If you’re in charge of building dashboards for your sales team, you already know the struggle: make something useful, not cluttered; clear, not confusing; and—above all—something your reps will actually check. This guide is for sales ops folks, admins, and anyone who has to turn a mess of numbers into something salespeople will use. We’ll focus on custom dashboards in Performio, but most principles hold anywhere.
Why Custom Dashboards Usually Miss the Mark
Let’s get one thing out of the way: most dashboards are ignored. They’re built for what leadership thinks reps should care about, packed with KPIs nobody understands, and updated with data that’s either stale or too noisy to trust. The result? Tabs that never get opened.
What works: dashboards that answer real questions, update reliably, and don’t waste your team’s time. That’s the bar. Let’s get into how to actually hit it.
Step 1: Get Clear on What Your Sales Team Actually Needs
Before you touch a widget, ask: what are the 2–3 numbers reps truly care about? Not what should matter, but what actually drives their day. Usually, it’s things like:
- Where am I against my quota?
- What deals are stuck, and what should I do next?
- How much commission will I earn this month?
Skip the “vanity” stats unless you know they drive behavior. If your dashboard tries to be everything, it’ll be nothing.
Pro tip: Ask a couple of top reps what they check daily. Build for that, not for exec dashboards.
Step 2: Sketch It Out (Yes, On Paper)
Don’t open Performio yet. Grab a notepad or whiteboard and draw boxes for your must-have numbers. Think of it like a cockpit—what does a rep need to see at a glance to know how they’re doing?
- Put the most important metric at the top.
- Group related stats (like pipeline and current attainment) together.
- Leave out anything that’s “nice to have” for now.
This step sounds basic, but it saves hours of rework later. It’s a lot easier to erase something on paper than rewire dashboard logic.
Step 3: Build Simple, Actionable Widgets in Performio
Now, log in to Performio and use your sketch as a blueprint. Here’s what works best for sales dashboards:
1. Scorecards and Leaderboards
- Use these for quota attainment, commissions earned, or rankings.
- Keep it simple: show the number, the goal, and maybe a percent complete.
- Don’t overdo the competition angle—some teams love leaderboards, others hate them.
2. Pipeline Summaries
- Show open deals, stages, and next steps.
- Highlight stuck deals (e.g., “no activity in 14 days”).
- Don’t try to map the whole CRM—just surface what they need to take action.
3. Commission Trackers
- Use clear, up-to-date numbers.
- If estimates are messy, label them as such (“Projected” vs. “Final”).
- Avoid wild formatting—color-coding is fine, but don’t turn it into a rainbow.
4. Alerts and To-Dos
- If Performio’s workflow lets you, surface nudges: “You’re 2 calls away from a spiff,” or “XYZ deal needs follow-up.”
- Don’t flood their view with every little thing.
What to skip: Pie charts nobody asked for, widgets that just mirror CRM data, or anything reps can’t act on.
Step 4: Keep Data Fresh and Trustworthy
If your data’s wrong, your dashboard’s useless. Period. Performio dashboards update based on the schedules you set—don’t promise real-time if you can’t deliver.
- Set clear expectations: “This updates daily at 6am” beats “Live!” when it’s not.
- If you’re pulling from your CRM, make sure integrations are stable. Broken pipes = angry reps.
- Audit your dashboard monthly. Spot-check the numbers. If reps spot errors before you, you’ve lost credibility.
Pro tip: Add a “last updated” timestamp somewhere obvious.
Step 5: Get Feedback and Trim the Fat
Launch your dashboard to a small group first. Watch how they use it. Ask:
- What do you actually look at?
- What’s missing?
- What’s confusing or distracting?
You’ll probably find 20% of widgets do 80% of the work. Kill off the rest. Don’t be precious about your design—if nobody clicks it, it’s gone.
What doesn’t work: Waiting for “perfect” before sharing. Get it in front of users fast and improve as you go.
Step 6: Teach (But Don’t Overwhelm)
A quick walkthrough beats a 20-page manual. Record a 2-minute screen share or do a live demo. Point out:
- Where to find key numbers.
- How to drill down (if needed).
- Who to contact if something looks off.
Skip the deep dives unless people ask. Most reps just want to know, “How am I doing?” and “What do I need to do next?”
Step 7: Iterate—But Don’t Overcomplicate
Dashboards are never “done.” Reps, comp plans, and goals change. Every quarter or so, check:
- Are people still using the dashboard?
- Are the numbers still relevant?
- Is anything broken or outdated?
But resist the urge to add every new request. The more crowded your dashboard, the less useful it gets. Stick to what actually helps the team sell.
Common Pitfalls (And How to Dodge Them)
- Too many metrics: If everything’s important, nothing is. Prune ruthlessly.
- Data lag: Old numbers are worse than no numbers. Automate updates or warn about lag.
- Overdesign: Fancy graphics don’t help if they hide the point.
- Ignoring feedback: What you think is clear might not be.
- Building for leadership, not users: The sales dashboard is for reps first. Execs can get their own view.
Real Talk: What Works, What Doesn’t, What to Ignore
- Works: Clear quota tracking, pipeline nudges, commission summaries, simple leaderboards.
- Doesn’t: Pie charts, widgets nobody asked for, “real-time” dashboards that aren’t.
- Ignore: Anything that just repeats what’s in the CRM, or “because the VP wants it” metrics unless reps care too.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
You don’t get bonus points for complexity. The best dashboards answer a few key questions fast and get out of the way. Start simple, get feedback, and update only what matters. Your team—and your sanity—will thank you.