Also known as: Client Recommendation Score, NPS Score, Net Promoter System
Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a standardized loyalty metric built on one question: "On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?" Respondents are split into Promoters (9–10), Passives (7–8), and Detractors (0–6). NPS equals the percentage of Promoters minus the percentage of Detractors.
The score ranges from −100 (everyone a Detractor) to +100 (everyone a Promoter). Passives count toward the total respondents but not toward the score itself — a design choice that makes NPS deliberately hard to inflate, because only genuine enthusiasm counts as a positive.
NPS is popular because it is a single, comparable number that tracks over time and predicts word-of-mouth growth. In brokerage it is also a churn early-warning system: a falling score often precedes a rise in withdrawals and closed accounts.
Concrete example: an educational IB surveys 100 VIP members. 70 score 9–10 (Promoters), 20 score 7–8 (Passives), and 10 score 0–6 (Detractors). NPS is 70% − 10% = +60 — a strong result for financial services, where scores tend to run lower than in consumer tech.
You survey clients with the single 0-to-10 recommendation question, ideally after a meaningful touchpoint like a withdrawal or a support interaction. Each response falls into one of three buckets: 9–10 Promoters, 7–8 Passives, 0–6 Detractors. You then compute the percentage of respondents in each bucket and subtract Detractor percentage from Promoter percentage — Passives are ignored in the arithmetic but still count in the denominator.
The number alone is only half the system. The high-value half is the follow-up: contact Detractors privately to find and fix the root cause, and ask Promoters for a referral or review while their enthusiasm is fresh. This "close the loop" step is what turns a diagnostic score into a growth engine. Tracked over time, the trend matters more than any single reading — a score sliding from +45 to +20 across two quarters is a churn warning worth acting on before it shows up in revenue.
Survey clients: "How likely are you to recommend us, 0 to 10?" after a real touchpoint like a withdrawal or support chat for honest, relevant answers.
Sort scores into Promoters (9–10), Passives (7–8), and Detractors (0–6). Passives count toward totals but not toward the score.
Subtract the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters. The result runs from −100 to +100.
Contact 0–6 scorers privately, find the root problem, and fix it — this recovers at-risk clients and feeds your feedback loop.
Ask 9–10 scorers for a referral or public review while their enthusiasm is high, converting loyalty into organic growth.
Why it matters for partnership: A high NPS signals organic, word-of-mouth growth — a partner's community starts referring sub-affiliates on its own, while recommending a broker with a negative NPS guarantees churn and endless support load.
An educational IB surveys their VIP Telegram group of 100 active clients. 70 rate 9 or 10, 20 rate 7 or 8, and 10 rate below 6, giving an NPS of +60. The IB DMs all 10 Detractors, learns most are frustrated by slow withdrawals, escalates it to the broker, and asks the 70 Promoters to post reviews — driving a wave of organic sign-ups.
| Category | Score range | Effect on growth |
|---|---|---|
| Promoters | 9–10 | Refer others and drive organic growth |
| Passives | 7–8 | Satisfied but not loyal; excluded from the score |
| Detractors | 0–6 | Churn risk and negative word-of-mouth |
Always follow up privately with Detractors (0–6) to find the exact root cause and fix it, then ask your Promoters (9–10) for a review the same week — that is where a survey score turns into real growth.
Counting Passives (scores 7 and 8) as Promoters, which inflates your NPS and masks the fact that only true 9s and 10s actually refer new clients.
Finance NPS runs lower than consumer tech because trading involves real losses. Any positive score (above 0) is solid, and above +30 is considered excellent for a brokerage or IB community.
Subtract the percentage of Detractors (scores 0–6) from the percentage of Promoters (scores 9–10). Passives (7–8) are left out of the math but still count in the total respondents.
The metric deliberately counts only genuine enthusiasm. Passives are satisfied but unlikely to actively recommend you, so including them would overstate real loyalty and referral potential.
Quarterly is a common cadence for a stable trend line, often paired with transactional surveys after key events like a first withdrawal. Surveying too often causes fatigue and drops response rates.
Less than the trend. One number lacks context; watching the direction over several quarters tells you whether loyalty is improving or a churn wave is building before it hits revenue.
It is a useful leading indicator. A cluster of Detractors and a falling score frequently precedes rising withdrawals and account closures, giving the IB time to intervene.