If you manage a B2B sales team, you know the pain: endless spreadsheets, dashboards nobody checks, and more “insights” than you could ever use. This guide is for people who want real answers—not dashboards for dashboard’s sake. We’ll walk through how to set up team dashboards in Rhetora that actually help you track and improve sales performance. No fluff. No jargon. Just what works (and what doesn’t).
Why bother with a dashboard (and when not to)
Let’s be honest: a dashboard is only useful if it helps your team make decisions or spot problems before they become disasters. If you just want a pretty chart for your next exec meeting, skip the rest of this article.
But if you want your sales team to know where they stand, see what’s working, and catch issues early, a good dashboard is your best friend. The trick is to set up only what you’ll actually use—otherwise, it’s just noise.
Step 1: Decide what actually matters
Before you touch Rhetora, get clear on what you’re tracking. More isn’t better. Most B2B sales teams care about things like:
- Pipeline volume: How many real deals are in play?
- Stage movement: Are deals actually moving forward, or stuck in limbo?
- Win rate: Out of what’s in the pipeline, what actually closes?
- Sales cycle length: How long does it take to close a deal?
- Activity metrics: Calls, emails, meetings—are reps doing the work?
Pro tip: If your dashboard tries to track 15 things, everyone will ignore it. Pick 3–5 metrics that actually tie to your goals.
Step 2: Make sure your data doesn’t suck
Even the fanciest dashboard is useless if your data is a mess. Before you set anything up in Rhetora:
- Check your CRM: Is the pipeline up to date? Are reps actually logging activities?
- Audit your fields: Make sure “Close Date,” “Deal Stage,” and other basics are filled in and consistent.
- Garbage in, garbage out: If you don’t trust your data, fix that first. Otherwise, you’ll spend hours arguing over numbers that don’t mean anything.
What to ignore: Don’t get sucked into tracking vanity metrics (“emails sent” means nothing if nobody replies). Focus on the numbers that drive real sales.
Step 3: Connect Rhetora to your sales tools
Rhetora connects to most major CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, etc.). Here’s the basic process:
- Sign in to Rhetora.
- Go to Integrations: Usually under “Settings” or “Data Sources.”
- Pick your CRM: Follow the prompts. You’ll need admin access to your CRM.
- Choose what to sync: Most teams start with pipeline and activity data.
Heads up: Some integrations can be quirky—especially if your CRM setup is weird or heavily customized. Test with a small data set first to make sure fields actually map over correctly.
Step 4: Build your dashboard (without overcomplicating it)
Time to get your hands dirty. In Rhetora:
- Create a new dashboard: Give it a name your team will recognize (e.g., “Sales Team Performance” beats “Q2 Strategic Metrics”).
- Add your key metrics: Use widgets for each KPI you picked earlier.
- Pipeline by stage: Visualize deals by where they are (e.g., Discovery, Proposal, Negotiation).
- Win rate: Percentage of deals closed vs. total.
- Average sales cycle: How long it takes to get from first contact to closed-won.
- Activity: Calls, meetings, emails—broken down by rep or team.
- Set up filters: Let users view data by date range, rep, or team.
- Arrange the layout: Put the most important stuff at the top. Hide or delete anything nobody cares about.
Don’t:
- Clutter the dashboard with charts nobody looks at.
- Build “one dashboard to rule them all.” Different teams need different views.
Do:
- Ask your team what they actually want to see.
- Keep it simple. You can always add more later.
Step 5: Share with your team (and actually use it)
A dashboard isn’t magic—it only helps if people look at it. Here’s what works:
- Set permissions: Make sure the right people can see and edit the dashboard.
- Automate sharing: Rhetora lets you send dashboard snapshots on a schedule (e.g., every Monday morning). Use this so folks don’t have to remember to log in.
- Review in meetings: Pull up the dashboard in your weekly sales meeting. Make it part of the routine.
- Ask for feedback: If people ignore certain charts or metrics, find out why. Don’t be precious—ditch what isn’t useful.
What doesn’t work:
- Forcing dashboards on people without explaining why.
- “Set and forget”—dashboards need to evolve as your team and goals change.
Step 6: Iterate and improve
The first version of your dashboard will have flaws. That’s fine—just don’t let it rot:
- Review monthly: Are the metrics helping you catch issues? Is anything missing?
- Update as needed: If your sales process changes, update the dashboard.
- Cut dead weight: Remove charts or data nobody uses.
Pro tip: Less is more. The best dashboards are the ones that actually get used, not the ones with the most widgets.
What to watch out for (real-world gotchas)
- Data lag: Some integrations don’t update in real time. If your team is making decisions based on hour-to-hour changes, double-check refresh times.
- User adoption: If your reps don’t trust the numbers, they’ll ignore the dashboard. Fix data issues and get buy-in early.
- Customization rabbit holes: Rhetora has a lot of features, but you don’t need them all. Start simple. Only add complexity if there’s a clear reason.
- Too much focus on activity: Don’t fall into the trap of tracking every call and email. Focus on outcomes, not just busyness.
Keep it simple, keep it real
A good sales dashboard in Rhetora should make your life easier—not add another thing to babysit. Start with a handful of metrics that matter, make sure your data is clean, and get your team involved early. Don’t try to impress anyone with fancy charts. The goal is to spot problems and double down on what works.
Once your dashboard is up and running, review it regularly and don’t be afraid to change things. If you keep things simple and focus on what actually helps your team sell, you’ll get way more value from Rhetora—and a lot fewer headaches.