It’s easy to drown in B2B performance data—spreadsheets, charts, and dashboards everywhere, but not a single clear answer. If you’re using Clutch and want to actually see what’s happening with your B2B performance, you’re in the right place. This guide is for folks who need real, actionable insights—not just pretty charts for a slide deck.
Below, I’ll walk you through customizing reporting dashboards in Clutch so you can stop guessing and start making decisions. I’ll cut through the salesy stuff, flag what’s honestly useful, and call out dead ends to avoid. Let’s dive in.
1. Get Oriented: What Clutch Dashboards Can (and Can't) Do
Before you spend an hour tinkering, know what you’re working with. Clutch dashboards are built for business users, not data scientists. They’re decent for tracking KPIs, visualizing trends over time, and quickly spotting issues. If you need full-blown analytics or complex modeling, look elsewhere.
What works well: - Tracking sales pipeline health - Monitoring campaign performance (digital, email, events, etc.) - Visualizing customer or account engagement - Building quick, shareable views for your team
What to skip: - Heavy number crunching (do that in Excel or a BI tool) - Custom, multi-source mashups (Clutch works best with data inside its own system) - Trying to make Clutch do what it wasn’t built for—it’ll just frustrate you
2. Prep Your Data: Garbage In, Garbage Out
No dashboard can fix messy data. Before you customize anything, make sure: - Your data in Clutch is up to date (contacts, deals, campaigns, etc.) - Naming conventions are consistent (“Q2 2024” ≠ “2024 Q2”) - Duplicates and obvious errors are cleaned up
Pro tip: If your team is dumping everything into “Other,” your dashboards will reflect that chaos. Spend 30 minutes cleaning up key fields first. It pays off.
3. Access and Permissions: Make Sure You Can Actually Customize
Clutch offers different roles (admin, manager, viewer, etc.). Only some roles can create or edit dashboards.
Check this before you start: - Go to the Dashboards area in Clutch. - If you don’t see an "Edit" or "Create Dashboard" button, you’re probably missing permissions. - Talk to your admin before you waste time building the perfect view.
4. Start with a Template — or Blank Slate?
Clutch comes with a few default dashboards for sales, marketing, and account management. These are fine starting points, but don’t expect them to fit your exact needs.
When to use a template: - You’re new to Clutch and want to get familiar - You need something fast for a meeting - Your KPIs are pretty standard
When to start from scratch: - You have a unique sales process or funnel - You’re tracking niche metrics (ex: partner engagement, renewal rates) - You want full control over layout and data sources
Pro tip: Even if you use a template, you can tweak almost everything later.
5. Pick the Right Widgets for B2B Performance
This is where things get real. Clutch dashboards are made of “widgets”—charts, tables, lists, and summary blocks. Here’s what’s actually useful for B2B teams:
- Pipeline by Stage: Visualize deals by stage (top-of-funnel, proposal, closed/won, etc.). Spot bottlenecks instantly.
- Revenue by Account: See which clients are driving results—good for account-based strategies.
- Win/Loss Analysis: Simple bar or pie charts work best here. Don’t overcomplicate.
- Campaign Performance: For tracking lead sources and marketing ROI.
- Engagement Tables: List accounts and last contact date. Helps avoid radio silence.
- Custom Metric Tiles: Show high-level KPIs like “Deals Closed This Month” or “Renewal Rate.”
What to ignore: - Widgets with too many filters or “everything at once” tables. They look impressive but are confusing in practice. - Overly granular breakdowns (like revenue per day for a multi-month sales cycle). B2B moves slower.
6. Build Your Dashboard: Step-by-Step
Let’s get to the nuts and bolts. Here’s how to build a dashboard that’s actually useful:
Step 1: Create a New Dashboard
- Click “Dashboards” in the left menu.
- Hit “Create New Dashboard.”
- Give it a name you’ll recognize later (not “Test 3”).
Step 2: Add Widgets
- Click “Add Widget.”
- Choose the widget type (chart, table, KPI tile, etc.).
- Select your data source (deals, accounts, campaigns).
- Set any required filters (date range, owner, region).
- Click “Save.”
Pro tip: Start with 3–5 key widgets. Less is more. You can always add later.
Step 3: Arrange and Resize
- Drag widgets around to prioritize what matters most.
- Resize so the most important info stands out (move vanity metrics to the bottom).
- Don’t cram everything above the fold—a little scrolling is fine.
Step 4: Apply Filters and Drilldowns
- Use global filters (top of the dashboard) for things like date range or region.
- Set widget-specific filters if you want, but don’t go filter-crazy.
- Enable drilldowns for widgets where detail matters (like clicking into a stage to see deals).
Step 5: Share or Schedule
- Click “Share” to send the dashboard to your team or execs.
- Set up scheduled emails if you want regular updates (but don’t spam people).
- Adjust permissions so only the right folks can edit or view.
7. Avoid Common Dashboard Traps
Here’s where most people go wrong:
- Too many metrics: If you need a magnifying glass to spot trends, it’s too much.
- Unclear definitions: Make sure everyone knows what “qualified lead” or “active account” means. Otherwise, your data’s meaningless.
- Chasing perfection: Your dashboard will never be perfect. Good enough beats never done.
- Neglecting updates: Review your dashboards every quarter. Your business changes—so should your dashboards.
8. Advanced Customizations (If You Must)
If you’re comfortable with Clutch’s data model, you can:
- Create custom fields: Add fields for things like renewal risk or contract type, then report on them.
- Combine filters: Build views for specific sales teams, industries, or regions.
- Integrate: If your plan allows, connect Clutch to other tools (CRMs, marketing automation) for richer data.
- Export to CSV: For heavy analysis, export data and use Excel or a BI tool. Don’t try to force Clutch to do what it’s not made for.
Caution: Complex setups break more often and require more upkeep. Only go down this path if you have a real need (not just because it’s possible).
9. When to Call It Done (and Move On)
You’re done when: - Your team can answer their top 3–5 performance questions in under a minute - No one’s asking, “Where did that number come from?” - The dashboard helps you act, not just stare at numbers
If you’re still fiddling weeks later, you’ve probably gone too far.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Dashboards are tools, not trophies. The best ones are simple, focused, and get updated as your business evolves. Don’t wait for perfect—build something, use it, tweak it. If your Clutch dashboards help your team make faster, better decisions, you’ve done it right. Now go close some deals.