If you’ve ever opened up your sales pipeline and felt like you were staring at a static-filled TV, you’re not alone. Teams using Clari want something better than just another “sea of deals.” You want a view that actually helps you spot risk, focus your check-ins, and keep your pipeline honest. This guide is for sales managers, ops folks, and anyone tired of clicking around endlessly, wondering where the real issues are hiding.
Here’s how to cut through the noise and build deal inspection views in Clari that actually work for you, not against you.
Why Deal Inspection Views Matter (And Where They Fall Short)
Before diving into the how-to, let’s be clear: no view will magically fix your pipeline. But a smart deal inspection view helps you:
- See the right data, faster: No more scrolling through irrelevant fields.
- Spot problems early: Find deals at risk or slipping through the cracks.
- Keep reps honest: Make it harder to hide aging, stagnant, or low-probability deals.
- Run better pipeline reviews: Stay focused on “what matters now,” not just “what’s in the system.”
Just don’t expect views to solve bad process or poor data. Garbage in, garbage out. But with decent hygiene, a custom view can save you a lot of time and headaches.
Step 1: Decide What You Actually Need to See
This sounds basic, but most teams skip it. Don’t start by dragging fields around—start by answering:
- What questions are you trying to answer?
- “Which deals are really at risk this quarter?”
- “Where are reps sandbagging or overcommitting?”
- “Which deals haven’t moved in weeks?”
- Who’s using this view?
- Managers need different info than reps or execs.
- How often will you use it?
- Daily, weekly, only for QBRs?
Tip: If everything is important, nothing is. Pick 5–7 data points max. More than that and people’s eyes glaze over.
Step 2: Get to Know Clari’s Deal Inspection Basics
Clari’s deal inspection lets you slice and dice pipeline data, but it’s only as good as what you put in. Here’s what actually matters:
- Columns/Fields: The info you see for each deal. Think: stage, forecast category, next steps, last activity date.
- Filters: Narrow the list to what matters (e.g., only this quarter, only deals without next steps, etc.).
- Sorting: How you order the list—by close date, amount, risk score, etc.
- Grouping: Sometimes you want to see deals by owner, stage, or forecast category.
What’s not worth your time: - Fancy charts for day-to-day inspection—they’re nice for execs but rarely help you run a better 1:1. - Cramming every field into one view. You’ll just end up scrolling or exporting to Excel anyway.
Step 3: Build (or Edit) Your Deal Inspection View
Let’s get hands-on. Here’s how to actually set up a view:
3.1. Navigate to the Deal Inspection Area
- Head to the “Deals” or “Pipeline” module in Clari.
- Look for “Deal Inspection” or similar. (Clari sometimes renames things—don’t shoot the messenger.)
3.2. Start with a Template or Default View
- If you’re new, don’t build from scratch. Clari usually gives you a default view or two.
- Find the closest match to what you want, then hit “Save As” or “Duplicate View.” That way, you won’t break anything for your team.
3.3. Choose Columns That Actually Help
Pick only the fields that answer your key questions. Some worth considering:
- Deal Name / Opportunity Name
- Stage (critical for pipeline movement)
- Forecast Category (Commit, Best Case, etc.)
- Close Date (shows timing risk)
- Deal Amount
- Last Activity Date (spot stale deals)
- Next Step (is there a plan, or is it wishful thinking?)
- Owner (if you manage a team)
- Deal Health / Risk Score (if you trust Clari’s AI, but take it with a grain of salt)
Skip: Custom fields nobody uses, or anything that’s always blank. If your reps aren’t filling it out, it’s just clutter.
3.4. Set Up Filters
This is where the magic happens. A few practical filter ideas:
- Close Date: Only show deals closing this quarter or next.
- Stage: Exclude early-stage or “Prospecting” if you’re focused on late-stage pipeline.
- Owner: Filter for particular teams or reps.
- Last Activity Date: Only show deals with no activity in the past X days (for “at risk” views).
- Forecast Category: Zero in on Commit or Best Case deals if forecasting.
Pro tip: Save different filtered views for different jobs—e.g., “This Quarter’s At-Risk,” “My Team’s Commit Deals,” etc.
3.5. Sort and Group
- Sort by whatever’s most urgent. Usually Close Date (soonest first) or Amount (biggest first).
- Group by Owner if you’re running team reviews, or by Stage if you want to see pipeline shape.
3.6. Save and Share
- Give your view a clear, honest name. “Q2 At-Risk Deals” beats “Bob’s Custom View #7.”
- Set sharing permissions if your team needs access. In Clari, you can usually share with just yourself, your team, or the whole org.
Step 4: Test Your View—Don’t Set and Forget
Here’s where people mess up: they build a “perfect” view, then never use it. Before rolling it out:
- Test with real data: Pull up your view in a live pipeline review or 1:1. Does it actually help?
- Ask for feedback: Grab a couple of reps or managers, show them the view, and see what’s missing or confusing.
- Tweak as needed: If you’re still hunting for info or scrolling endlessly, trim or rearrange columns.
Remember, your needs will change. What works today might not help next quarter.
Step 5: Use Your Views to Run Smarter Pipeline Reviews
Now you’ve got a view that isn’t full of noise. Here’s how to get the most out of it:
- Start with filters: Don’t waste time on deals that aren’t closing soon or haven’t moved in weeks.
- Focus on action: For each deal, ask “What’s the next step? Is this really going to close?”
- Dig into aging deals: If something’s been stuck, call it out. Don’t let it rot in your pipeline.
- Spot patterns: Are certain reps sandbagging? Are most at-risk deals in a particular stage?
- Don’t be afraid to prune: If a deal’s dead, kill it. Don’t let wishful thinking clog up your view.
What not to do: Don’t use the view as a “gotcha” tool. Pipeline inspection is about helping the team win, not playing detective.
What to Ignore (and What to Watch Out For)
A few honest takes from people who’ve been there:
- Ignore “deal health” if your data’s bad: Clari’s risk scores and AI signals are only as good as your email and CRM data. If reps aren’t logging calls, don’t chase phantom “at risk” alerts.
- Don’t build one view for everyone: Managers, reps, and execs want different things. Let people build (or copy) views that fit their workflow.
- Don’t chase every new field: Stick to the basics until you know you need more.
- Beware over-engineering: If you need a user manual to explain your view, you’ve gone too far.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Customizing deal inspection views in Clari isn’t rocket science, but it does take a little thought. Start with the basics, test with real data, and trim what you don’t need. You’ll spend less time in meetings, spot real risks sooner, and maybe—just maybe—keep your pipeline from turning into a junk drawer.
Set it up, see what works, and don’t be afraid to hit delete on anything that isn’t earning its keep. Good luck.