If you’re sick of dashboards that look great but tell you nothing useful, this is for you. Whether you’re in sales ops, marketing, or just stuck being the “data person,” you want dashboards in Roinnovation that actually help you make go-to-market decisions—not just impress your boss with charts. Let’s cut through the noise, skip the vanity metrics, and set up dashboards that’ll save you headaches later on.
Step 1: Get Clear On What You Actually Need
Before you click anything, take ten minutes and write down what you really want out of your dashboard. Most people jump straight into building and end up with a wall of charts nobody looks at.
Ask yourself:
- Who’s using this dashboard? (Sales reps, execs, marketing, etc.)
- What decision do they need to make, fast?
- What are the 2-3 metrics that actually move the needle?
Pro tip: Ignore the urge to track everything. If you’re not going to act on it, don’t bother.
Step 2: Get Familiar with Roinnovation’s Dashboard Basics
If you’re new to Roinnovation, the dashboards work a lot like most CRM or sales analytics tools, but with a heavier focus on reference selling and go-to-market impact. Here’s what you should know:
- Dashboards are made up of widgets (charts, tables, lists).
- Widgets can be added, removed, resized, or reordered.
- Data sources are either built-in (opportunity data, reference activity, customer stories, etc.) or custom (if you’ve connected outside tools).
- Filters can be set globally (for the whole dashboard) or just on single widgets.
Honestly, Roinnovation’s UI is decent, but it’s easy to get lost if you try to do too much at once. Stick with a simple layout to start.
Step 3: Pick the Right Metrics for Go-to-Market Insights
Here’s where most dashboards go off the rails. You don’t need 15 pie charts. Focus on metrics that actually drive action.
Some honestly useful GTM metrics in Roinnovation:
- Win rates by reference activity
Are deals with active references closing more? This is real, actionable info. - Reference request response times
How long does it take to fulfill a request? Slow responses kill deals. - Customer story usage
Which stories are actually shared in deals that close? - Sales stage conversion with/without references
Where do references make a difference in your pipeline? - Reference burnout
How often are the same customers being tapped for references? (Don’t burn out your advocates.)
What to ignore (at least at first):
- Vanity counts (total # of references, unless you’re severely lacking)
- Widgetized “engagement scores” with no clear definition
- Charts that look cool but never drive a decision
Step 4: Build Your First Custom Dashboard
Now you’re ready to get your hands dirty.
4.1 Create a New Dashboard
- Go to the Dashboards area.
- Click Create New Dashboard.
- Give it a real name—something like “Sales Reference Impact” beats “Q2 Dashboard.”
4.2 Add Only What Matters
Start with 3-5 widgets max. Seriously.
Widget ideas:
- Bar chart: Win rates by reference activity.
- Table: Open deals waiting on reference requests.
- Line chart: Time-to-reference fulfillment over the past quarter.
- Pie chart: Reference usage by sales region (if you must have a pie chart, make it count).
For each widget:
- Pick the data source.
- Set clear filters (e.g., current quarter, active reps).
- Label it in plain English.
Pro tip: If you’re not sure what a widget’s showing at a glance, your team won’t be either.
4.3 Arrange and Tweak
- Drag widgets to put the most important one top-left. That’s where eyes go first.
- Resize so nothing’s squished. If it’s unreadable, nobody will use it.
- Use colors sparingly. Red for “bad,” green for “good”—skip the rainbow unless you’re building for a kindergarten class.
Step 5: Set Up Filters and Drilldowns
A dashboard that can’t be sliced is just a fancy PDF. Set up filters so users can:
- Switch between time periods (month, quarter, year)
- Filter by sales team, region, or product line
- Drill down into specific deals or references
Don’t overdo it. A few well-chosen filters beat 17 options nobody touches.
Honest take: The drilldown experience in Roinnovation is solid, but don’t expect Tableau-level customization. It’s meant for quick, actionable views—not deep data science.
Step 6: Share and Get Feedback (The Most Skipped Step)
Don’t keep your dashboard to yourself. Share it with the folks who’ll actually use it.
- Use Roinnovation’s “Share” or “Send” feature to send a link or schedule regular emails.
- Ask for feedback: “What’s missing? What would help you close more deals or spot issues sooner?”
- Tweak based on real usage. If people ignore a widget, kill it.
Pro tip: If nobody looks at your dashboard after a week, you’ve probably built the wrong thing. Don’t take it personally—just ask and iterate.
Step 7: Avoid Common Pitfalls
Here’s what I see trip up most teams:
- Overcomplicating it.
More widgets ≠ more insight. Start small. - Measuring for measurement’s sake.
If you can’t tie a metric to a go-to-market action, skip it. - Ignoring data quality.
If your underlying data’s a mess, your dashboard will be too. Fix basics first. - Chasing the “perfect” dashboard.
Good enough and used beats “perfect” and ignored every time.
Step 8: Keep It Alive (But Don’t Babysit It)
Set a reminder to revisit your dashboards every quarter. Needs change, teams change, and what’s useful today might be noise tomorrow.
- Archive dashboards nobody uses.
- Add or remove widgets based on feedback.
- Stay skeptical: If a chart or metric doesn’t drive action, dump it.
Final Thoughts
Dashboards in Roinnovation can be powerful—but only if you build them around real questions and decisions. Keep it simple, focus on what matters, and don’t be afraid to start over if you realize you’ve overcomplicated things. The best dashboards are the ones people actually use.
Now, go build something worth checking every week. Then, tweak it ruthlessly. That’s how you get real, actionable go-to-market insights—without wasting your time (or anyone else’s).