What this guide covers
What you’ll be able to do
- Separate the result stages and denominators
- Distinguish experience, arithmetic and proof
- Prepare questions relevant to your own practice
Know Your Numbers means following the journey into the practice, while keeping estimated value separate from money actually collected.
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Chapter 01
Find the problem the owner wanted solved
Two practices can report similar inquiry counts while buying help for different reasons. One owner wants a new source of demand; another wants clearer communication, less dependence on their own evenings or a partner who makes decisions with them. Those motives explain what success meant to that person.
- 01
Identify the original problem
Find what the owner wanted to change before judging the result. More demand, better follow-through and less personal workload are different buying motives.
- 02
Describe the starting conditions
Look for the practice’s team, reputation, capacity and other activity. Missing context limits how directly the account can inform your own decision.
- 03
Define your comparison
Write the question this case might help answer for you. A relevant process lesson can be useful even when the practice is not a perfect match.
Look for the starting situation, the desired change and the work the owner contributed. A story that begins with a large number but never explains the problem gives you less to compare with your own practice.
See it in action
Look past the headline number.
Keep sample creative separate from historical campaign results.
Ask exactly who and what the numbers describe.
Understand the service and practice systems behind the result.
Sample creative. Fictional practices; no client results implied.
Examples & steps
Read the business problem before the headline number
A useful case study begins with the practice’s starting situation. Was the problem too few enquiries, weak follow-up, poor attendance, unclear reporting or an owner carrying too much of the work? A result matters most when you understand the constraint it was meant to address.
Ask what changed during the period. A new campaign may have arrived alongside a new offer, a stronger response process, different availability or staff training. Those changes can all matter. The case should help you understand the work rather than encourage you to assign every improvement to a single attractive tactic.
Look for the practice’s role. Marketing can create attention and enquiries; the clinic still needs to answer, arrange appropriate appointments and provide the experience it promises. A case that makes the operating work visible is more useful for planning your own implementation.
Then identify the decision the case can inform. It may help you evaluate a method, ask better provider questions or find a weakness in your own journey. It does not need to predict your exact result to be valuable.
| Starting problem | Evidence worth looking for | Question for your practice |
|---|---|---|
| Few enquiries | Defined source and enquiry count | Is visibility our main constraint? |
| Many enquiries, few bookings | Contact and scheduling records | What happens after someone responds? |
| Booked visits not attended | Appointment and attendance definitions | Is preparation or scheduling creating friction? |
| Owner overload | Work described and ownership changes | Which responsibilities need a better arrangement? |
| Unclear economics | Cost, value and timing definitions | Can we distinguish potential value from cash? |
Chapter 02
Read each number as a distinct event
The Internet Playbook tracks lead cost, booking, attendance, care starts and collection. These stages answer different questions. A contact request shows interest; a scheduled time shows a commitment; attendance shows that someone arrived. They should not share one vague “new patient” label.
- 01
Name each event
Ask what counts as an inquiry, booking, attended visit and care start. Do not treat these as interchangeable labels for a new patient.
- 02
Keep the group and period
Follow a defined group over a stated observation period. Mixing this week’s leads with older visits can create a rate that describes nobody’s actual journey.
- 03
Check the denominator
Calculate each transition against the preceding stage and label it. The share of attendees choosing care differs from the share of inquiries reaching that stage.
A percentage becomes useful when its group, event and timing are visible. Keep those definitions attached to the claim, including when the result is shared in a headline, a slide or a sales conversation.
Examples & steps
Follow people through a defined cohort
A funnel is only useful when its stages refer to a coherent group. Ask when people entered, which source is included and how long they had to progress. A report of enquiries from one month and visits from another can describe activity, but it does not automatically describe the conversion of the same people.
Check every denominator. “Conversion” might mean an enquiry becoming scheduled, a scheduled appointment being attended or an attended person choosing care. Those are different events with different operational implications. A high percentage becomes useful when the event and denominator are explicit.
Look for unresolved records. Some people may still be deciding, waiting for a suitable time or not yet reached. Treating them as permanent failures can distort an early view. Ignoring them can make the report look cleaner than the underlying process. A dated status snapshot keeps the interpretation grounded.
