If you’re drowning in spreadsheets and getting sales updates by email, it’s time to fix that. This guide is for anyone who wants a no-nonsense, real-time sales dashboard—something your team will actually use, not just stare at during meetings. We’ll walk through how to set one up in Geckoboard, what to watch out for, and how to skip the fluff.
Why bother with a real-time sales dashboard?
Let’s be blunt: sales dashboards are only as good as the data you feed them. But when they work, they cut down on status meetings, help you spot problems early, and give your team a clear target. If your sales numbers live in a dozen places, a dashboard can pull them together—no more chasing people for updates.
This guide is for you if: - You want your sales numbers up-to-date, without manual work. - You need a dashboard that's easy to share (TV, browser, mobile). - You’re tired of over-engineered BI tools that require a PhD to set up.
Ready? Here’s how to build a real-time sales dashboard in Geckoboard step by step.
Step 1: Get Clear About What You Actually Need
Before you even touch Geckoboard, figure out what you want to track. Don’t just dump every metric you can think of onto the screen—clutter kills dashboards.
Start with these questions:
- What numbers do we check every day? (e.g., deals closed, revenue, pipeline size)
- Who’s this dashboard for? (Sales team? Managers? Execs?)
- Where will it be displayed? (TV on the sales floor, browser tab, mobile?)
Pro tip: If you can’t explain why a metric matters, skip it for now. You can always add more later.
Common sales metrics for dashboards: - Total sales / revenue (today, this week, this month) - Number of new deals closed - Sales pipeline value - Leaderboards (by rep or team) - Sales vs. target or quota - Conversion rates - Average deal size
What to ignore: Vanity metrics. Page views, random website stats, or anything that doesn’t tie directly to sales.
Step 2: Prepare Your Data
Geckoboard can connect to a ton of different services—CRMs like Salesforce, spreadsheets, and more. The setup is only as smooth as your data is clean.
Typical sources Geckoboard supports: - Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho CRM, etc. - Google Sheets or Excel - Zapier (for connecting the weird stuff) - Databases (with some work)
What works: - Direct CRM integrations are easiest—less manual maintenance. - Google Sheets is flexible if your data is scattered, but needs regular cleanup.
What doesn’t: - Manually exporting and importing data every day. That’s just a new chore.
Get your data ready: - Make sure fields are consistent (e.g., dates, currency). - Filter out test or junk data—otherwise your dashboard will be a mess. - If you’re using Google Sheets, set up formulas to keep things updated.
Pro tip: Make a “dashboard” tab in your Google Sheet that only shows the numbers you want. Don’t connect Geckoboard to a huge, messy spreadsheet.
Step 3: Sign Up and Get Into Geckoboard
Head to Geckoboard and start a free trial if you haven’t already. The setup is pretty painless:
- Create an account.
- Click “New Dashboard.”
- Name your dashboard something obvious—like “Sales (Real-Time)” or “Sales TV.”
Honest take: Geckoboard’s interface is about as simple as dashboards get. You won’t get lost, but don’t expect fancy analytics or deep drill-downs. This is about showing numbers, not slicing and dicing.
Step 4: Connect Your Data Source
Geckoboard will prompt you to connect a data source. Here’s what that looks like for common options:
CRM Integration (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)
- Click “Add widget,” then pick your CRM from the list.
- Authorize Geckoboard to access your account.
- Pick the exact metrics or reports you want (e.g., “Closed Won” deals this month).
What works: Pulling from a saved report in your CRM is fastest. Don’t try to build complex queries in Geckoboard—do that in your CRM first.
Google Sheets
- Click “Add widget” → “Google Sheets.”
- Authorize Geckoboard to access your Google account.
- Choose the spreadsheet and worksheet.
- Select the cell ranges for your metrics.
Heads up: Updates in Google Sheets take a few minutes to show up in Geckoboard. It’s not truly instant, but it’s close enough for most teams.
Zapier (Advanced)
If your data lives in something odd (e.g., your custom app), use Zapier to push numbers into Google Sheets, then connect that sheet to Geckoboard. Not elegant, but it works.
Don’t bother: Unless you enjoy fiddling, skip the database connectors—they’re basic and usually more trouble than they’re worth for sales dashboards.
Step 5: Add Your Widgets (The Right Way)
Here’s where most dashboards go off the rails—too many widgets, weird chart types, and numbers nobody cares about. Keep it tight.
Best practices: - Limit to 5–7 main widgets. More than that and people stop looking. - Use big, readable numbers for key stats. - Trend lines or sparklines are good for “direction”—but don’t overcomplicate. - Use leaderboards if you want some friendly competition.
Widget ideas for sales dashboards: - KPI Number: Total sales this month, right up top. - Leaderboard: Top-performing reps or teams. - Goal Comparison: Sales vs. target (shows progress). - Pipeline: Value or count of deals in the pipeline. - Trend: Simple line chart of daily sales.
What to avoid: - Pie charts. Almost always useless for sales. - Stacking too much info into one widget. - Widgets without labels—nobody remembers what “Widget 3” means.
Pro tip: Arrange the dashboard so the most important number is in the top left. That’s where people look first.
Step 6: Tweak, Test, and Share
Don’t just set it and forget it. Pull up your dashboard with your team and see what lands.
Checklist: - Are the numbers updating automatically? (Refresh your data source to check.) - Can everyone understand what’s on screen, without explanation? - Does it work on the devices you need? (TV, desktop, mobile.) - Any data delays or glitches? (Google Sheets lags a few minutes; CRM connectors are usually quicker.)
Sharing tips: - Use Geckoboard’s sharing links for browser access or TV display. - You can set up a “kiosk mode” for wall displays—keeps it focused. - Mobile viewing is decent but not as good as on a big screen.
What doesn’t work: Printing dashboards. They’re meant for screens. If you need reports, build them separately.
Step 7: Keep It Alive (and Actually Useful)
A dashboard is only as good as the habits around it. Set a time—daily or weekly—to check the dashboard as a team. If nobody looks at it, it’s just digital wallpaper.
Quick ways to keep it fresh: - Review metrics monthly—kill or add widgets as needed. - Make one person “owner” of the dashboard, so updates happen. - If data stops syncing, fix it fast—nothing kills trust like stale numbers.
Don’t: Let the dashboard grow into a monster with 20+ widgets. Simplicity wins.
Wrapping Up
Setting up a real-time sales dashboard in Geckoboard isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to make it messy if you don’t stay focused. Start small. Show only what matters. Get feedback, tweak, and keep it simple. The best dashboards aren’t the flashiest—they’re the ones your team actually checks.
Got your first version live? Good. Now get back to selling.