The Only Data Question that Counts

Editor's Note: Written years ago, this entry captures an early realization about what makes data useful.

For years, the phrase "big data" was everywhere. It sounded important. Impressive. Strategic. But the more I watched companies talk about data, the more one question kept surfacing.

Is it actionable?

Data only matters if it changes behavior. If it does not help you sell more, serve better, or make smarter decisions, it is just noise.

This realization came into focus for me years ago while reviewing a simple report. Nothing fancy. No dashboards. No predictive models. Just a clear breakdown of sales by month and one critical distinction: how many of those sales came from customers already in the database.

Most dealers could not answer that question.

That surprised me then. It still surprises me now.

If you sold cars last month, how many of those buyers were already known to you? Not referrals. Not walk-ins. People you already had a relationship with. People you "owned" in your database.

Now comes the more important question. If the answer were fifty percent, how would you react?

Would you celebrate and move on? Or would you pause and ask what might be possible if that number were higher?

This is where data becomes uncomfortable, and useful.

To change behavior, you need a baseline. You need to understand what is actually happening, not what feels like it is happening. Only then can you identify best practices, spot gaps, and make intentional adjustments.

Most organizations collect far more data than they ever use. The problem is rarely access. It is focus. We chase new tools instead of asking better questions.

The most valuable data often answers something simple. Who are we already serving? How well are we nurturing those relationships? And what would change if we took that responsibility seriously?

Big data never impressed me much. Actionable data did.

And in many cases, the most powerful insights were already sitting quietly in the database, waiting to be noticed.

What you choose to measure quietly shapes what you value.

~ Bryan