If you’re leading a go-to-market push, you probably already know that KPIs matter. The problem isn’t knowing you need metrics—it’s getting ones that actually tell you what’s working (and what’s not). Fluint promises to help you track what matters, but most folks just click around the dashboards and call it a day. This guide is for people who want to actually use Fluint to set up custom KPIs that drive results, without getting lost in the weeds.
Let’s get into the practical steps—and the things you shouldn’t bother with.
1. Get Clear on What “Custom KPI” Really Means
Before you start clicking buttons in Fluint, stop and think: what business questions do you actually need answered? A “custom KPI” isn’t just a fancy stat with your logo on it; it’s a number that helps you make a decision or spot a problem.
Good custom KPIs for go-to-market: - “How many qualified leads did we actually get this week?” - “What’s our demo-to-close rate by segment?” - “How fast are deals moving through each stage?” - “What’s our cost per opportunity, not just per lead?”
What to ignore: - Vanity metrics (page views, social likes) - KPIs you can’t act on - Anything your team won’t look at regularly
Pro tip: If you can’t explain why you’d change your approach based on a KPI, don’t track it.
2. Map Your Data (Don’t Skip This)
Fluint is only as good as the data you feed it. If your CRM is a mess, or you’re tracking opportunities in a spreadsheet and leads in six different places, your KPIs will be garbage.
Here’s what you need: - A single source of truth for each metric (e.g., CRM, marketing automation tool) - Clean, up-to-date data (close old deals, merge duplicates, get your fields straight) - A mapping of which fields in Fluint pull from which systems
How to check quickly: - Pull a list of your leads or deals from Fluint and compare it to your CRM. - Ask “If a deal moves from demo to closed, does Fluint catch that change right away?” - If not, fix your integration before you bother with KPIs.
Don’t waste time: If your data is a mess, pause here and get it sorted. No dashboard can fix junk data.
3. Define Your Custom KPIs in Plain English
Skip the jargon. Write out, in a sentence, what you want to measure and why. This keeps you honest and helps when you set up formulas in Fluint.
Example: - “I want to see the percentage of inbound leads that book a demo within 7 days, so I know if our website is doing its job.” - “We need to track average sales cycle length by industry, so we can spot bottlenecks.”
Checklist before you build: - Is the KPI actionable? - Do you know where the data comes from? - Will your team care about this number in 3 months?
4. Set Up Custom KPIs in Fluint
Now, the hands-on bit. Fluint’s flexibility is a double-edged sword: you can build almost anything, but it’s easy to overcomplicate. Here’s the streamlined version:
a. Navigate to the KPI Builder
- Log in, go to the “KPIs” section (sometimes called “Metrics”).
- Find the “Create Custom KPI” or “New Metric” button.
b. Choose Your Data Source
- Pick the right pipeline or data set (e.g., “Sales Opportunities”, “Inbound Leads”).
- Double-check you’re not pulling from a test or legacy pipeline by mistake.
c. Build Your Formula
- Use Fluint’s formula builder or field selector.
- Set filters: e.g., “Stage = Demo Booked” AND “Source = Website” AND “Date = Last 7 Days”.
- For ratios (like conversion rates), use the “divide” function: e.g., Demos Booked / Total Inbound Leads.
d. Name and Describe It
- Name the KPI something the team will actually recognize, not “Custom KPI #7.”
- Add a short description. “Tracks website leads that book a demo in 7 days. Used to measure funnel effectiveness.”
e. Set Visualization and Alerts
- Choose a chart that makes trends obvious (bar, line, or number card).
- Set up alerts if a KPI drops below or spikes above a target (but don’t go overboard—alert fatigue is real).
Pro tip: Build only 3-5 custom KPIs at first. You can always add more.
5. Share and Use Your KPIs (Don’t Let Them Rot)
The point isn’t to have a pretty dashboard—it’s to actually change how you work. Here’s how to make sure your KPIs matter.
- Add KPIs to team dashboards. Pin them to the main view your team uses.
- Review them in weekly meetings. Don’t just email screenshots—talk through what’s moving and why.
- Set targets, but be realistic. If you’re guessing at a number, call it a “baseline” and plan to adjust.
- Update or kill dead KPIs. If nobody talks about a metric for a month, delete it or change it.
What doesn’t work: Sending out automated KPI emails that nobody reads. If it’s not part of your team’s workflow, it’s just noise.
6. Avoid Common Pitfalls (Learn From Others’ Mistakes)
You can waste a lot of time fiddling with dashboards that don’t help anyone. Here’s what to watch out for:
- Too many KPIs. More isn’t better—after five, people tune out.
- Tracking what you can, not what you should. Just because Fluint can pull a data point doesn’t mean you need it.
- Ignoring context. A spike in demo requests might be good—or it might be spam. Dig into the “why” before reacting.
- Set-and-forget syndrome. KPIs need reviewing. What mattered in launch month might not matter in month six.
Pro tip: Schedule a monthly “KPI checkup” to drop useless metrics and add new ones as your go-to-market evolves.
7. Iterate and Keep It Simple
You won’t nail your custom KPIs on the first try. That’s normal. The trick is to keep things simple and make small improvements as you go.
- Start with a handful of KPIs you care about.
- Review them with your team and get feedback.
- Adjust definitions, formulas, and even which KPIs you track.
- Don’t be afraid to drop what’s not working.
Bottom line: Custom KPIs in Fluint are only as good as the habits around them. Keep it straightforward, focus on what moves the needle, and remember—no dashboard will save a bad process.
Now, get your hands dirty, keep it real, and don’t let perfect be the enemy of done. Good luck.