Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Net Promoter Score measures client loyalty with a single question: "On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend [your agency] to a colleague?" Respondents fall into three categories: Promoters (9-10) who actively recommend you, Passives (7-8) who are satisfied but not enthusiastic, and Detractors (0-6) who are unhappy and could damage your reputation.

The NPS formula: % of Promoters minus % of Detractors. If 60% of your clients are Promoters, 25% are Passives, and 15% are Detractors, your NPS is 60 - 15 = +45. Scores range from -100 (everyone's a Detractor) to +100 (everyone's a Promoter). For agencies, a score above +30 is good, above +50 is excellent, and above +70 is world-class.

The real value of NPS isn't the number itself — it's the follow-up. After the score, ask one open-ended question: "What's the main reason for your score?" That qualitative feedback tells you exactly what to fix (for Detractors), what to maintain (for Passives), and what to double down on (for Promoters). The agencies that get the most value from NPS are the ones that actually call every Detractor within 48 hours to understand and address the issue.

In the agency world, referrals are the highest-quality and lowest-cost source of new business. NPS directly predicts referral behavior — Promoters send referrals, Detractors actively warn people away. A 10-point increase in NPS typically correlates with a 5-10% increase in referral-driven revenue for agencies.

NPS also serves as an early warning system for churn. A client who was a Promoter last quarter and is now a Passive is at risk. A new Detractor is a fire alarm — that relationship needs intervention immediately. Tracking NPS over time, per client, gives you a leading indicator of retention problems before clients actually leave.