If you’re running go-to-market (GTM) teams, you know the pain: dashboards everywhere, buried data, and “insights” that are really just noise. You need answers to real questions—fast. This guide is for anyone sick of waiting for someone else to build reports in Spoke, or tired of wading through canned dashboards that don’t quite fit.
Here’s how to actually build, manage, and use custom reports in Spoke to get insights you’ll use, not just admire in meetings.
Why Custom Reports Matter (and What to Ignore)
Out-of-the-box reports are fine for a quick health check, but your GTM teams need specifics—stuff you can act on, not just glance at. Maybe you want to see which channels are actually driving pipeline, or which reps are moving deals the fastest. Custom reports cut through the fluff.
But don’t get sucked into building a dashboard for every possible metric. More isn’t better—better is better. Pick a handful of reports that answer your top questions, and scrap the rest.
Step 1: Get Clear on What You Actually Need
Before you touch a report builder, get specific about what you want to learn. Good custom reports start with good questions:
- What do I need to decide? (E.g., “Should we double down on paid search?”)
- Who needs this info, and how often?
- What’s the one metric or filter that would make this report worth my time?
Pro tip: If you can’t say, in one sentence, what the report is for, you’re not ready to build it yet.
Step 2: Find or Start Your Report
Spoke’s reporting isn’t buried in submenus, but it does have a few quirks.
- Go to the Reports Tab:
- You’ll find it in the main navigation. Here you’ll see standard reports and your team’s saved custom ones.
- Check Existing Reports First:
- Don’t reinvent the wheel. Search or scan for reports that already answer your question, even if they need tweaking.
- Click ‘Create Report’ if you’re starting from scratch.
- This opens up the report builder.
Heads up: If you don’t see the “Create Report” button, you might not have permission. Ask your admin—or become the admin. Life’s too short.
Step 3: Build Your Custom Report
Here’s where most people get lost. Spoke’s report builder is flexible, but it’s easy to make a mess if you try to do everything at once.
1. Select Your Data Source
- Choose the object or dataset (e.g., Opportunities, Accounts, Activities).
- If you pick the wrong one, you’ll waste time adding filters that don’t even apply.
2. Pick Fields and Metrics
- Drag in only the columns you need. Avoid the “just in case” temptation.
- Typical useful fields for GTM:
- Deal stage
- Channel/source
- Owner (rep, team)
- Amount/value
- Close date
3. Add Filters
- Filters are what make your report actionable.
- Examples:
- “Opportunities created this quarter”
- “Deals over $50k”
- “Leads from LinkedIn in the past 30 days”
- Don’t stack too many filters. If you’re adding more than three, double-check if you’re overcomplicating.
4. Choose a Visualization (or Not)
- Tables are your friend. Fancy charts look good in slides but are often less useful for real decisions.
- Use bar or line charts if you want to spot trends. Pie charts? Almost never helpful for GTM work. Skip them.
5. Preview and Adjust
- Click “Preview” to see real data. If it looks off, check your filters or fields.
- If the report is too slow to load, you probably pulled in too much data.
Step 4: Save, Name, and Organize Your Reports
A good report is useless if you can’t find it later.
- Name Clearly: “Q2 Pipeline by Channel” beats “Report #7.”
- Add a Description: One line on what the report is for and who should use it.
- Tag or Categorize: If Spoke supports tags or folders, use them. Otherwise, agree on a naming convention with your team.
- Set Permissions: Share with only the people who actually need it. More eyes = more confusion.
Pro tip: If you’re making a “daily” report, set a reminder in your calendar to check it. Otherwise, it’ll collect dust.
Step 5: Schedule, Share, and Automate
Don’t just build reports—make them easy to use.
1. Schedule Email or Slack Sends
- Spoke lets you schedule reports to go out to specific people or channels.
- Set sensible frequencies—daily for hot metrics, weekly or monthly for bigger picture stuff.
- Avoid blasting everyone. Send only to people who need to act.
2. Add to Dashboards
- Group related reports into dashboards so your team isn’t hunting around.
- Don’t overload a dashboard. Four useful reports beat twelve “nice to haves.”
3. Automate Alerts (If Available)
- Some reports can trigger alerts if a metric crosses a threshold (like pipeline drops below $X).
- Use alerts sparingly—if everything’s urgent, nothing is.
Step 6: Iterate or Kill Your Reports
After a week or two, ask yourself:
- Did anyone use the report?
- Did it drive a decision?
- Is it measuring what matters, or just what’s easy to measure?
If a report isn’t helping, don’t be precious—delete or archive it. Your future self will thank you.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What works: - Simple, focused reports that answer one question. - Scheduled sends to the right people. - Visualizations only when they make the answer clearer.
What doesn’t: - Reports with 10+ filters and 20 fields—nobody will read them. - Dashboards with every metric under the sun. - Pie charts (really, just don’t).
Ignore: - Vanity metrics (like “total activities logged” with no context). - Reports nobody asked for or uses. - Any field you don’t trust. Garbage in, garbage out.
Troubleshooting: Common Spoke Reporting Headaches
- Data feels off: Double-check your filters and field mapping. If your CRM sync is flaky, fix that first.
- Slow loading: Too many fields, or your filters are too broad. Trim it down.
- Permission errors: You might need admin rights, or certain data is locked down for privacy.
- Can’t find old reports: Use search, but if everything is called “Custom Report,” no wonder. Name things better next time.
Keep It Simple. Review and Trim Often.
Custom reporting in Spoke is powerful, but power’s nothing without focus. Build only the reports you need, for the people who need them. Review and kill what’s not working. Don’t get distracted by shiny chart types or endless filters—just get the answer, take action, and move on.
The best GTM teams aren’t the ones with the most dashboards—they’re the ones who can spot what matters, fast, and do something about it. Keep your reports lean, useful, and honest. Then go sell something.