Want to actually move sales numbers, not just stare at pretty charts? This is for you. Whether you’re a sales manager, an operator, or the “analytics person” who everyone asks for reports, you know that dashboards often give you data, not answers. If you’re using the Spiky analytics dashboard, here’s how to turn all those numbers into insight you can actually use—without wasting hours in the weeds.
Step 1: Ignore the Noise—Decide What Matters Most
First things first: not every graph or number in Spiky is worth your attention. The dashboard will show you everything it can, but your job is to figure out what actually matters for your sales team.
Start by asking: - What’s the single most important sales goal this quarter? (e.g., new accounts, upsells, contract renewals) - Which stage of the pipeline is the real blocker? - Do you need to find new problems or just track progress on known ones?
Pro tip: If you’re not sure, ask your team what’s making their lives harder. Real-world pain points give you better focus than any canned metric.
What to skip: Vanity metrics. Views, visits, or “engagement” numbers might look impressive, but unless you can tie them to sales outcomes, ignore them.
Step 2: Set Up Dashboards for Fast Answers (Not Just Pretty Pictures)
Spiky lets you customize dashboards—use that power. The default layouts are just starting points, not gospel.
- Pin only the most useful widgets. If you never use it, hide it. Less clutter, more clarity.
- Group by sales priorities. For example, have separate views for lead generation, pipeline movement, and closed deals.
- Use filters aggressively. Slice by rep, region, or product line. Generic “all-company” views rarely reveal what’s actually broken.
What works: Focusing on the few metrics that drive action. For example: - Conversion rates between each pipeline stage - Average deal size by rep - Time from first contact to close
What doesn’t: Staring at big, blended numbers (like overall revenue) unless your goal is just to report up the chain. These rarely tell you where to dig.
Step 3: Dig Deeper—Look for Patterns, Not Just Deltas
It’s tempting to just look at changes (“Up 5% this month!”), but real insight comes from patterns.
Here’s how to actually spot something useful: - Trend lines over time. Is your win rate trending up, down, or flat? A single good or bad month is probably noise. - Compare groups. Are some reps or product lines outpacing others? If yes, why? - Check for bottlenecks. Are lots of deals stalling in one pipeline stage? That’s where to focus.
Pro tip: When you see a spike or dip, don’t just ask “what happened?”—ask “what’s changed in how we actually sell?” Was there a new campaign, a process change, or a competitor move?
What to ignore: Outliers without context. One giant deal or a weird week can throw off your averages. Always check the underlying data before drawing conclusions.
Step 4: Connect Metrics to Real-World Actions
A dashboard is only useful if it changes what you do. So, for every “insight” you spot, ask: what’s the lowest-effort experiment I can run?
Examples: - If you see deals stalling at the proposal stage, run a quick survey or listening session with the team: What’s slowing them down? - If a rep is crushing it, shadow their calls or review their email templates. Can others copy their approach? - If pipeline velocity drops, check if your qualification criteria changed or if there’s a seasonal pattern.
How to avoid getting stuck: Don’t wait for “perfect” data. If you see a pattern, try a small tweak and watch what happens next month.
What works: Linking every metric to a real-world lever. If you can’t think of a next step, the metric probably isn’t actionable.
Step 5: Share Only What Drives Action (Not Everything You See)
It’s tempting to dump dashboard screenshots into every team meeting. Resist. The goal isn’t to show off how much data you have—it’s to focus everyone on what needs to change.
- Pick 1–3 key insights per meeting. Explain why they matter and what you want people to do about them.
- Tailor reporting to your audience. Sales reps need practical tips. Execs want big-picture trends. Avoid “one-size-fits-all” decks.
- Use Spiky’s export or sharing features for specifics. If someone asks for more detail, give them a filtered view—not the kitchen sink.
What to skip: Endless “FYI” reports. If it doesn’t drive a decision or prompt a change, leave it out.
Step 6: Automate the Boring Stuff, but Don’t Trust It Blindly
Spiky has some automation—scheduled reports, alerts, etc. Use them to save time, but don’t let them lull you into complacency.
- Set up alerts for only the most critical thresholds. Otherwise, you’ll start ignoring them.
- Review automated insights regularly. Algorithms can spot “anomalies,” but they can’t tell you if it actually matters.
- Keep an eye out for false positives. Sometimes, a “spike” is just an accounting quirk or a one-off deal.
Pro tip: Once a month, sanity-check your reports against reality. Ask your team if the numbers match what they’re seeing in the trenches.
Step 7: Rinse, Repeat, and Don’t Overthink It
Sales is messy. No dashboard (including Spiky’s) will hand you a magic answer. The real trick is to keep things simple: - Pick a few metrics. - Watch for changes. - Try small tweaks. - Double down on what works, drop what doesn’t.
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. The value is in consistent habits, not in finding some “hidden” metric that no one else has spotted.
Summary
You don’t need to be a data scientist to get real value from Spiky’s analytics dashboard. Focus on the metrics that actually matter to your sales goals, cut the noise, and always connect insights to real-world experiments. The dashboards are a tool—not a crystal ball. Keep it simple, iterate often, and don’t be afraid to ignore what isn’t helping you sell.