagement with us (no sales calls, no demo requests, no prior events)
- Prospect converted to an opportunity within 90 days of event attendance
The dashboard:
Q4 Event-Sourced Pipeline:
Executive Dinner Series (8 events):
- Opportunities created: 24
- Pipeline value: $1.8M
- Average deal size: $75K
Regional Roadshows (4 events):
- Opportunities created: 12
- Pipeline value: $680K
- Average deal size: $57K
Webinar Series (12 events):
- Opportunities created: 38
- Pipeline value: $1.2M
- Average deal size: $32K
Total Event-Sourced Pipeline: $3.68M
Why this metric matters:
The CMO can now say: "Field marketing directly created $3.68M in new pipeline last quarter."
Not "field marketing had 1,240 attendees." Pipeline created.
How I improved this metric:
Before optimization:
- Event-sourced pipeline: $880K/quarter
- Focus: Broad attendance, large events
After optimization:
- Event-sourced pipeline: $3.68M/quarter
- Focus: Target account dinners, pre-event outreach to cold accounts
The shift: We stopped optimizing for attendance and started optimizing for reaching net-new accounts in our ICP.
Metric 2: Event-Influenced Pipeline (Multi-Touch Attribution)
What it measures: How much pipeline involves event touches anywhere in the buyer journey.
Why it matters: Most deals have multiple touches. This shows how events accelerate existing opportunities.
How I calculate it:
An event gets multi-touch credit if:
- Any member of the buying committee attended an event
- The deal was already in our pipeline when they attended
- The deal progressed to a later stage within 60 days of event attendance
The dashboard:
Q4 Event-Influenced Pipeline:
Deals that progressed after event attendance:
- Stage 1 → Stage 2: $2.4M (18 deals)
- Stage 2 → Stage 3: $1.8M (12 deals)
- Stage 3 → Closed-Won: $960K (6 deals)
Total Event-Influenced Pipeline: $5.16M
Influence rate: 42% of total pipeline had at least one event touch
Why this metric matters:
Events don't just create new pipeline—they accelerate existing deals.
The insight: When buying committee members attend events, deals move 30% faster and close at higher rates.
How I improved this metric:
Before:
- Event-influenced pipeline: $1.2M/quarter
- Strategy: Open registration, hope target accounts attend
After:
- Event-influenced pipeline: $5.16M/quarter
- Strategy: Sales gives us active deal contacts, we personally invite them to relevant events
The shift: We integrated with sales pipeline data. Every event invitation list includes people from active deals.
Metric 3: Cost Per Qualified Lead
What it measures: Efficiency of field marketing spend.
Why it matters: Not all leads are equal. This measures cost of acquiring qualified leads (right persona, right company size, active need).
How I calculate it:
Cost per qualified lead = Total event cost / Qualified leads generated
Total event cost includes:
- Venue and catering
- Travel and accommodations
- Swag and materials
- Team time (calculated at loaded cost)
- Promotion (for webinars)
Qualified lead criteria:
- Director+ at target company size
- In our ICP (industry, company stage, tech stack)
- Active need or evaluation timeline
- Engages with follow-up (replies to email, takes meeting, downloads resources)
The dashboard:
Q4 Cost Per Qualified Lead by Event Type:
Executive Dinners:
- Total cost: $48K
- Qualified leads: 62
- Cost per qualified lead: $774
- Verdict: High cost but highest conversion rate (38%)
Regional Roundtables:
- Total cost: $32K
- Qualified leads: 84
- Cost per qualified lead: $381
- Verdict: Best balance of cost and quality
Webinars:
- Total cost: $28K
- Qualified leads: 180
- Cost per qualified lead: $156
- Verdict: Lowest cost, highest volume, but lower conversion (12%)
Trade Shows:
- Total cost: $85K
- Qualified leads: 48
- Cost per qualified lead: $1,771
- Verdict: Expensive, reconsidering strategy
Why this metric matters:
It tells me where to allocate budget. Webinars deliver volume. Executive dinners deliver quality. Trade shows need optimization.
How I improved this metric:
Before:
- Average cost per qualified lead: $982
- No qualification at events, sent everyone to sales
After:
- Average cost per qualified lead: $428
- Qualify at the event, tiered follow-up based on qualification
The shift: We stopped measuring "cost per badge scan" and started measuring "cost per qualified lead."
Metric 4: Sales Attendance Rate
What it measures: How engaged sales is with field marketing events.
Why it matters: If sales doesn't attend or promote events, they won't follow up on leads. Sales attendance predicts event ROI.
