So, you need to build a sales performance report that actually shows what’s happening — not just a pile of numbers to keep the boss happy. Maybe you’re in sales ops, maybe you’re a founder, or maybe you just got “analytics” tacked onto your job title last week. Either way, you want real data you can use without jumping through hoops.
This guide walks you through building a detailed sales performance report using Gorattle, a tool that promises “analytics made simple.” We’ll cover what works, what to skip, and how to avoid falling into the weeds. No fluff, no buzzwords — just the steps you need.
1. Get Clear on Your Reporting Goals
Before you even open Gorattle, ask: Who’s going to use this report, and what decisions do they need to make? This sounds basic, but it’s where most reports go sideways.
- For sales managers: They usually want to see pipeline health, individual rep performance, and where deals are getting stuck.
- For execs: They care about overall trends, forecasts, and maybe a few headline KPIs.
- For reps: They want to know how they’re tracking against quota, and where they can improve.
Pro tip: Don’t try to cram every metric into one dashboard. Pick 3–5 things that matter most right now. You can always add more later.
2. Connect Your Data Sources
Gorattle talks a big game about “plug and play” integrations. In reality, it’s pretty good — as long as your data isn’t a total mess.
- CRM integration: Gorattle connects with Salesforce, HubSpot, and a few others. Go to Settings → Integrations, pick your CRM, and follow the prompts.
- Manual uploads: If your data is in spreadsheets (CSV, XLSX), you can upload directly. Just double-check column headers — Gorattle can get confused by blank or weirdly-named ones.
- Other sources: For stuff like marketing data, you might need to mess with APIs. Unless you’re a power user, skip this for now.
What to watch for: Gorattle’s sync isn’t always instant. If you just updated something in your CRM, give it a few minutes to show up.
3. Set Up Your Data Model (Don’t Skip This)
Here’s where people get tripped up. Gorattle will try to guess how your data fits together, but it’s not psychic. Make sure your sales data is mapped correctly.
- Check field mapping: Go to Data → Field Mapping. Make sure “Deal Value” maps to the right column, “Owner” maps to your reps, and so on.
- Custom fields: If you track stuff like region or product line, add those fields now. It’ll save you headaches later.
- Data hygiene: Garbage in, garbage out. Fix any obvious errors — duplicate deals, missing owners, closed-won deals with $0 value.
Honest take: This is the boring part, but skipping it means your reports will be useless. Set aside 20–30 minutes to get it right.
4. Build Your Sales Performance Report
Now for the fun part: turning raw data into something you can actually use.
a) Start With a Template (If You Want)
Gorattle has some built-in sales report templates. They’re…fine. If you’re in a hurry, start there and tweak. But don’t expect magic — they’re cookie-cutter.
- Pipeline overview: Good for a quick snapshot, but usually too high-level.
- Rep leaderboard: Nice for morale (or shame), but not much else.
- Custom dashboard: This is where you’ll probably end up.
b) Add the Metrics That Matter
Here are the basics most sales teams care about:
- Total sales (by period): How much did we close this month/quarter?
- Pipeline coverage: Open deals vs. quota or forecast.
- Win rate: Closed-won deals ÷ total opportunities.
- Average deal size: Useful for spotting when you’re chasing lots of small fish.
- Sales cycle length: Days from first touch to closed-won.
- Activity metrics: Calls, emails, demos — but don’t let this become a vanity metric contest.
Drag and drop these onto your dashboard. Filter by team, rep, or region as needed.
Pro tip: Add simple visualizations (bar charts, line graphs). Don’t overload with gauges and donuts — they look cool but usually confuse more than help.
c) Drill Down With Filters
This is where Gorattle shines a bit: you can slice and dice your data easily.
- By rep: See how each person’s doing, not just the team average.
- By time: Compare this quarter to last, or look at trends over six months.
- By product or region: Useful if you sell more than one thing, or in different markets.
Skip filters you’ll never use. Every extra option is another way for users to get lost.
5. (Optional) Add Custom Calculations
Got a metric your boss invented (“weighted pipeline by confidence and deal age,” anyone?) Gorattle lets you create custom formulas.
- Go to Dashboard → Add Calculation.
- Use their formula builder — it’s not Excel, but it’ll do for most basic math.
- Test with real data to make sure it’s not spitting out nonsense.
Warning: Fancy formulas are where dashboards go to die. If you can’t explain a metric in one sentence, don’t use it.
6. Share and Schedule Your Report
A report’s only useful if people actually see it.
- Share a live dashboard: Gorattle lets you send a link with view-only access. Good for teams who want to poke around.
- Schedule email exports: Set up weekly or monthly emails with a PDF or spreadsheet. Stick to one or two key reports — nobody reads giant attachments.
- Embed in Slack/Teams: If your org lives in chat apps, Gorattle has basic integration. It’s not fancy, but it works.
What to ignore: Don’t bother trying to print dashboards — Gorattle’s print layouts are clunky. Stick to digital sharing.
7. Review and Iterate (Seriously, Don’t Skip This)
Even the best report is a snapshot in time. Sales teams change, priorities shift, and what mattered last quarter might be noise today.
- Ask for feedback: Are the numbers actually helping people do their jobs? What’s missing?
- Prune unused metrics: If nobody looks at a chart, kill it. Less clutter = faster decisions.
- Keep it simple: More filters and graphs rarely mean more insight.
Pro tip: Schedule a quarterly review. 30 minutes, tops. Update your dashboards, ditch what’s not working, and move on.
What Works (and What Doesn’t) in Gorattle
What works: - Quick setup with mainstream CRMs. - Easy-to-use dashboard builder. - Decent filtering and drill-down.
What doesn’t: - Data mapping can be fiddly, especially with custom fields. - Print/export options are weak. - Templates are generic — expect to customize.
Ignore the hype: Gorattle won’t “revolutionize” your sales strategy. It’s a tool, not a magic wand. If your data is messy or your goals are unclear, even the fanciest dashboard won’t help.
Keep It Simple — And Iterate
The best sales reports are ones people actually use. Start with the basics, share early, and refine as you go. Don’t get obsessed with perfection — you can always add more later. Gorattle is decent for getting a handle on your numbers, as long as you stay focused on what matters.
Now, go build the report that’ll make your next sales meeting a little less painful.