Use the full progression to find the teaching. If many people respond but few schedule, the next inquiry differs from a case with strong scheduling and weak attendance. The stages show where to investigate; they do not, by themselves, prove why the result occurred.
| Illustrative cohort stage | Count | Calculation | What it describes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enquiries received | 80 | Starting group | People in the defined source and period |
| Scheduled | 40 | 40 ÷ 80 = 50% | Enquiry-to-scheduled progression |
| Attended | 30 | 30 ÷ 40 = 75% | Scheduled-to-attended progression |
| Chose care | 24 | 24 ÷ 30 = 80% | Attended-to-care-choice progression |
| Overall | 24 | 24 ÷ 80 = 30% | Enquiry-to-care-choice progression |
Chapter 03
Look for the work behind the result
The R.O.I. Method connects relevant communication, useful repeated encounters and real conversation. Ask which of those were present. Was the creative specific to the practice? Did the page explain what the ad promised? Who handled questions and arranged the visit?
- 01
Trace the actual work
Identify the creative, destination, response, scheduling and in-office responsibilities. A result becomes more understandable when the contributing steps are visible.
- 02
Separate observation from explanation
The owner can report what happened and what they valued. That does not automatically isolate which change caused the result or what would happen elsewhere.
- 03
Inspect current scope
Use the historical account to prepare questions, then verify what is offered and owned today. A past interview is not the current service agreement.
This makes a case more useful than a before-and-after headline. You can identify work your practice needs without assuming another practice’s outcome will repeat. A case may demonstrate an owner’s satisfaction with the process even when its financial data is incomplete.
See it in action
Follow the work behind the result.
Ask to see what was actually implemented.
Check the page and the response behind the campaign.
Examples & steps
Look for the work that made the result possible
An attractive outcome is only part of the case. Ask what the team actually did: which questions shaped the creative, how the destination explained the offer, who answered enquiries, how appointments were arranged and what reporting changed the next decision.
This level of detail makes the case transferable. You can compare the operating requirements with your own capacity. If the example relied on fast, consistent follow-up and your team has no coverage for incoming enquiries, copying the advertisement will not reproduce the operating system.
Separate tools from responsibilities. A CRM can hold records, but someone defines the stages and resolves exceptions. A dashboard can show numbers, but someone asks what they mean. A video can explain the doctor’s approach, but someone captures and approves a clear answer. The case should reveal the human judgment around the tools.
Ask which parts of the work are included in a current engagement and which belong to the practice. Historical descriptions can teach a method, but current scope should be confirmed in the present proposal. This is a practical planning step, not a reason to discount the story.
Questions that reveal implementation
Illustrative template · adapt the facts before use
What changed in the message and destination? Who owned the first response? How were unresolved enquiries handled? What counted as scheduled and attended? Which responsibilities remained with the practice? What did the team change after reviewing the early results? Which parts of that arrangement are relevant to the proposed work now?
Chapter 04
Practice on an illustrative report
Imagine a fictional report with 100 inquiries, 60 bookings, 45 attended visits and 30 care starts. The booking rate is 60%; attendance among bookings is 75%; the care-start rate among attendees is about 67%. These are different transitions, each with a different possible improvement.
- 01
Read the financial noun
Collected cash, billed charges, estimated care value and potential receivables are different. Keep the exact noun attached to the number when you compare or share it.
- 02
Ask what costs are included
Media spend alone is not the full cost of acquisition or delivery. Identify the cost basis before interpreting a return or profitability claim.
- 03
Check the timing
Ask when money was received and which group it belongs to. A multi-month collection period cannot be silently compared with a one-week advertising bill.
If the report adds “$90,000 generated” by multiplying 30 starts by an assumed $3,000 care value, you still do not know collections or profit. Ask what was actually collected, over what period, and what it cost to acquire and serve the patients. The arithmetic may be correct while the label is incomplete.
Examples & steps
Compare cases on definitions, not spectacle
Two cases can look similar while measuring different things. One may report potential care-plan value; another may report cash collected. One may include media spend only; another may include agency fees and internal labour. One may cover a complete cohort; another may show a short activity snapshot.
