So you want a dashboard in 6sense that actually tells you something useful—without spending your whole week wrestling with filters and charts. This walkthrough is for sales ops folks, marketers, or anyone who's been tasked with "making the data actionable" and doesn't want to waste time poking blindly at the interface. If you've ever opened the 6sense dashboard builder, squinted at the options, and wondered, “Wait, what do we really need to see here?”, you’re in the right place.
Let’s cut through the fluff. I’ll walk you through building a custom dashboard in 6sense from scratch, point out what to skip, and call out the quirks that’ll trip you up if you’re not careful.
1. Know What You Want to Track (Before You Touch the Tool)
First, don’t start with the tool. Start with the question: What do you actually want to know or improve?
Ask yourself: - Who’s going to use this dashboard? (Sales reps, managers, execs, yourself?) - What decisions should it help them make? - Which metrics do you really care about? (Not just what’s available.)
Common dashboard goals: - See which accounts are heating up right now - Track pipeline coverage and gaps - Spot new high-intent accounts by segment - Monitor marketing’s contribution to pipeline
Pro tip: Write down 3–5 questions your dashboard should answer. If you can’t do this, you’ll end up with noise, not insights.
2. Get Your Data House in Order
Before you even open the dashboard builder, check that 6sense is actually tracking what you need. Garbage in, garbage out.
Checklist: - Are your account lists and segments up to date? - Is Salesforce/CRM data syncing properly? - Are your intent signals, campaign tags, or custom fields populating as expected?
If you’re not sure, open a few recent accounts and look at their activity timeline and fields. If things look weird—missing data, outdated fields, or mismatched names—fix that first. Dashboards only surface what’s already there. Don’t skip this or you’ll spend hours building charts that don’t work.
3. Navigate to the Dashboard Builder
Alright, time to get your hands dirty.
- Log into 6sense.
- In the left navigation, find Analytics > Dashboards.
- Click Create Dashboard.
You’ll see a blank canvas. This is where most people freeze up—don’t overthink it. You’ll add “widgets,” which are basically charts, tables, or stat boxes.
4. Add Your First Widget (And Make It Useful)
Start with one widget that answers your top question. For example: “Which accounts in my territory are in the Decision stage this week?”
How to do it: - Click Add Widget > Accounts. - Pick a widget type. Tables are usually more useful than bar charts for starting out. - Set your filters: - Segment: Choose your territory or relevant segment. - Buying Stage: Select “Decision.” - Date Range: Set to “This week” or whatever timeframe matters. - Pick the columns you care about. Don’t add 20—just what you’ll actually use (e.g., Account Name, Buying Stage, Last Activity Date).
Honest take: Most “out of the box” widgets look nice but don’t tell you much. Tables let you filter, sort, and actually find stuff.
5. Layer On More Widgets (With Restraint)
It’s tempting to add 10 charts at once. Don’t. Add a couple more widgets, each with a clear purpose.
Useful widget ideas: - Stage Funnel: See how many accounts are in each buying stage. - Intent by Topic: Are certain topics spiking? (Useful for marketing, less so for reps.) - Pipeline by Source: Where’s your pipeline actually coming from?
Stuff to ignore (at least at first): - “Engagement Over Time” if you don’t have a steady cadence of campaigns. - Fancy pie charts—cool to look at, not great for actual decisions.
Pro tip: Put the most important widgets at the top. People rarely scroll far.
6. Tweak Filters and Test Scenarios
Now, test your widgets. Change filters and see if the data updates as you expect. (You’d be surprised how often it doesn’t.)
- Try narrowing to a specific rep, region, or industry.
- Change the date range. Does it still make sense?
- If something looks off (e.g., “Why are there zero accounts in Awareness?”), check your segments or underlying data.
Don’t fall for: “If I stack enough filters, I’ll get perfect data.” More filters = more chance of excluding good stuff by accident.
7. Polish: Name, Share, and Set Permissions
Once your dashboard gives you real answers, finish up:
- Name it clearly: “Q2 Pipeline Coverage - Northeast” is better than “My Dashboard 2.”
- Share with your team: Click Share and choose who gets access—individuals or groups.
- Set permissions: Decide if others can edit or just view. (Tip: Give edit access sparingly.)
Reminder: If you’re building for execs, keep it dead simple. If your dashboard needs a walkthrough, it’s too complex.
8. Save, Schedule, and Review
- Save your dashboard. Obvious, but don’t lose your work.
- Schedule email updates (optional): You can auto-send dashboards as PDFs. Nice for managers who never log in.
- Bookmark it: You’ll need to check it regularly—don’t just build it and forget it.
Reality check: Scheduled emails are handy but often get ignored. Make sure someone’s actually looking at the data before you bother.
9. Iterate—Because Your First Version Won’t Be Perfect
No dashboard works perfectly out of the gate. Plan to tweak it.
- Ask your users for feedback: “Is this helping you? What’s missing?”
- Trim widgets that nobody uses.
- Update filters or segments as your business changes.
What to ignore: Don’t chase every request. If someone wants a custom chart for a one-off question, build it in a test dashboard, not your main one.
10. Troubleshooting: Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)
Let’s be honest—6sense dashboards aren’t magic. Here are the real problems you’ll hit:
- Data Lag: Sometimes data (especially intent signals) can be 24+ hours old. Don’t panic if things look stale for a day.
- Confusing Segment Logic: Overlapping segments mean your numbers may not add up how you expect.
- Widget Limits: There’s a cap on how many widgets you can add. Cramming everything onto one dashboard just makes it slow and hard to use.
- Permissions Goof-ups: If people can’t see what you can, double-check sharing settings and CRM field visibility.
Fixes: - Cross-check with CRM or raw reports if something looks wrong. - Keep dashboards focused. One dashboard per team or goal works better than a “master” dashboard. - Lean on 6sense support if you hit a true bug—but check your data first.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Building dashboards in 6sense isn’t rocket science, but it does take some patience and restraint. Start with a clear question, build only what you’ll use, and don’t be afraid to kill off widgets that aren’t helping. Most dashboards get bloated fast—fight that urge.
Remember: A dashboard should answer real questions, not just look impressive on a screen share. Build small, iterate, and let the data drive what comes next. You’ll save yourself (and your team) a ton of headaches.