Move the needle

To move the needle is to change something, usually in a positive way. The needle in this case is the indicator which measures something. In the photo here, you can see that the needle is at 120.

We often use this expression in business. For example:

"Our efforts to move the needle with regard to getting new customers in Asia didn't have any effect until we hired a local sales rep to help us."

"The last marketing campaign really moved the needle. Our new sign-ups rose by 18%."