If you're neck-deep in B2B marketing and tired of wrestling with generic dashboards that don’t answer your real questions, you’re in the right place. This guide is for marketers, ops folks, and anyone else who needs to actually use data—not just stare at pretty charts. We're talking about how to build custom reports in Meet, so you can get answers that matter and skip the fluff.
Ready to roll up your sleeves? Let’s get to it.
1. Figure Out What You Actually Need to Report
Before you even log in, pause and ask: What do I need to know? Not “What can I track?” but, “What do I need to show my boss or client so they trust our approach—and keep the budget coming?”
Some questions to help: - Which channels bring in the most qualified leads? - How long is our sales cycle, and where do leads drop off? - Are our campaigns generating pipeline, or just noise? - Can I see marketing’s real impact on revenue?
Pro tip: Skip the “vanity metrics” (impressions, clicks, etc.) unless they directly tie to business outcomes. If you can’t explain why a number matters, don’t report on it.
2. Get Your Data House in Order
Custom reports are only as good as the data behind them. Meet can pull in a lot, but garbage in, garbage out still applies.
Checklist: - Make sure your CRM and marketing automation are connected to Meet. - Double-check field mapping: “Lead Source” in your CRM should mean the same thing in Meet. - Clean up duplicates and junk data—bad records will muddy your reports fast. - Set clear date ranges and filters; otherwise, you’ll get misleading results.
What to ignore: Don’t obsess over tracking every possible touchpoint. Focus on the handful that actually influence sales.
3. Get to Know Meet’s Reporting Features
Meet’s reporting UI isn’t flashy, but it’s straightforward once you poke around. Here’s what you’ll actually use:
- Custom Fields: Pull in exactly what you want (job title, deal stage, campaign, etc.)
- Filters: Narrow down by date, campaign, geography, sales rep—whatever matters.
- Groupings: Break down by account, channel, or sales stage to spot patterns.
- Visualization Types: Tables, bar charts, funnel diagrams. Use the simplest one that tells the story.
- Export Options: Download as CSV, PDF, or share live dashboards.
What’s overhyped: Don’t get distracted by “AI insights” or auto-generated recommendations. They’re rarely specific enough for real B2B questions.
4. Build Your First Custom Report (Step-by-Step)
Let’s walk through making a practical report: say, one that shows qualified leads by campaign source, broken down by revenue stage.
Step 1: Start a New Report
- Navigate to “Reports” in the Meet sidebar.
- Click the big “Create Custom Report” button (can’t miss it).
Step 2: Choose Your Data Source
- Pick your main object: Leads, Accounts, Opportunities, or Campaigns.
- For most pipeline questions, start with Opportunities.
Step 3: Select Fields
- Add fields like:
- Opportunity Name
- Lead Source / Campaign
- Opportunity Stage
- Amount (or Revenue)
- Created Date
Pro tip: Keep it minimal. More fields = more clutter.
Step 4: Add Filters
- Filter to only show:
- Opportunities created in the last quarter (or whatever period matters)
- Lead Source is not “Unknown” (junk data)
- Opportunity Stage is “Qualified” or further
Step 5: Group and Summarize
- Group by Campaign Source (or Channel)
- Add a secondary grouping by Opportunity Stage if you want to see progression
Step 6: Pick Your Visualization
- For this, a bar chart or table works best.
- If you’re tracking progression, try a funnel chart.
What to skip: Pie charts. They look nice, but don’t tell you much.
Step 7: Save and Share
- Name your report something you’ll recognize later (“Qualified Leads by Campaign, Q2”)
- Set permissions: who actually needs to see this?
- Schedule email reports if Meet supports it, but don’t spam your team.
5. Make Your Reports Actionable
A report isn’t useful unless it leads to action. Ask yourself: - Can I spot which channels are actually working? - Where do leads stall out? - What do I need to change based on this data?
If a report doesn’t help you make a decision, it’s just window dressing.
Don’t: Spend hours perfecting chart colors or fonts. Focus on clarity.
6. Iterate—Don’t Try to Build a “Perfect” Report
You won’t nail it on the first try. That’s normal. After the first round: - Check with stakeholders: Does this answer your real questions? - Trim any fields or sections nobody uses. - Add annotations or notes for context (why did numbers spike in March?).
Pro tip: It’s better to have a “good enough” report you update regularly than a monster dashboard nobody touches.
7. Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)
- Too many metrics: More isn’t better. Stick to what drives action.
- Bad data: If something looks off, dig into the source before sharing.
- One-size-fits-all reports: Tailor for sales vs. marketing vs. execs. Each group wants different things.
- Ignoring context: Always explain the why behind spikes or dips, not just the what.
8. When to Use Built-In Templates (and When Not To)
Meet comes with some pre-built report templates. They’re fine for basic stuff—lead volume, pipeline by stage, etc. But for anything strategic, custom is almost always better.
Use templates when: - You’re in a hurry and just need a quick view. - The template matches your exact question.
Skip templates when: - You need to combine data sources. - You want to include custom fields or metrics. - Your business model is different than “typical” SaaS or B2B flow.
9. Sharing and Presenting Your Reports
- Export as PDF or CSV for execs who like email attachments.
- Use live dashboards for teams who want to dig in.
- Keep an “explainer” handy—one slide or paragraph that explains what the report means (and what it doesn’t).
Don’t: Blindly email reports every week. Send when there’s something worth talking about.
Keep It Simple, Review Often
Custom reports are a tool, not a trophy. The best ones are simple, up-to-date, and drive conversations—not just fill up inboxes. Start small, focus on what matters, and don’t be afraid to prune or tweak as you go. Good data doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Just useful.