MavenScore Demystified (Part 2)

Earlier this week we commented extensively on MavenScore in an effort to help you better understand what MavenScore is and how it is calculated. Now we’ll take a deeper look at some of the key elements of MavenScore and provide some tips on how you can improve your MavenScore. Be aware that there are some items you can control, and some you can not- c’est la vie. However, by following the simple tips below (and focusing on the things you can control), your MavenScore should benefit.


What are the key elements of the Profile Completeness category?

Profile Completeness refers to, well, the completeness of your Maven Member Profile. This is the element of MavenScore over which you have the most direct control. Completing every section of your Member Profile will give your MavenScore a big boost. Some of the critical elements include:

• Knowledge Summary Length– Ideally your Knowledge Summary should be 10-15 sentences (2-3 short paragraphs) in length. This is long enough to include some good details about your background and knowledge, but not so long that it is tedious to read it.
• Profile Update– When was the last time you updated your profile? If it has been more than a few months, you should have a look at it and make sure it is still up-to-date. Do a quick update to show that the content isn’t “stale.”
• Experience- Upload your resume or manually add details about your work history. This is valuable information that can help our system better match you to consulting opportunities.
• Identity Verification (US Only)– This is very important to us and to our Clients. Once you complete the Trufina ID Verification process, your MavenScore will receive a big, PERMANENT boost.



What are the key elements of the Member Behavior category?

Member Behavior refers to how you interact with Maven’s system. This category of factors measures your responsiveness to Maven invitations and the appropriateness of your responses. Key elements of Member Behavior include:

• Invitation Responsiveness (aka silence is NOT golden…)– Ask yourself what is more valuable- an expert who knows everything about a topic but is impossible to get hold of, or someone with a more modest profile who is available right now? Clearly the latter. The Invitation Responsiveness factor helps us identity and reward the go-getters. Do you respond to every Maven invitation you receive? How fast do you respond? Responsiveness is important and time is of the essence- respond to EVERY invitation to consult in a timely fashion and your MavenScore will benefit.
• Honesty is the Best Policy– This is a catch-all for a group of factors we use to gauge whether and individual is being truthful and appropriate in their responses. The thing to keep in mind here is that our Clients want to talk to people with direct, personal, first-hand, and current knowledge of their topic of interest. If you lack any of these, your best bet is to Decline the invitation. IT IS BETTER TO DECLINE AN INVITATION THAN TO ACCEPT AND BE REJECTED BY THE CLIENT BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT APPROPRIATE. In the former case, your MavenScore will actually improve; in the latter case it will suffer.
• Refer, Refer, Refer- Know someone better than you for a topic? Refer them to Maven and your MavenScore will improve.
• Pick Up the Phone- No-shows are a big no-no. If you schedule a call with a Maven Client and fail to pick up the phone when our system tries to call you at the scheduled time, your MavenScore will suffer mightily. This is considered such bad form that you are unlikely to ever receive another invitation to participate in a Maven Consultation.



What are the key elements of the Client Behavior category?

Client Behavior refers to how Clients interact with you and your Maven Profile. To be honest, there is only so much you can do to influence these factors, which relate primarily to your appropriateness for individual inquiries and Clients’ perception of your performance on Consultations with them. Nevertheless, here are key factors involved and how you can indirectly influence them:

• Conversion– You have Accepted a Consultation. Does the Client schedule a call with you? This ties into “Honesty is the Best Policy” above, so be sure to only accept Consultations that you believe you are appropriate for. The more appropriate you are, the more likely the Client will recognize this and schedule with you, driving up your conversion rate.
• Post-Consultation Feedback– You have spoken with a Client and they provide feedback to Maven on their experience with you. Maven employs statistical methods to “normalize” this feedback and analyze trends, so no single Client’s feedback will impact your MavenScore. However, generally speaking our Clients value honesty (answer their questions when you can, be up-front and honest when you can’t), brevity (don’t ramble on aimlessly just to run up the clock), and thoughtfulness (think before you respond to a question and make sure you answer what the Client asked). Also, it is fine to express opinions, but be level-headed and as objective as possible when speaking with Clients; inform and educate, don’t lecture.
• Follow-Up Consultations– You have spoken with a Client and later they request to speak with you again. This is a strong indicator of their perception of your performance in the previous Consultation and your overall value to their research. Your MavenScore will get a big boost if a Client requests a Follow-up Consultation with you.



But I’ve never been invited to a Consultation, so why do the Member Behavior and Client Behavior categories count against me?

The short answer is, they don’t. If a particular factor in MavenScore doesn’t apply to you, it does not count in the calculation.


We hope this is helpful and that it provides greater clarity into MavenScore and the actions you can take to help your MavenScore. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us any time.