How I calculate it:
Sales attendance rate = (Sales reps who attended or promoted) / (Total sales reps invited)
We track two types of sales engagement:
Active attendance:
- Sales rep physically attended event
- Participated in conversations with prospects
- Owns follow-up for their accounts
Promotional support:
- Sales rep couldn't attend but personally invited their accounts
- Briefed team on which accounts to prioritize
- Committed to follow-up plan
The dashboard:
Q4 Sales Engagement by Region:
Bay Area:
- Sales attendance: 85% (11 of 13 reps)
- Promotional support: 92%
- Pipeline influenced: $2.1M
- Verdict: High engagement → High pipeline
Chicago:
- Sales attendance: 40% (2 of 5 reps)
- Promotional support: 60%
- Pipeline influenced: $420K
- Verdict: Low engagement → Low results
New York:
- Sales attendance: 75% (9 of 12 reps)
- Promotional support: 83%
- Pipeline influenced: $1.8M
- Verdict: Strong partnership
Why this metric matters:
Sales attendance is the leading indicator of event success. High attendance = high ROI. Low attendance = wasted budget.
The insight: Events in regions where sales attends 70%+ generate 3.8x more pipeline than events where sales attends <50%.
How I improved this metric:
Before:
- Average sales attendance: 38%
- Field marketing planned events independently
After:
- Average sales attendance: 74%
- Joint planning with sales, events built around their target accounts
The shift: We stopped running events sales didn't care about. Every event is planned collaboratively with regional sales directors.
Metric 5: Deal Velocity Impact
What it measures: How much faster deals close when prospects attend events.
Why it matters: Faster deals = more revenue per quarter. Deal acceleration has direct economic value.
How I calculate it:
Compare time-to-close for:
- Deals where buying committee attended event
- Deals where buying committee did not attend event
The dashboard:
Q4 Deal Velocity Analysis:
Event-touched deals:
- Average time-to-close: 58 days
- Average deal size: $72K
- Win rate: 34%
Non-event deals:
- Average time-to-close: 86 days (48% longer)
- Average deal size: $68K
- Win rate: 26%
Deal velocity improvement: 32% (28 days faster)
Economic value of velocity improvement:
- 32% faster close = effectively 32% more sales capacity
- For a 10-person sales team, that's like adding 3.2 reps
- Value: ~$800K in additional annual revenue capacity
Why this metric matters:
The CFO cares about cash flow and sales efficiency. Faster deals improve both.
How I improved this metric:
Before:
- Deal velocity lift: 12% (7 days faster)
- Events were generic, not tied to deal stages
After:
- Deal velocity lift: 32% (28 days faster)
- Events designed to address specific deal stage blockers
The shift: We ask sales: "What's preventing this deal from closing?" Then we design events that address those blockers (competitive concerns, executive buy-in, technical validation).
Metric 6: Win Rate for Event-Touched Deals
What it measures: Do event-touched deals close at higher rates?
Why it matters: Higher win rates = better lead quality and more efficient sales.
How I calculate it:
Event-touched win rate = Closed-won deals with event touch / Total closed deals with event touch
Compare to: Baseline win rate = Total closed-won / Total closed
The dashboard:
Q4 Win Rate Analysis:
Deals with event touch:
- Closed-won: 42
- Closed-lost: 82
- Win rate: 34%
Deals without event touch:
- Closed-won: 38
- Closed-lost: 108
- Win rate: 26%
Win rate lift: 31% (8 percentage points higher)
Why this metric matters:
Higher win rates prove events don't just generate volume—they generate better-qualified opportunities.
The insight: Events let prospects see the product, talk to customers, meet the team. This builds confidence and trust that improves close rates.
How I improved this metric:
Before:
- Event-touched win rate: 28% (barely better than baseline 26%)
- Events attracted anyone interested, not necessarily buyers
After:
- Event-touched win rate: 34% (significantly better than baseline)
- Events curated to include only ICP-fit prospects with active buying intent
The shift: We qualification before inviting to events. Better attendee quality = better win rates.
Metric 7: Attendee Quality Score
What it measures: How well our events attract our ICP vs. tire-kickers.
Why it matters: High attendance with low-quality attendees wastes resources. We optimize for quality, not volume.
How I calculate it:
Each attendee gets a quality score (0-10) based on:
Company fit (0-4 points):
- Company size matches ICP: +2
- Industry matches ICP: +2
Persona fit (0-3 points):
- Job title is decision-maker or influencer: +3
- Job title is end-user: +1
- Job title not relevant: 0
Engagement (0-3 points):
- Booked follow-up meeting: +3
- Downloaded resources or asked questions: +2
- Attended but no engagement: 0
Average attendee quality score = Sum of all attendee scores / Total attendees
The dashboard:
Q4 Attendee Quality by Event Type:
Executive Dinners:
- Average quality score: 8.4/10
- % ICP-fit: 92%
- % decision-makers: 88%
Regional Roundtables:
- Average quality score: 7.2/10
- % ICP-fit: 78%
- % decision-makers: 64%
Webinars:
- Average quality score: 5.8/10
- % ICP-fit: 62%
- % decision-makers: 45%
Trade Shows:
- Average quality score: 4.2/10
- % ICP-fit: 38%
- % decision-makers: 28%
Why this metric matters:
It tells me which event formats attract our ICP and which attract tire-kickers.
