If you’re staring at another spreadsheet full of B2B KPIs and wondering why your go-to-market dashboard looks like a bad game of Tetris, you’re not alone. Most “out-of-the-box” dashboards just don’t cut it for real-world B2B teams. You need something built for your business, not for a generic sales funnel.
This guide is for anyone who’s tired of wrestling with rigid tools and wants to build custom, actionable dashboards in Hf (assuming that’s the analytics platform you’ve landed on). Whether you’re in sales ops, growth, or just the unlucky soul tasked with “making the numbers make sense,” this is for you.
Let’s cut through the noise and get you tracking KPIs that actually matter.
Step 1: Get Clear on What Actually Matters—Ignore Vanity Metrics
Before you touch Hf, figure out what you really need to track. B2B go-to-market motions are messy. It’s tempting to slap every number you can find onto a dashboard, but that’s just noise.
The must-haves (for most B2B teams):
- Pipeline coverage: How much qualified pipeline do you have vs. your sales targets?
- Lead conversion rates: From first touch to closed/won. If you can’t see the leaks, you can’t patch them.
- Sales velocity: How long does it take deals to move through each stage?
- Win/loss rates: Know why you win and, more importantly, why you lose.
- Customer acquisition cost (CAC): What’s it really costing you to land a new account?
- Channel performance: Are your paid channels, events, or outbound actually pulling their weight?
What to skip:
- Raw pageviews (unless you’re in marketing and know exactly what you’re looking for)
- “Engagement scores” that don’t tie to revenue or pipeline
- Data for the sake of data—if no one acts on it, don’t bother.
Pro tip: If your dashboard looks like a Christmas tree, you’re doing it wrong. Less is more.
Step 2: Get Your Data into Hf—Without Losing Your Mind
Even the slickest dashboard tool is useless if your data lives in fifteen different silos. Hf is flexible, but garbage in, garbage out.
The basics:
- Connect your sources: Hf typically supports native integrations with tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Analytics, and even CSV uploads. Use native integrations whenever possible—they’re less error-prone.
- Map your fields: Make sure your “lead source” in Salesforce maps to the same field in Hf. This sounds obvious, but mismatched fields are dashboard killers.
- Schedule data syncs: If your data is updated daily, set Hf to refresh daily. Real-time is overrated for most B2B use cases (unless you’re running a call center).
Don’t overcomplicate this:
If you find yourself building a Zapier Rube Goldberg machine just to get lead statuses into Hf, step back. Sometimes, a weekly manual CSV import is fine—especially if you’re early-stage.
Step 3: Build the Right Visuals—Not Just Pretty Charts
You don’t need a pie chart for everything. Focus on clarity and action.
Dashboard layout tips:
- Group by motion: Have separate sections for pipeline, sales, and marketing. Don’t mix “leads generated” with “demos booked” in the same chart—it muddies the story.
- Use trends, not snapshots: Line or bar charts that show progress over time are much more helpful than static counts.
- Highlight the exceptions: Set up conditional formatting or alerts for outliers (e.g., deals stuck in stage for 60+ days).
Visuals that work:
- Funnel visualizations: Show conversion through each sales stage. If you see a big drop-off, you know where to dig.
- Stacked bar charts: Great for comparing pipeline by channel or segment.
- Tables with sparklines: Quick visual cues for trend direction, without overwhelming the eye.
Visuals to skip:
- Donut charts: They look cool, but are almost always confusing.
- 3D anything: Just...no.
- “Dashboard wallpaper” (e.g., logos, giant hero images) that wastes space.
Pro tip: If a chart needs more than a five-second explanation, it’s not a good chart.
Step 4: Make It Interactive—But Don’t Go Overboard
Interactivity is great, until it’s not. Filters, drill-downs, and toggles can help, but too many options and your team will just get lost.
Where interactivity helps:
- Date ranges: Let users switch between month, quarter, and year.
- Segment filters: View pipeline by region, sales rep, or product line.
- Drill-throughs: Click on a stuck deal to see why it’s stalled.
Where it hurts:
- Too many filters: If your dashboard looks like an airplane cockpit, dial it back.
- Hidden logic: If no one understands how to reproduce a number, trust will go out the window.
Keep it simple:
Build for the least technical person who still needs the data.
Step 5: Share and Automate—But Retain Control
Dashboards are only useful if people see them. Hf lets you share dashboards, schedule email reports, and even embed views in other tools.
The basics:
- Control access: Not everyone needs to see everything. Set up permissions so sensitive data (like deal values) doesn’t end up in the wrong hands.
- Automate reports: Weekly or monthly email digests keep busy execs in the loop.
- Version control: Save baseline versions before making big changes. Nothing’s worse than “who broke the dashboard?” panic.
What to avoid:
- Over-sharing: Don’t blast every metric to everyone. Tailor dashboards to each team.
- “Set it and forget it”: KPIs change. Revisit your dashboards quarterly—at least.
Pro tip: Ask for feedback. If teams aren’t using the dashboard, find out why and fix it.
Step 6: Iterate—Don’t Fall in Love with Your First Draft
No dashboard is perfect out of the gate. You’ll get requests for new KPIs, realize some numbers are misleading, and probably find a few bugs.
What works:
- Start small, add as needed: Launch with a core set of KPIs. Expand as people ask for more.
- Kill unused charts: If no one looks at it in a month, it’s dead weight.
- Regular check-ins: Set a recurring time to review what’s working and what’s not.
What doesn’t:
- Analysis paralysis: Don’t wait for “perfect.” It doesn’t exist.
- Complex formulas: If your calculations need a PhD to understand, rethink them.
Stay humble:
Your dashboard is a living thing. Expect to tweak it—often.
Wrap-Up: Keep It Useful, Keep It Simple
Building custom dashboards in Hf isn’t rocket science, but it does take some thought. Focus on the KPIs that drive real action, keep your visuals honest, and don’t drown your team in options. Most importantly, treat your dashboard like a product: get feedback, fix what’s broken, and don’t be precious about what you built last quarter.
Start small, get it in front of your team, and refine. Your future self (and your sales team) will thank you.