Building detailed sales reports shouldn't be a mystery or a slog. If you're in sales ops, a manager, or just the "Excel person" on your team, this guide's for you. We're going deep on how to use Outplayhq's analytics tools—not just for dashboards that look nice in meetings, but for reports you can actually use to make decisions.
If you’re new, Outplayhq is a sales engagement platform that promises analytics baked into your workflow. But let's skip the sales pitch and get straight to making sense of your data.
1. Know What You Want to Measure (And Why)
Before you start clicking buttons, pause for two minutes and answer this: What do you actually want to know? Outplayhq collects a lot—calls, emails, meetings, replies—but not all of it matters for every team.
Popular sales report goals:
- Tracking outreach activity (calls, emails sent, meetings booked)
- Measuring conversion rates (e.g. replies to meetings, meetings to deals)
- Comparing rep performance
- Spotting bottlenecks (e.g. tons of emails, few replies)
- Revenue forecasting
Pro tip: Don't ask for "everything." Detailed reports are only useful if they help you answer a question you care about.
2. Get Your Data in Order
Outplayhq can only report on what you actually track. If your team is skipping steps or logging activities in random ways, your reports will be garbage.
Checklist before building reports:
- Are all reps using the platform for every touchpoint? If people are calling from their cell phones or emailing outside of Outplay, those numbers won't show up.
- Are key fields filled out? Make sure things like deal stage, lead source, and outcome are required.
- Is your CRM synced up? If you're connecting Outplayhq to Salesforce, HubSpot, or something else, double-check that data is flowing both ways.
Honest take: Garbage in, garbage out. It's worth nagging your team now instead of explaining weird numbers later.
3. Navigating Outplayhq Analytics
Let’s get into the actual tool. Outplayhq’s analytics live under the “Reports” section in the main sidebar. Here’s what you’ll see:
- Pre-built Reports: Think basic activity dashboards (calls made, emails sent, meetings booked).
- Custom Reports: Where you build something tailored—by rep, team, time period, or activity.
- Download & Export Options: For when you need to pull it all into Excel or Google Sheets.
What works: Pre-built reports are fine for a weekly stand-up, but for anything strategic, you’ll want to build custom.
4. Step-by-Step: Building a Detailed Sales Report
Here’s how to create a report that actually helps you make decisions.
Step 1: Choose the Right Report Type
- Activity Reports: Track what your team is doing (calls, emails, tasks).
- Outcome Reports: See what’s working (replies, meetings, deals won/lost).
- Pipeline/Revenue Reports: Connect activities to revenue.
Pick what matches your main question from Step 1.
Step 2: Filter for What Matters
Don’t just run a report for “everything.” Use filters:
- Date Range: Last week, month, or custom
- Sales Rep or Team: Compare people or groups
- Lead/Deal Source: See which channels actually convert
- Deal Stage: Focus on stuck deals or pipeline movement
Pro tip: Build separate reports for new business vs. renewals. Lumping all deals together usually hides the real story.
Step 3: Choose the Right Metrics
Don’t get distracted by vanity numbers. Stick to:
- # of Activities (calls, emails, texts)
- Reply/Engagement Rates (not just “sent”)
- Meetings Booked
- Deals Created/Closed
- Conversion Rates (e.g. calls → replies, replies → meetings)
- Revenue Metrics (if data is connected)
Outplayhq loves to show you “emails sent.” Nobody cares. Focus on replies and meetings booked; they’re harder to fake.
Step 4: Customize Columns and Layout
- Add columns for rep name, deal size, stage, or whatever matters.
- Group by rep, team, or time period.
- Remove fluff columns (like “account owner” if it’s always the same).
What doesn’t work: Overloading your report with 20 columns. Stick to 6-8 max or it becomes unreadable.
Step 5: Visualize (But Don’t Overdo It)
Outplayhq analytics lets you add charts—bar graphs, pie charts, line charts. They're fine for trends, but don’t get lost making “pretty” dashboards.
- Use tables for details
- Charts for trends
- Skip the donut charts—nobody knows what they mean
5. Scheduling and Sharing Reports
You can save custom reports and set them to run on a schedule. Outplayhq can email you (or your boss) a PDF or link weekly, monthly, whatever.
How to set it up:
- Click “Save Report”
- Choose frequency (daily, weekly, monthly)
- Add recipient emails
Honest take: Don’t blast “everyone.” Only send reports to people who’ll actually use them. Less noise, more value.
6. Exporting Data for Deeper Analysis
Outplayhq’s built-in analytics are solid, but sometimes you’ll want to slice and dice the data yourself.
- Download as CSV or XLSX: Use the export button at the top right of any report.
- Import into Google Sheets or Excel: Build your own pivot tables, charts, or custom calculations.
- Cross-check with CRM: If something looks off, compare with your CRM numbers. Outplayhq isn’t infallible.
What Outplayhq doesn’t do: Serious forecasting, custom formulas, or multi-year trend analysis. For that, you’ll need to pull data out.
7. Common Reporting Pitfalls (And How to Dodge Them)
- Incomplete Data: If reps skip steps, your numbers will always look low.
- Chasing Vanity Metrics: Like “emails sent.” If it doesn’t move revenue, ignore it.
- Overcomplicating Reports: The fancier the report, the less likely anyone reads it.
- Ignoring Data Hygiene: Merge duplicates, standardize fields, and keep your CRM in sync.
Pro tip: Review your reports with a skeptical eye. If a number seems too good (or too bad) to be true, dig deeper before sharing.
8. Iterating and Improving
No report is perfect on the first try. After you run your detailed sales report:
- Ask: Did this answer my question?
- Share with the team—does it make sense to them?
- Tweak filters, columns, or visuals as needed.
Keep it simple. The best reports are the ones people actually use, not the ones that look most impressive.
Summary
Sales reports aren’t magic—they’re just tools to help you see what’s working and what’s not. With Outplayhq analytics, you can build detailed, custom reports that answer real questions if you start with clear goals and keep your data clean. Don’t overthink it. Build, test, share, and improve. And remember: a half-useful report you actually use beats a “perfect” one nobody reads.