Conversion tricks and mini tools
60-second pre-report sanity check
Before sending a weekly metrics email, spend one minute checking: axis units on charts, currency normalization, and percentage denominators. Most embarrassing errors are visible at a glance if you know where to look.
If a headline number moved more than ~20% week over week, re-read the KPI definition line before explaining the story.
Key takeaways
- Dual chart axes: label both units legibly.
- State FX date when mixing regions or quarters.
- Every % needs “% of what”.
- Sort tables by magnitude to spot currency column swaps.
How to convert
1 GB = 1,024 MB
Chart axes and dual scales
If two series share an axis, confirm they are commensurate; if dual axes, label both units legibly.
Currency and FX date
State which day’s FX rate you used when mixing quarters or regions.
Percent of what
Write “% of revenue” or “% of cohort” explicitly—percent without a denominator is meaningless.
Unit sanity on KPI definitions
Re-read the KPI dictionary line for any metric that grew or dropped more than 20% week over week.
Distribution list discipline
When forwarding, strip ambiguous screenshots; paste numbers with units instead.
Metric footnotes for methodology
Add a one-line footnote for cohort definitions and FX sources—stops “why is this % different from finance?” threads.
MoM vs YoY denominators
MoM divides by last month; YoY divides by the same month last year—never mix them in one chart title without labeling.
AI-generated charts
Generative slides may invent plausible axis units—always re-verify against the source dataset before sending.