The baseline comparison feature transforms your dashboard from a snapshot into a powerful trend analysis tool. By comparing your current selected period against a baseline period, you can quickly see whether your key metrics are improving, declining, or holding steady.
What is Baseline Comparison?
Baseline comparison lets you select a reference period (the "baseline") to compare against your currently selected date range. The dashboard then shows:
Current values for your selected period
Baseline values from the comparison period
Change indicators showing the difference (percentage and direction)
This helps you answer questions like:
"Are we enriching more leads this month than last month?"
"Is our average Catchlight Score improving?"
"How does this quarter compare to last quarter?"
Where to Find Baseline Comparison
The baseline comparison selector is located in the filter section, typically in a separate row below the main filters.
Visual identifier: Look for a dropdown with a green/teal background labeled "Baseline" or "Compare to" with helpful text like "Compare current metrics against a baseline period"
How Baseline Comparison Works
The Relationship Between Date Range and Baseline
Date Range (Main Filter): This is your "current" period—what you're analyzing right now
Baseline: This is your "comparison" period—what you're comparing against
Example:
Date range: Last 30 Days (January 1 - January 30)
Baseline: Previous Period (December 1 - December 30)
Result: January metrics compared to December metrics
Available Baseline Options
Your dashboard typically offers several baseline comparison options:
None (No Comparison)
What it does: Shows only current period data with no comparison
When to use:
First-time dashboard exploration
When you only need absolute numbers, not trends
Exporting data for external analysis
What you see: KPI cards show values without change indicators
Previous Period
What it does: Compares your selected date range to the immediately preceding period of equal length
How it calculates:
If you select "Last 30 Days," it compares to the 30 days before that
If you select "Last 90 Days," it compares to the 90 days before that
Custom dates compare to the same number of days immediately prior
When to use:
Sequential month-to-month comparisons
Weekly progress tracking
Understanding immediate trends
Example:
Current: March 1-31 (31 days)
Baseline: January 30 - February 28 (31 days)
Shows: How March compares to the previous 31 days
Previous Month
What it does: Compares to the calendar month before your selected period
When to use:
Standard monthly reporting
Consistent month-over-month analysis
When your date range is roughly a month
Example:
Current: Last 30 Days (ending today)
Baseline: Full previous calendar month
Shows: Recent performance vs. last month
Previous Quarter
What it does: Compares to the last full business quarter (3 months)
When to use:
Quarterly business reviews
Long-term trend analysis
Strategic planning sessions
Example:
Current: Q1 2025 (Jan-Mar)
Baseline: Q4 2024 (Oct-Dec)
Shows: Current quarter vs. previous quarter
Previous Year / Same Period Last Year
What it does: Compares your current period to the same period one year ago
When to use:
Annual comparisons
Accounting for seasonal trends
Year-over-year growth analysis
Example:
Current: January 2025
Baseline: January 2024
Shows: Year-over-year change
Custom Baseline
What it does: Lets you select any specific date range as your baseline
When to use:
Comparing to a specific campaign period
Pre/post analysis (e.g., before and after a major initiative)
Non-standard time period comparisons
How to set:
Select "Custom" from baseline dropdown
Choose start and end dates for your baseline period
Click "Apply"
Understanding Comparison Indicators
When baseline comparison is active, your KPI cards display change indicators:
Positive Change (Green ↑)
Appearance: Green badge with up arrow and percentage
Example: "+15.3%"
Meaning: The metric increased from baseline to current period
Typically good for:
Total leads enriched
Enrichment success rate
Average Catchlight Score
Projected revenue
Negative Change (Red ↓)
Appearance: Red badge with down arrow and percentage
Example: "-8.7%"
Meaning: The metric decreased from baseline to current period
May indicate:
Fewer leads enriched (could signal issue)
Lower success rate (data quality concern)
Declined average score (database quality)
Note: Not all decreases are bad—context matters
Neutral/No Change (Gray -)
Appearance: Gray badge with dash or "0%"
Meaning: The metric stayed the same or changed less than 1%
Interpretation: Stable performance, no significant trend
Comparison Text
Below the change badge, you'll see text like:
"vs. last month"
"vs. previous period"
"vs. Q4 2024"
This confirms what baseline you're comparing against.
Strategic Uses of Baseline Comparison
Strategy 1: Monthly Progress Tracking
Date range: Last 30 Days
Baseline: Previous Period
Review frequency: Weekly
What to monitor:
Are enrichment numbers increasing?
Is match confidence improving?
Are we attracting higher-scoring leads?
Action: Adjust lead generation and data quality efforts based on trends
Strategy 2: Campaign Performance Measurement
Date range: Custom (campaign dates)
Baseline: Previous campaign or pre-campaign period
What to monitor:
Did the campaign generate more enriched leads?
Are campaign leads higher quality (score)?
