Let’s be honest: tracking go-to-market (GTM) KPIs is a pain if your reports are scattered, generic, or just plain ugly. If you’re using 2xconnect and want dashboards that actually help you make decisions (not just tick a box for leadership), this guide’s for you. I’ll walk you through setting up custom reporting dashboards that actually work—no marketing fluff, just the steps, caveats, and a few pro tips to keep you out of dashboard hell.
Why Custom Dashboards Matter (and Who Needs Them)
If you’re in sales, marketing, ops, or responsible for GTM results, you already know that canned reports rarely cut it. Every team has different KPIs—pipeline coverage, lead conversion rates, win rates, or campaign ROI. When your dashboards fit your process, not someone else’s template, you get answers faster and can actually improve things.
But fair warning: you can waste hours building dashboards that look great but don’t help you do anything. The trick is to focus on what you need to know, not what looks impressive.
Step 1: Map Out the GTM KPIs That Actually Matter
Before you touch a tool, ask yourself (or your team): What do we really need to track? Don’t skip this. If you build a dashboard just to have one, you’ll end up ignoring it.
Common GTM KPIs worth tracking: - Qualified leads per week/month - Conversion rates (lead to opp, opp to close) - Pipeline value and coverage (by rep, team, or segment) - Average deal size and sales cycle length - Campaign performance (leads, cost, ROI) - Churn, expansion, and upsell rates (if you have a post-sales motion)
What to ignore: - Vanity metrics (e.g., raw website visits, email opens without context) - Overly granular breakdowns no one reviews
Pro tip:
Start with the three metrics that drive your next decision. You can always add more later.
Step 2: Get Your Data in Order
2xconnect dashboards are only as good as your data. Garbage in = garbage out. Before you start, check: - Is your CRM data up to date? - Are your marketing and sales tools actually syncing with 2xconnect? - Do you have consistent field names and values for things like “Lead Status,” “Opportunity Stage,” etc.?
If you’re missing data or it’s messy:
Pause and fix it now. Otherwise, you’ll spend more time troubleshooting than analyzing.
What works:
Integrating 2xconnect with your main tools (CRM, marketing automation, spreadsheets) up front. Use their data connectors—don’t bother with manual CSV uploads unless you absolutely have to.
Step 3: Set Up Your First Custom Dashboard
Alright, now for the hands-on part. In 2xconnect, dashboards are pretty flexible, but the UI isn’t always as intuitive as you’d hope. Here’s how to get started:
3.1: Navigate to the Reporting Section
- Log in and find the “Reporting” or “Dashboards” tab in the main menu.
- Click “Create New Dashboard” (sometimes buried under a plus sign or “Add” button).
3.2: Name and Scope Your Dashboard
- Give it a name that means something: “GTM KPIs — Q2” beats “Dashboard 1.”
- Decide if it’s just for you, your team, or execs. 2xconnect lets you share dashboards with specific users or groups.
3.3: Add Widgets/Reports
2xconnect uses widgets (charts, tables, scorecards) to build dashboards. - Click “Add Widget” or similar. - Pick a data source (e.g., Opportunities, Leads, Campaigns). - Choose a chart type: bar, pie, line, table, etc.
Keep it simple:
Start with 2–3 widgets for your core KPIs. Too many widgets = dashboard blindness.
3.4: Configure Filters
- Set up filters for date range, team, region, or whatever’s relevant.
- You can usually save default filters or allow viewers to adjust them.
Pro tip:
Set the default date range to “This Quarter” or “Last 30 Days”—not “All Time,” unless you like scrolling forever.
Step 4: Customize Visuals (But Don’t Go Overboard)
A good dashboard is clear, not flashy. 2xconnect offers enough customization to highlight what matters:
- Colors: Use consistent colors for the same metrics across widgets.
- Labels: Rename axes and legends so non-experts know what they’re looking at.
- Order: Put the most important widgets at the top/left.
What doesn’t work:
Cramming every possible metric onto one page. It just creates noise. Split out separate dashboards for different audiences if you need to.
Step 5: Schedule and Share Your Dashboard
No one wants to log into another tool every day. 2xconnect lets you automate dashboard sharing:
- Schedule email reports: Set up weekly or monthly emails with dashboard snapshots.
- Share links: Give direct viewer access to teammates or leadership (check permissions).
- Export options: For execs who love PowerPoint, export to PDF or Excel.
What works:
Automated emails. If people aren’t getting the report in their inbox, they probably won’t see it.
Step 6: Stay on Top of Data Quality
Even the best dashboards turn worthless if your data’s off. Set a regular time (monthly, at least) to:
- Double-check key fields for missing or junk data
- Review integration logs for sync errors
- Ask users for feedback—are the numbers matching their expectations?
Pro tip:
Set up simple alerts for data sync failures, if 2xconnect supports it. Saves you nasty surprises at QBR time.
Step 7: Iterate—Don’t Try to Nail it on Day One
Your first dashboard will be wrong in some way. That’s normal.
- Watch what people actually use (and don’t).
- Drop unused widgets and add what teams ask for.
- Don’t be afraid to archive or rebuild dashboards that aren’t working.
What works:
Quarterly reviews of dashboards with your team—delete, tweak, or expand as needed.
Honest Takes: 2xconnect Dashboard Pros and Cons
What Works Well
- Lots of data sources, pretty flexible widgets
- Easy to share with non-users via email or links
- Good enough for 90% of GTM tracking needs
What’s Annoying
- Some advanced filtering or cross-object reporting can be clunky
- UI can lag a bit if you pack too many widgets in
- Visualization options aren’t as slick as dedicated BI tools (but that’s fine for most folks)
What to Ignore
- Fancy “AI insights” or auto-generated charts—these rarely show you anything you don’t already know
- Overly complicated dashboards—if it takes more than 10 seconds to understand, start over
Keep It Simple and Move Fast
Custom dashboards in 2xconnect can save you hours and help you spot real trends—if you focus on what matters. Start small, automate what you can, and don’t let perfect be the enemy of useful. If a dashboard isn’t helping you make a decision or take action, fix it or kill it. Iterate, listen to your team, and keep your reporting tight and honest.
You’ll spend less time chasing numbers and more time actually moving the GTM needle.