How I improved this metric:
Before:
- Average quality score: 4.8/10
- Open registration, no pre-qualification
After:
- Average quality score: 7.1/10
- Curated invite lists, pre-qualification, sales input on target accounts
The shift: We stopped optimizing for attendance numbers and started optimizing for attendee quality.
Metric 8: ROI by Event Type
What it measures: Which event formats deliver the best return on investment.
Why it matters: Budget allocation. Invest in high-ROI formats, cut low-ROI formats.
How I calculate it:
ROI = (Revenue influenced - Total cost) / Total cost
Revenue influenced includes:
- Event-sourced pipeline × win rate
- Event-influenced pipeline × win rate × influence percentage
The dashboard:
Q4 ROI by Event Type:
Executive Dinners:
- Investment: $48K
- Revenue influenced: $680K
- ROI: 1,317% (14.2x)
- Verdict: Highest ROI, double budget
Regional Roundtables:
- Investment: $32K
- Revenue influenced: $420K
- ROI: 1,213% (13.1x)
- Verdict: Strong ROI, maintain budget
Webinars:
- Investment: $28K
- Revenue influenced: $280K
- ROI: 900% (10x)
- Verdict: Good ROI, volume play
Trade Shows:
- Investment: $85K
- Revenue influenced: $180K
- ROI: 112% (2.1x)
- Verdict: Low ROI, rethink strategy or cut
Why this metric matters:
This drives budget allocation decisions. I can confidently say: "Executive dinners deliver 14x ROI. Trade shows deliver 2x ROI. We should reallocate trade show budget to dinners."
How I improved this metric:
Before:
- Average ROI: 3.2x
- Budget spread evenly across all event types
After:
- Average ROI: 9.8x
- Budget allocated based on ROI (60% to dinners/roundtables, 30% to webinars, 10% to trade shows)
The Metrics Dashboard That Leadership Actually Uses
I built all these metrics into a single dashboard that updates weekly.
The dashboard structure:
Page 1: Executive Summary
- Event-sourced pipeline (current quarter vs. last quarter)
- Event-influenced pipeline
- Total ROI
- Cost per qualified lead
Page 2: Event Performance
- ROI by event type
- Pipeline by event
- Sales attendance by region
- Attendee quality scores
Page 3: Deal Impact
- Deal velocity comparison (event-touched vs. baseline)
- Win rate comparison
- Time-to-close trends
Who uses this dashboard:
CMO: Checks weekly to see pipeline contribution and ROI
CRO: Checks before QBRs to understand sales-marketing collaboration
CFO: Checks quarterly to evaluate marketing spend efficiency
Regional Sales Directors: Check monthly to see which events drove results in their territory
The result:
Field marketing went from "we ran 18 events" to "we generated $3.68M in sourced pipeline and influenced $5.16M at 9.8x ROI."
Numbers leadership cares about.
What Actually Works for Field Marketing Metrics
After rebuilding our metrics framework, here's what matters:
Track pipeline, not attendance. Attendance is an input. Pipeline is an outcome.
Separate first-touch (sourced) from multi-touch (influenced). Both matter but measure different things.
Calculate cost per qualified lead, not cost per contact. Qualified leads convert. Contacts sit in nurture.
Measure sales engagement. If sales doesn't attend or follow up, events fail. Sales attendance predicts ROI.
Track deal velocity and win rates. Events that accelerate deals and improve close rates are more valuable than events that just generate volume.
Score attendee quality. 100 ICP-fit attendees beat 500 random attendees.
Calculate ROI by event type. Lets you allocate budget based on what works, not what feels important.
Build dashboards leadership actually checks. Weekly updates, executive summary page, drill-down details.
Before metrics rebuild:
- QBR presentation: "We ran 18 events with 1,240 attendees"
- Leadership response: "So what?"
- Budget: Under review for cuts
After metrics rebuild:
- QBR presentation: "Field marketing sourced $3.68M in pipeline and influenced $5.16M at 9.8x ROI"
- Leadership response: "How can we do more?"
- Budget: Increased 35%
Stop measuring what's easy (attendance, scans, satisfaction). Start measuring what matters (pipeline, ROI, velocity).
Your field marketing budget depends on proving revenue impact, not reporting activity.