Glossary
What is Net Promoter Score (NPS)?
NPS: Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer-loyalty metric: customers rate on a scale of 0 to 10 how likely they are to recommend a company, and the score is the percentage of promoters (9 to 10) minus the percentage of detractors (0 to 6).
Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer-loyalty metric built on one question: “On a scale from 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?” The answers sort customers into three groups. Promoters answer 9 or 10, passives answer 7 or 8 and detractors answer 0 to 6. The score is the percentage of promoters minus the percentage of detractors, so it runs from −100 to +100. Fred Reichheld introduced the metric in the Harvard Business Review in 2003.
Worked example
Suppose 200 customers answer.
| Group | Scores | Customers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Promoters | 9 to 10 | 100 | 50% |
| Passives | 7 to 8 | 60 | 30% |
| Detractors | 0 to 6 | 40 | 20% |
NPS = 50% − 20% = +30. The passives count in the 200 but not in the score. NPS is not a percentage: it is a number between −100 and +100, written without a percent sign.
What an NPS slide needs
| Element | Why |
|---|---|
| The score and its change since the last survey | The headline number and its direction |
| The split into promoters, passives and detractors | The same score can hide very different mixes |
| Number of respondents and survey period | Shows how much weight the score can carry |
| The question wording and the customer segment | Makes scores comparable |
| The main reasons of detractors and promoters | Turns the score into something to act on |
A positive score means more promoters than detractors. What counts as a good score differs widely by industry and survey method, so compare with your own earlier results and with peers measured the same way.
How to present it well
- Lead with the finding. For example: “NPS is +30, and delivery delays are the most common reason detractors give.”
- Show the distribution, not only the score. Put a stacked bar of the three groups next to the number.
- State n and the period, for example “n = 200, Q3”.
- Show the trend across several surveys, because a single score says little on its own.
- Add the reasons. The follow-up question “What is the main reason for your score?” turns a number into causes.
- Segment where it matters, by product, region or customer size, but only if each segment has enough answers.
Typical mistakes
- The score without n. +30 from 20 answers and +30 from 2,000 answers do not weigh the same.
- NPS as a percentage. Writing “30%” confuses the score with a share.
- Changing the question or the scale between surveys. The scores are then not comparable.
- Comparing with an industry benchmark from another method. Asking differently measures differently.
- The score as a diagnosis. NPS says how many would recommend, not why. The reasons say why.
- Surveying only happy customers. That pushes the score up.
Related terms
NPS is one of the KPIs that customer-facing reviews report, for example in a quarterly business review. It can serve as the key result of an OKR, and loyal customers raise the LTV, because they stay longer. To show its trend or its distribution, see the guide to choosing the right chart.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How is NPS calculated?
Subtract the percentage of detractors (scores 0 to 6) from the percentage of promoters (scores 9 to 10). Passives (scores 7 to 8) count in the total number of answers but not in the score. The result runs from −100 to +100.
What is a good NPS?
There is no universal threshold. Scores differ widely by industry and survey method. A positive score means more promoters than detractors. Compare with your own earlier scores and with peers measured the same way.
What is the NPS question?
“On a scale from 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?” It is usually followed by an open question asking for the main reason for the score.
Is NPS a percentage?
No. It is a number between −100 and +100, written without a percent sign, such as +30. The shares of promoters and detractors are percentages, but their difference is a score.
What should an NPS slide show?
The score and its trend, the split into promoters, passives and detractors, the number of respondents and the survey period, and the main reasons behind the answers.
Keep reading
Sales, strategy and planning
- TemplateSWOT analysis
A SWOT analysis template with 8 slides: the question, the 2x2 matrix, the five factors that matter, four moves, their value and a pilot plan.
- GlossaryTwo-by-two matrix
A two-by-two matrix sorts items into four quadrants using two criteria. Definition, well-known examples such as the Eisenhower matrix, and how to build one.
- TemplateRoadmap
A roadmap presentation template with 8 slides: outcomes, now-next-later, release timeline, Gantt chart, capacity, dependencies and the decisions you need.
- TemplateMarketing plan
A marketing plan presentation template with 10 slides: goal, 5 C's, segments, funnel, budget by channel, calendar, KPIs and the decisions you need.
- TemplateConsulting proposal
Propose the work in 8 slides: what you heard, the evidence, the approach in phases, the timeline, fixed fees per phase, the team and next steps.
- TemplateSales deck
A sales deck template with 9 slides: the buyer's problem, solution, alternatives, proof, business case, pricing, rollout and next steps.
Where to go next
- TemplateBoard presentation
A board presentation template with the 8 slides a quarterly board meeting needs: summary, KPIs, revenue, EBITDA bridge, initiatives, risks and decisions.
- ConvertBuild a deck from your workbook figures
The AI draws the charts from your figures, and you change the numbers later in the editor.
- ProductTurn the brief into a report or one-pager
The AI writes the pages; you approve the plan and export Word or PDF.
Less theory, more finished slides
Describe the deck you need. The AI plans, writes and designs it, and hands you an editable PowerPoint.
Build your first deck freeFree plan, no card needed