If you’re stuck piecing together GTM (go-to-market) data from a dozen dashboards and still don’t know what’s working, you’re not alone. Out-of-the-box reports rarely give you the clarity you need. This guide is for anyone using Profound who wants custom reports that actually help you make decisions—not just impress your boss with pretty graphs.
Whether you’re a RevOps lead, GTM manager, or just someone who hates wasting time, let’s walk through how to set up custom reporting in Profound. We’ll skip the fluff, call out what’s worth your energy, and help you avoid common traps.
Why Custom Reporting? (And What to Ignore)
Before you dive in, be clear on one thing: most default reports are generic for a reason—they try to please everyone and end up being useful to almost no one. Custom reporting is about zeroing in on the metrics that actually drive your GTM strategy.
What works: - Focusing on a small handful of KPIs you can actually influence - Cross-referencing data from multiple sources in one place - Surfacing actionable trends, not just historical info
What to ignore: - Vanity metrics (likes, followers, page views unless directly tied to revenue) - Reports with so many filters you can’t remember what you’re looking at - Anything that takes an hour to explain in a meeting
Step 1: Define What “Actionable” Means for You
Don’t start with the tool—start with your goals. Ask:
- What decisions do we need to make faster?
- What are the top three questions we can’t answer today?
- Which metrics actually change how we run GTM?
Examples: - “Which campaigns are producing qualified pipeline, not just leads?” - “Where are deals getting stuck in the funnel?” - “Are new product launches converting better than last quarter?”
Write these down somewhere visible before you open Profound. Seriously.
Step 2: Map Your Data Sources
Custom reporting in Profound works best if your data’s not a mess. Profound can connect to most common GTM systems, but garbage in = garbage out.
Checklist: - CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)—Is your data up to date? Are fields mapped consistently? - Marketing automation (Marketo, Pardot, etc.)—Are campaigns named logically? - Product analytics (for PLG motions)—Are events tracked the way you need? - Other sources (spreadsheets, ad platforms)—Can you actually import these or will you be copy-pasting forever?
Pro tip: Run a quick audit. If you can’t trust a field, don’t report on it until it’s cleaned up.
Step 3: Connect Your Data in Profound
Time to get into the tool. Profound makes integrations fairly straightforward, but don’t expect magic. If you’re expecting a “one-click setup,” you’ll be disappointed.
How to connect: 1. Go to the Integrations section in Profound. 2. Select your data sources and follow the prompts. OAuth is usually fastest; API keys for older tools. 3. Map fields carefully—Profound will suggest mappings, but double-check. This is where things often go sideways. 4. Set sync frequency. Daily is fine for most teams; go hourly only if you need near-real-time (and accept the extra noise).
What to watch for: - Field mismatches (e.g., “Lead Source” in CRM vs. “Campaign Source” in marketing) - Data deduplication—Profound tries, but it’s not perfect - Permissions—make sure your integrations have access to all relevant data, not just a sandbox
Step 4: Build Your Custom Reports
This is where you get to decide what matters. Don’t just recreate your old dashboards—focus on what you outlined in Step 1.
In Profound, you can: - Start with a blank report or use a template (the templates are fine for ideas, but usually too broad) - Drag and drop data fields to set up your report - Choose your visualizations (tables, bar charts, funnels—stick to what’s easy to read) - Add filters (but keep them minimal—if it takes more than two clicks to drill down, you’ll never use it)
Examples of useful custom reports: - Pipeline health by source: Break down open opportunities by lead source and stage. Highlight areas with bottlenecks. - Campaign ROI: Compare spend vs. closed-won revenue for each major campaign. Ignore the “impressions” column unless you’re in brand marketing. - Product usage to revenue: For PLG teams, see which product actions actually correlate with deals closing.
What to avoid: - Over-customizing (20 filters, 12 visualizations—no one has time for this) - Making reports only you understand. If your team can’t read it, it’s not useful. - Building reports “just in case” someone asks. Focus on what drives action.
Step 5: Automate Delivery and Sharing
A report that just sits in Profound is easy to ignore. Put your insights in front of the people who need them.
How to automate: - Schedule email or Slack summaries—weekly is usually enough. Daily is overkill unless you’re in a crisis. - Give stakeholders direct access, but lock down editing permissions (unless you like chaos). - Set up alerts for outlier metrics (e.g., “If pipeline drops below X, notify the team”). Don’t go overboard—you’ll train people to ignore them.
What works: - Scheduled, short updates that highlight outliers or changes - One-click drill-downs for anyone who wants to dig deeper
What doesn’t: - Spamming everyone with every report - Burying insights in 10-page PDFs
Step 6: Iterate, Don’t Set and Forget
Your first reports won’t be perfect. That’s fine. The goal is to get something directionally useful, then improve.
How to iterate: - Review reports monthly—what’s actually being used? What’s ignored? - Ask your team (or yourself): “Did this report help us make a decision?” - Cut reports that aren’t driving action. - Add new views only if they solve a clear, recurring problem.
Pro tip: Keep a “parking lot” doc for report ideas. If someone asks for a new metric, put it here first. If it comes up more than once, consider adding it.
A Few Honest Takes
- Profound’s reporting is only as good as your data hygiene. No tool can fix broken or incomplete data.
- Don’t get seduced by flashy visualizations—clarity beats aesthetics every time.
- If a report isn’t helping you take action or change something, it’s just noise.
- Stakeholder requests for “just one more filter” are a slippery slope—push back.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Custom reporting in Profound can be a game-changer, but only if you stay focused on what’s useful. Resist the urge to track everything. Start with a few critical metrics, build simple reports, and refine as you go. Actionable beats comprehensive, every time.
If you find yourself spending more time building reports than acting on them, you’re probably overthinking it. Keep it simple. Iterate. And remember—reports are only useful if they help you make better decisions, faster.