People often say that numbers don’t lie.
Over time, I have learned that they do much more: they speak. They reveal trends, strengths, weaknesses, habits… and sometimes blind spots.
Throughout my experience running Traiteur Géraldine, I have always valued practical experience, people, feelings and instinct. But I also came to understand something essential: you cannot run a business on heart alone.
It takes a combination of experience, vision, emotion… and facts.
What the figures taught me
Every month, I analyse our sales results with my team. Not simply to find out whether we have “done a good job”, but to understand what our business is telling us.
One recent example really struck me.
At Traiteur Géraldine, our conversion rate measured by the number of accepted quotes is 72.25%.
At first glance, that is an excellent figure. It shows that customers trust us, that our support works and that our proposals meet a real need.
But look more closely and another reality emerges.
When we measure the same conversion rate by revenue value, it drops to 34.5%.
In other words, we win many quotes, but proportionately more small projects than large ones.
That is where the figure becomes interesting.
A number is never just a number
This kind of data should not be treated as a judgement. For me, it is a powerful tool for understanding.
A gap like this raises the right questions:
How can we communicate the value of our expertise more effectively?
How can we increase our average order value?
How can we adapt our offers?
How can we better support enquiries with strong potential?
How can we structure a sales funnel that converts more large projects?
That is exactly the kind of thinking I enjoy pursuing today through JM Conseils.
Business owners need more than figures. They need to understand them, interpret them and turn them into practical decisions.
From analysis to action
Data only has value if it helps us act.
In this case, the analysis showed us that celebrating a strong overall conversion rate was not enough. We needed to go further, examine the actual value of the projects won and identify opportunities for improvement.
That opens up several possibilities:
increase average order value, clarify our offers, qualify incoming enquiries more carefully, adapt our sales message, strengthen follow-up on large projects and rethink parts of the sales process.
These are very practical decisions. But they start with a simple task: taking the time to read the figures properly.
Leading with heart and discipline
I firmly believe that a business cannot be managed on instinct alone.
Instinct matters. So does practical experience. Human relationships remain fundamental, especially in service businesses.
But without clear indicators, we sometimes move forward based on impressions rather than reality.
Figures alone are not enough either. They need context, must be tested against day-to-day operations and connected to a vision.
That is the balance I advocate: management that is personal, clear-sighted and structured.
What I take away as a business owner
This analysis reminded me of one thing: figures are not cold.
They tell a story.
They show where the business is gaining trust, where it is losing value, where it needs to reposition itself and where it can still improve.
My role as a business owner is not simply to look at them, but to listen to them.
My ambition with JM Conseils is to help other entrepreneurs and business owners do the same: step back, understand their indicators, identify opportunities for growth and turn their findings into practical action.
Because you do not run a business with spreadsheets alone.
You run it with facts, heart and a clear vision.