What's the revenue potential vs. other sources?
Action: Determine campaign ROI and refine future campaigns
Strategy 3: Quarterly Business Review
Date range: Current Quarter
Baseline: Previous Quarter
Review frequency: Quarterly
What to monitor:
Quarter-over-quarter growth
Long-term trends across multiple metrics
Strategic goal progress
Action: Inform executive reporting and strategic planning
Strategy 4: Seasonal Analysis
Date range: Current Month
Baseline: Same Period Last Year
What to monitor:
Seasonal patterns in lead generation
Year-over-year growth rates
Consistency vs. previous year performance
Action: Plan for seasonal trends, set realistic targets
Strategy 5: Team Performance
Date range: Last 7 Days
Baseline: Previous Period (prior 7 days)
Review frequency: Weekly team meetings
What to monitor:
Week-over-week activity levels
Short-term issues or wins
Team momentum
Action: Celebrate wins, address issues quickly
Interpreting Comparison Results
Positive Trends to Celebrate
Enrichment numbers up: You're adding more leads—great for growth!
Success rate up: Data quality is improving—better matching!
Average score up: You're attracting better prospects—focus efforts here!
Revenue potential up: Your pipeline value is growing—more opportunity!
Concerning Trends to Investigate
Enrichment numbers down:
Possible causes: Fewer leads submitted, slowdown in marketing
Action: Review lead generation efforts
Success rate down:
Possible causes: Lower quality input data, harder-to-match leads
Action: Audit data quality, improve lead information
Average score down:
Possible causes: Lower-quality lead sources, market changes
Action: Review lead sources and targeting
More "Failed" enrichments:
Possible causes: Incomplete data, data entry errors
Action: Train team on data requirements, validate inputs
Stable Metrics (No Change)
Good if: Your metrics are already at target levels—maintain consistency
Concerning if: You're trying to grow but seeing no movement—may need strategy adjustment
Best Practices for Baseline Comparison
Do:
Compare equal time periods when possible
30 days to 30 days, not 30 days to 90 days
Use "Previous Period" for automatic equal-length comparison
Consider context
Seasonal factors (year-end vs. mid-year)
Business cycles (busy season vs. slow season)
External factors (market conditions, regulatory changes)
Look at multiple metrics together
Don't fixate on one metric
A complete picture comes from seeing all KPIs
Use consistent baselines for regular reporting
Monthly reports? Always use "Previous Period" or "Previous Month"
Annual reviews? Always use "Same Period Last Year"
Document significant changes
Note what caused major increases or decreases
Build institutional knowledge
Don't:
Don't compare vastly different periods
7 days vs. 365 days won't give meaningful insights
Don't ignore context
A "negative" trend in a typically slow season may actually be fine
Don't overreact to small changes
Single-digit percentage changes may be normal variance
Don't forget to actually apply the baseline
Selecting it from the dropdown isn't enough—click "Apply"
Don't compare data that doesn't exist
Can't compare to previous year if you only started 6 months ago
Combining Baseline with Other Filters
Baseline comparison works alongside all other filters:
Example 1: High-Value Lead Trends
Date range: Last 90 Days
Baseline: Previous Period
Wealth segment: High Net Worth
Result: Are you attracting more high-net-worth leads this quarter?
Example 2: Event-Based Performance
Date range: Last 30 Days
Baseline: Previous Month
Event topic: 1-2 Years from Retirement
Result: Are you identifying more pre-retirees this month?
Example 3: Enrichment Quality Tracking
Date range: Current Month
Baseline: Previous Month
Enrichment status: Completed
Result: Month-over-month growth in successfully enriched leads
Troubleshooting Baseline Comparison
Problem: Baseline shows "N/A" or no data
Cause: No data exists for the baseline period (you hadn't started using Catchlight yet)
Solution: Choose a different baseline period or accept that comparison isn't available
Problem: Percentages seem wrong
Cause: Small baseline numbers can create large percentage swings
Example:
Baseline: 2 leads
Current: 5 leads
Change: +150% (looks huge, but it's only 3 more leads)
Solution: Look at absolute numbers, not just percentages, for small datasets
Problem: All metrics show the same percentage change
Cause: You may be looking at a single filtered segment that applies to all metrics
Solution: Review your filters; remove some to see broader data
Problem: Can't remember what baseline is selected
Solution: Look at the comparison text under each KPI ("vs. last month," etc.)
Next Steps
Now that you understand baseline comparison, explore:
Understanding Key Metrics (KPIs) - Learn what each metric means and why it matters
Date Range Selection - Master the date range picker to set up comparisons
KPI Overview - Understand how to read the change indicators on each card
Event Topic Filter - Track event-based trends over time
Pro Tip: Set up a recurring weekly review where you check "Last 7 Days" vs. "Previous Period" to catch issues early and maintain momentum!