If you’re a sales manager, rep, or operations person, you already know dashboard fatigue is real. Most sales dashboards promise insights but end up as cluttered data dumps that nobody checks. This guide is for anyone who wants to turn Matchkraft dashboards into something the sales team will actually use—without wasting hours fiddling with settings you don’t need.
Below, I’ll walk through practical steps to customize Matchkraft dashboards for real-world sales teams. No fluff, no trendy hacks—just what works, what doesn’t, and a few shortcuts to save your sanity.
1. Get Clear on What Actually Matters
Before you even log in to Matchkraft, have a brutally honest conversation with your team (or yourself): What do you really need to see every day?
Skip the vanity metrics. Focus on numbers that help people take action, not just look good in meetings.
- Good dashboard metrics:
- New leads added this week
- Pipeline by stage
- Deals at risk (stuck or overdue)
- Activities completed and scheduled (calls, emails, demos)
-
Win/loss rate this month
-
Metrics to ignore (unless you have a good reason):
- Social media followers
- “Total emails sent” (unless it’s tied to outcomes)
- Website traffic (unless you’re in inbound sales)
Pro tip: Ask your reps which numbers they look at before picking up the phone. That’s your shortlist.
2. Map Out Your Team’s Workflow
Every sales team works differently. Don’t just copy some “top 10 sales dashboard” template from the internet.
- Start with the sales process. Write down the key steps: lead generation, qualification, demo, proposal, close, etc.
- Find the bottlenecks. Where do deals slow down or fall through? Your dashboard should spotlight these trouble spots.
- Decide on your dashboard’s job. Is it for daily check-ins, weekly pipeline meetings, or long-term forecasting? Don’t try to do all three in one view.
What to skip: Overcomplicating things with too many filters or trying to please everyone. It’s better to have three useful dashboards than one monster nobody opens.
3. Build (and Name) Dashboards for Humans
Now, fire up Matchkraft and start building. Here’s how to keep things usable:
a. Create Focused Dashboards
- One dashboard, one purpose. Daily call activity? That’s a dashboard. Pipeline review? That’s another.
- Fewer widgets, more clarity. If you have to scroll, you’ve got too much.
b. Use Plain-English Names
- Stay away from cryptic titles like “Q2_Performance_RevOps.” Try “Deals Closing This Month” or “Today’s Call List.”
- Use consistent naming if you’re building for a team: “Rep Dashboard – [Name]” or “Pipeline Overview – West Region.”
c. Group Data Logically
- Put high-priority info at the top—like deals about to close or overdue tasks.
- Secondary metrics (like email open rates) go further down or in a separate dashboard.
4. Choose the Right Visuals (and Skip the Eye Candy)
It’s tempting to add fancy charts just because you can. Resist.
- Tables: Best for lists of leads, deals, or tasks. Easy to scan, filter, and act on.
- Bar/Column Charts: Great for comparing performance by rep, region, or stage.
- Funnels: Useful for spotting drop-off points in your pipeline.
- Simple Scorecards: For key numbers (like “Deals Won This Month”).
What to avoid: - Pie charts with a dozen slices—nobody can read them. - Gauges or speedometers—look cool, tell you little. - “Heatmaps” unless you’re tracking something specific (and you know why).
Pro tip: If your dashboard looks like a rainbow exploded, start over.
5. Set Up Filters and Drilldowns (But Don’t Go Overboard)
Filters are handy, but too many choices just create confusion.
- Add filters for the essentials only: Owner, date range, region.
- Set sensible defaults. Most reps want to see their deals, not everyone’s.
- Enable drilldowns for more detail—clicking a deal should show its history, not just a summary.
What to ignore: Custom filter fields nobody uses. If you have to explain what a filter does, it probably isn’t needed.
6. Automate Alerts and Reports—But Keep It Relevant
Dashboards shouldn’t require babysitting. Matchkraft can push alerts and scheduled reports to your team.
- Set up daily or weekly email digests. Keep it short—top deals, overdue tasks, new leads.
- Use in-app alerts for urgent stuff. For example, “Deal at risk” or “Demo scheduled today.”
- Don’t spam. If people get too many notifications, they’ll ignore all of them.
What works: Automated reminders for follow-ups, alerts for deals stuck in a stage, and quick summaries for managers.
What doesn’t: Emailing a full dashboard every morning. Nobody reads those.
7. Test, Tweak, and Get Feedback
Don’t assume you’ve nailed it on the first try.
- Watch how people use the dashboards. Are they logging in? Complaining? Quietly exporting to Excel and working elsewhere?
- Ask for honest feedback. If something’s confusing, fix it.
- Iterate. Remove unused widgets, re-order sections, and update metrics as your team’s needs change.
What to ignore: Fancy features that sound nice but add no value. If a dashboard isn’t helping someone do their job, cut it.
8. Common Pitfalls to Watch Out For
Even the best intentions can go sideways. Here are a few traps:
- Dashboard overload: More dashboards ≠ more insight. Stick to what’s essential.
- Analysis paralysis: Too much data can freeze decision-making.
- Unrealistic KPIs: If you’re tracking “calls per hour” but your sales cycle is six months, you’ll just demotivate everyone.
- Ignoring mobile: If your reps are always on the go, make sure dashboards look decent on phones or tablets.
- Set-it-and-forget-it: Revisit your dashboards every quarter. Your sales process will evolve; your dashboards should too.
9. Keep Security and Privacy in Mind
Not everyone should see everything.
- Set permissions carefully. Reps should see their own numbers; managers get the big picture.
- Be mindful with deal notes and sensitive info. Some stuff shouldn’t be front and center.
What to ignore: Blanket “everyone can see everything” settings. It’s a recipe for mistakes and awkward conversations.
Wrapping Up: Less Is More
The best sales dashboards aren’t the flashiest—they’re the ones people actually use. Start simple, focus on the numbers that matter, and don’t be afraid to cut what’s not working. Customize Matchkraft to fit your team, not the other way around. Keep things tidy, check in with your users, and make adjustments as you go. That’s how you build dashboards that actually help your sales team close more deals.