Build a comparison table before deciding which number is stronger. If a field is missing, mark it as unknown. Do not fill the gap with a convenient assumption. Unknowns tell you what to ask, and they prevent a polished headline from doing more work than the evidence supports.
The fictional comparison below demonstrates the method. Neither example is a PowerSURGE result. Case A offers a clear stage progression but limited economic detail. Case B provides a cash figure and broader costs but less information about the people moving through the journey. Each answers some questions and leaves others open.
A good reader can appreciate the value of both without pretending they are directly interchangeable.
| Field | Illustrative case A | Illustrative case B |
|---|---|---|
| Period | Eight-week enquiry cohort | One calendar quarter |
| Journey | 80 enquiries, 40 scheduled, 30 attended, 24 chose care | New-client count not supplied |
| Value measure | $48,000 potential value | $36,000 collected cash |
| Cost measure | $4,000 media only | $9,000 stated marketing costs |
| What is useful | Stage progression and operational questions | Defined cash and stated cost comparison |
| What is missing | Collections, broader costs, timing | Cohort progression and attribution detail |
Chapter 05
Use the case to prepare a better decision
Write what resembles your situation and what does not: community, service mix, capacity, team involvement, starting reputation and observation period. Then ask the provider to explain the current scope and which work would actually be done for your practice.
- 01
Write what is established
Summarise the owner’s reported experience, the stated stages and the period. Keep verified facts apart from assumptions you would need to test.
- 02
Write what remains unknown
List missing costs, collection timing, operating conditions or current scope. A short uncertainty list makes the next conversation much more focused.
- 03
Bring your own constraints
Add your available appointments, team coverage and desired change. Use the case as a starting question rather than importing another practice’s target.
Keep the real person’s words attached to their account. Their review can establish what they experienced; it should not become a fictional character in your teaching or proof of a service they never used.
See it in action
Ask what the evidence actually shows.
Use artwork to explain ideas and records to establish results.
Examples & steps
Translate the lesson into your own next decision
After reading a case, write one sentence about what it teaches your practice. “We should buy the same campaign” is usually premature. “We need to understand our enquiry-to-scheduled progression before increasing volume” is a concrete decision the case may support.
Compare the conditions. Consider the practice’s offer, market, capacity, response process, available appointment times and reporting definitions. You are not searching for an identical clinic; you are identifying which parts of the method are relevant and which require adaptation.
Use the case to improve your questions of a provider. Ask how the proposed work addresses your constraint, what your team must do and how progress will be measured. A confident partnership can discuss these details clearly.
Finish with a small evidence plan. Decide what you need to establish before committing to a larger change: a baseline, a response audit, a better destination or a defined pilot. The case has done useful work when it helps you choose the next step with greater clarity.
| Case insight | Local check | Possible next action |
|---|---|---|
| Follow-up mattered | Review unresolved enquiries and ownership | Repair the handoff |
| The doctor’s explanation helped introduce the practice | Inspect current first-visit information | Create a clearer answer |
| Stage reporting exposed a bottleneck | Check definitions and cohort records | Build a consistent dashboard |
| Owner workload influenced the decision | Map recurring tasks and interruptions | Redesign responsibilities |
| Potential value was substantial | Separate modelled value from collections | Build an honest economic view |
Put it to work
Read a marketing case study like an operator
Build a one-page evidence record, compare the definitions and choose a useful local action.
Capture the claim without improving it
Write the headline claim exactly as presented, then paraphrase it in a more explicit form. For example, “a strong return” may become “the case reports a stated value divided by a stated cost over this period.” The paraphrase should reveal the measurement, not make the claim sound stronger.
Record the source type: practitioner interview, internal report, reconciled financial record or another form. Each can be useful, but they support different levels of certainty. A self-reported interview can reveal experience and process; it is not automatically an independently audited financial statement.
Note the publication date and the period described. An older case can still teach a useful operating principle. Its platform details, service scope and market conditions should not be assumed current without checking.
Case evidence card
Illustrative template · adapt the facts before use
Case and source: [title/link]. Publication date: [date]. Period described: [period]. Starting problem: [description]. Reported result: [exact wording or faithful summary]. Stage definitions: [events and denominators]. Value definition: [potential value, revenue, collections or other]. Cost definition: [what is included]. Work described: [actions and owners]. Unknowns: [missing information]. Useful lesson: [one sentence].
