If you’re tired of fluff about “real-time sales insights” but actually need to see what’s moving (or stuck) in your pipeline, this guide is for you. I’ll walk through building a useful sales pipeline dashboard in Hothawk, sharing what you really need to know—no buzzwords, no magic formulas, just what works (and what to skip).
Why bother with a pipeline dashboard?
Let’s be honest: most sales dashboards end up ignored, cluttered, or out of date. You want something that actually helps you and your team see where deals stand—right now—so you can make better calls. That means skipping the vanity metrics and focusing on what helps you act.
A good sales pipeline dashboard should answer: - What’s the current value and count of deals in each stage? - Where are deals getting stuck? - What needs attention today? - Who’s crushing it (or struggling)?
If your dashboard doesn’t help answer those, it’s just decoration.
Step 1: Get Your Data in Shape
Before you start making charts, make sure your deal data in Hothawk is: - Up to date: Old or missing info kills dashboards. - Consistent: Everyone should use the same pipeline stages and fields. - Reliable: Garbage in, garbage out. If reps fudge close dates to look good, your “real-time” dashboard is just fiction.
Pro tip: If your sales team isn’t updating deals in Hothawk, fix that first. Otherwise, you’re just building a pretty lie.
Step 2: Map Out What You Actually Need to See
Don’t just dump in every metric you can find. Focus on what actually drives action. For sales pipelines, that usually means:
- Stage breakdown: How many deals are in each stage? What’s the value?
- Velocity: How long do deals sit in each stage?
- Slippage: Which deals are past due or stuck?
- New deals: What’s just been added?
- Forecast: What could close this week/month/quarter?
Ignore “fun facts” like average call duration or email volume—unless those actually help you spot problems. If you’re not going to do something with a number, don’t put it on the dashboard.
Step 3: Set Up Your Dashboard in Hothawk
Assuming you’ve got a Hothawk account with pipeline data, here’s how to put your dashboard together. (If you’re new, start with their onboarding—don’t try to hack around missing data.)
3.1 Create a New Dashboard
- Go to the Dashboards tab in Hothawk.
- Click “New Dashboard.” Give it a name your team will recognize, like “Sales Pipeline (Live).”
- Choose a sharing setting—private, team, or public. If you want the team to actually use it, make it easy to find.
3.2 Add Your Core Pipeline Widgets
Here’s what usually matters:
a) Pipeline by Stage
- Add a “Deals by Stage” chart.
- Show both count and total value if you can. Sometimes one looks fine, but the other tells a different story.
- Set the filter for “Open” deals, not “All”—closed/won/lost muddies the water.
b) Pipeline Velocity
- Add a widget for “Average Days in Stage.”
- Highlight stages where deals linger too long. (This is where things stall.)
c) Aging/Slippage
- Add a table or chart for “Deals Past Close Date” or “Deals Stuck > X days.”
- This is your early warning—they need attention.
d) New Deals This Week/Month
- Add a list or count for new deals created in the last 7 or 30 days.
- If new deals dry up, your pipeline will too.
e) Forecast
- Hothawk’s forecasting can be hit-or-miss, depending on your data. Use with caution.
- Add a “Likely to Close This Month” view, but don’t bet the quarter on it.
Pro tip: Less is more. Three useful widgets beat a dozen confusing ones.
3.3 Arrange and Tweak
- Put the most urgent or actionable widgets at the top—don’t bury what matters.
- If you must add extra charts (like “Deals by Rep” or “Win Rate”), keep them lower down.
Step 4: Set Up Filters and Views
Dashboards are only as useful as their filters. Here’s what helps:
- Date range: Usually “this month” or “this quarter” is most relevant.
- Owner/team: Let managers filter by rep, or reps see just their own stuff.
- Deal type/region/etc.: Only if you actually segment your sales that way.
Don’t overcomplicate it. Simpler filters = more people actually use the dashboard.
Step 5: Automate Updates and Alerts
One of the big promises of “real-time” dashboards is you don’t have to refresh or chase down numbers. Hothawk does auto-refresh, but go a step further:
- Email digests: Set up daily or weekly pipeline summary emails for the team.
- Slack/Teams alerts: Trigger notifications for big deals moving stages or deals at risk.
- Reminders: Use dashboard widgets to flag stuck deals or overdue tasks.
But don’t overdo alerts—otherwise people just tune them out.
Step 6: Share and Train (But Keep It Simple)
The dashboard’s only useful if the right people see—and use—it.
- Pin it: Make your pipeline dashboard the default view in Hothawk for sales teams.
- Walk through it: Show your team how to use it. Explain what each widget means, and what actions to take.
- Ask for feedback: What’s missing? What’s ignored? People on the ground usually spot blind spots.
Caution: Don’t let dashboards become a management surveillance tool. If people feel watched, they’ll game the numbers. Dashboards should help you work smarter, not just check boxes.
What to Ignore (Unless You Really Need It)
A few things you can skip unless you have a clear use case:
- “AI” pipeline insights: Hothawk may tout these, but unless your data is rock-solid, the predictions are often wishful thinking.
- Hyper-detailed activity logs: If you’re not going to coach based on call/email activity, don’t clutter your dashboard.
- Random charts: Pie charts of “Deals by Industry” look pretty but rarely change what you do day to day.
If a widget doesn’t help you make a decision or take action, leave it off.
Troubleshooting: If the Dashboard Isn’t Working
You might build the “perfect” dashboard and still not get value. Here’s what to check:
- Data’s out of date: Reps not updating deals? No dashboard can fix that. Make updating the pipeline part of the daily routine.
- Too busy: Too many charts? People ignore it. Pare back to the essentials.
- No clear actions: If it’s not obvious what to do with the numbers, the dashboard’s just noise.
Don’t be afraid to scrap and start over. The best dashboards evolve.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Useful, Not Fancy
The best sales pipeline dashboards in Hothawk are simple, real-time, and brutally practical. Don’t chase every new feature or shiny chart. Start with the basics—stage breakdown, stuck deals, new deals, and a light forecast.
Check in with your team, see what actually helps, and tweak as you go. The goal isn’t a showpiece; it’s a tool that saves you time and helps you close more business.
Build what you’ll actually use, and don’t be afraid to say no to the rest.