If you've ever stared at Upcell's default sales reports and thought, "This can't be it, right?"—you're not alone. Out-of-the-box reports are fine for a quick glance, but if you actually want to do something with your data—find your best products, spot churn, prove your team's worth—you need to roll up your sleeves and customize. This guide is for sales managers, founders, and anyone who wants to stop guessing and start making decisions based on what’s really happening in Upcell.
Let’s get your reports working for you, not the other way around.
1. Get Clear on What You Need (Before You Click Anything)
Before you even open Upcell’s reporting tools, stop and ask: What am I actually trying to learn? Don’t just fiddle with filters for the sake of it.
Some questions worth answering: - Which products drive the most upsell revenue? - Who are my most (and least) effective reps? - Where are deals getting stuck? - Which campaigns or channels actually convert?
Pro tip: Write your top 2–3 questions on a sticky note. This keeps you from wandering down reporting rabbit holes and surfacing two hours later with nothing useful.
2. Dive Into Upcell’s Reporting Basics
Upcell offers several out-of-the-box reports—Sales Overview, Product Performance, Rep Leaderboards, and so on. These are decent for a bird’s-eye view, but don’t expect magic. Most users realize pretty fast that these canned reports only get you so far.
- Sales Overview: Good for trends, but lacks detail.
- Product Performance: Handy for quick wins/losses, but not granular.
- Rep Leaderboards: Motivational, but often just a vanity metric.
What to ignore: Don’t waste time on reports you don’t understand or that don’t help you make decisions. If you can’t explain what you’d do differently after seeing a report, skip it.
3. Customize Your Data Sources and Fields
Default fields are usually too generic. Upcell lets you add custom fields, tags, and even import data from other tools. This is where you start to get reports that actually mean something for your business.
Add Custom Fields
Think about what's actually important for your workflow: - Product category - Customer segment - Deal source (web, email, referral, etc.) - Contract length - Renewal date
How to do it: 1. Go to the “Settings” or “Admin” panel in Upcell. 2. Find “Custom Fields” under Data Management. 3. Add the fields you need. Keep names short and obvious—future-you will thank you.
Pro tip: Less is more. If you add 20 custom fields, nobody will fill them out. Stick to what you’ll actually use in a report.
Connect External Data (If You Must)
Upcell plays nicely with Google Sheets, CRMs, and marketing tools. But integrations can be buggy—especially if you’re not technical.
- Only sync external data if you’re sure you’ll use it.
- Test with a small sample before importing everything.
- Double-check for duplicates or mismatches.
Honest take: Integrations look great in the sales demo. In reality, syncing always takes more time than you think. Only connect what you need for your top reports.
4. Build Custom Reports That Answer Real Questions
This is the meat of it. Custom reports in Upcell let you mix and match fields, set filters, and group data. Here’s how to avoid the “analysis paralysis” trap.
Step-by-Step: Creating a Useful Custom Report
- Start with a Template: Don’t reinvent the wheel. Pick the closest built-in report.
- Choose Your Fields: Add the columns that matter—like Product Category, Rep Name, and Upsell Value.
- Add Filters: Narrow it down. For example, only view deals from the last quarter, or just “Enterprise” customers.
- Group and Sort: Aggregate by what matters (e.g., by rep, by channel, by product).
- Save Your View: Give it a clear name—“Q2 High-Value Upsells” is better than “Report 7”.
Pro tip: If a report gets too busy, strip it back. The best reports are simple and answer one question well.
5. Automate and Share (But Don’t Overdo It)
Upcell can schedule reports to hit your inbox or Slack each week. Sounds great, but set it and forget it is a trap—people tune out noisy reports fast.
- Only automate reports people actually read.
- Summarize key takeaways in the body of the email or Slack message.
- Avoid sending daily reports—weekly or monthly is usually enough.
What works: Sharing a focused weekly leaderboard or “stuck deals” list.
What doesn’t: Blasting the whole team with 10 pages of data nobody has time for.
6. Turn Reports Into Action (The Most Important Step)
A report is only as good as what you do with it. Here’s how to make sure your insights don’t die in a spreadsheet.
- Review as a Team: Don’t just hoard reports. Discuss them in your sales meeting—what trends stand out?
- Assign Next Steps: If you spot a problem (e.g., churn is up), assign someone to dig in and fix it.
- Flag Data Gaps: If you keep saying “we can’t tell because we’re not tracking X,” fix it—add the field or process you need.
Honest take: Most reporting problems aren’t technical—they’re about people not acting on what the data says. Focus on clear, actionable insights.
7. Common Pitfalls to Avoid
No guide is complete without a little tough love. Here’s what trips up most users:
- Too Many Custom Fields: You’ll end up with messy, incomplete data.
- Chasing Vanity Metrics: Don’t obsess over numbers that look good but don’t drive action.
- Automating Everything: More isn’t better. Only automate what people need.
- Ignoring Data Hygiene: Garbage in, garbage out. Make sure your team actually fills out the fields you report on.
8. Quick Wins: Reports to Set Up First
If you’re short on time, these reports give you the most bang for your buck:
- High-Value Upsells This Quarter: Who’s closing the biggest deals, and what products are moving?
- Lost Deals by Reason: Spot where you’re losing and why.
- Churned Customers: Who left, when, and what could have prevented it?
- Rep Activity vs. Performance: Are your top reps really working differently—or just luckier?
Set these up, review them regularly, and tweak as you go.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Customizing reporting in Upcell isn’t about building the fanciest dashboard—it’s about getting answers you’ll actually use. Start basic, get feedback, and keep adjusting. If a report doesn’t help you take action, scrap it. The goal is to make your sales data work for you, not just look nice in a meeting.
And remember: the best reporting setup is the one your team actually uses. Don’t be afraid to keep things simple and improve as you go.