Recalculate the parts that can be calculated
Use only supplied numbers and show the formula. In the illustrative cohort above, 40 of 80 enquiries scheduled, so the scheduling rate is 50%. Thirty of 40 scheduled people attended, so the attendance rate is 75%. Twenty-four of 30 attendees chose care, so that stage rate is 80%. The overall progression is 24 of 80, or 30%.
These calculations describe the reported group. They do not explain causation or predict another group. They do help you ask sharper questions. A practice with a similar enquiry count but a different scheduling rate may need to inspect response timing, availability or fit before changing the creative.
Avoid multiplying unrelated averages to create a result the case never reported. If average value, retention or collection rate is missing, leave the economic conclusion open or build a separately labelled scenario. Keep the scenario visually and verbally distinct from the historical account.
Separate potential value, cash and return
Potential value is a model of what a relationship or plan could be worth under stated assumptions. Collected cash is money actually received in a defined period. Profit requires an appropriate cost view. These measures answer different questions.
If a case gives only potential value and media spend, you can discuss that relationship as a model, but you cannot relabel it as collected profit. If a case gives cash but no attribution method, you still need to understand which activity the cash is being connected to. Clear labels make the case more useful, not less compelling.
For your own planning, maintain separate columns. One can show the opportunity model. Another can show recorded collections. A third can show the costs included in the comparison. This lets the practice discuss growth potential while keeping the operating picture honest.
| Measure | What it helps answer | What it does not establish alone |
|---|---|---|
| Potential value | What could the opportunity be worth under assumptions? | Collected cash or profit |
| Collected cash | What was received during the defined period? | Causal attribution or full margin |
| Media cost | What was spent on advertising delivery? | Total marketing or operating cost |
| Broader cost view | What costs are included in the decision? | A universal cost structure for every practice |
| Stage progression | How did the group move through the journey? | Why every person made a decision |
Hold a transferability discussion
Bring the case evidence card to a short discussion with the people who would implement the work. Ask what resembles your practice, what differs and what would need to change before the method could be used well.
Choose the largest practical mismatch. It might be response coverage, appointment availability, the clarity of the offer or a lack of stage reporting. Give that mismatch an owner and a next action. This turns the case from inspiration into preparation.
End with a decision: proceed to a defined proposal, run a smaller investigation, repair a prerequisite or keep the case as background learning. The right outcome is a clearer choice, not automatic enthusiasm or automatic scepticism.
Write the question you would ask the provider
A strong question combines the case insight with your local situation. “The case shows a clear progression from enquiry to attendance. Our team can currently see enquiries and appointments but cannot reliably connect them. How would we establish that view before judging the campaign?” is more useful than “Can you guarantee the same result?”
Ask for the measurement and operating arrangement that would let both sides learn. The provider should understand what the practice wants to achieve, and the practice should understand what it must contribute. That shared clarity is the most valuable thing a good case study can help create.
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06 / Put it to work
Read the next case with a decision in mind
Keep the motive, stages, period and financial labels together. Then bring the remaining questions and your own operating constraints into the buying conversation.
What is missing from the case you are considering?
Your next move
The stages are unclear
A broad “new patients” label can conceal several different events. Ask for the progression, definitions and period before comparing the account with your own numbers.
- List every stated event and its definition.
- Ask for the denominator behind each rate.
- Keep the observation period beside the totals.
Put your plan in motion
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Explore my free campaignThe method behind the work.
Continue with the original guides and the source material behind this lesson. Worked examples are teaching illustrations unless explicitly attributed.
Internet Playbook ↗Open the complete original guide.The Internet Playbook ↗The eight-step system joins applied psychology and applied economics, from the first useful encounter to ongoing improvement.The original R.O.I. Method ↗Relevancy: offer, positioning and messaging. Omnipresence: timing, frequency and platform. Intimacy: connection, community and conversation.A complete historical account ↗Dr. Dan’s attributed account preserves the eight-week inquiry, booking, attendance and care figures alongside the distinction between potential receivables and collected cash.
