If you’re tired of prospect “engagement” being a black box—or worse, a pile of vanity numbers—this guide is for you. I’ll walk you through how to actually use Verse dashboards to track what prospects are doing, spot what matters, and ignore the noise. Whether you’re in sales ops, running a team, or just need the facts to make better calls, here’s a better way to see what’s working (and what isn’t). No fluff, no magic beans.
Step 1: Know What You’re Really Measuring (and Why)
Before you dive into any dashboard, get clear about what you actually care about. “Engagement” gets tossed around a lot, but not everything that moves a needle is worth tracking.
Here’s what usually matters: - Response rate: Are prospects actually replying or just ghosting you? - Time to first response: How long does it take before you hear back? - Conversation depth: Are you having real back-and-forth, or just getting a “not interested”? - Drop-off points: Where do people bail out? First message, third follow-up, or later? - Conversion to next step: Are they booking demos, asking for more info, or just going cold?
Ignore: - Views, likes, or “opens” that don’t lead to real replies. If it doesn’t move a conversation forward, it’s window dressing.
Pro tip: Write down the top two metrics that matter to your team before you hit the dashboard. Keeps you from chasing your tail later.
Step 2: Set Up Verse Dashboards for Real Visibility
Assuming you’re using Verse (if not, you’ll need to—there’s no magic here), get your dashboards set up so they answer real questions, not just look pretty for the boss.
How to get started:
- Log in and head to Dashboards.
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Verse puts most engagement metrics in their “Engagement” or “Prospects” dashboards.
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Pick the right dashboard view.
- Don’t just settle for the default. There’s usually a lot more under the hood.
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Look for filters by date range, campaign, or rep—otherwise, you’ll end up with a soup of irrelevant data.
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Customize widgets.
- Verse lets you add or remove widgets. Ditch the ones you don’t care about (like “messages sent” if your focus is replies).
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Add widgets for the metrics you wrote down earlier. Most people never bother, but it’s the fastest way to see what’s actually happening.
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Set up alerts (if you want to act fast).
- Verse can ping you when responses drop, or if a certain campaign tanks. Use this for trends, not for micromanaging every blip.
What works:
- Custom dashboards that focus on your top questions.
- Alerts for when things go off the rails (not for every tiny change).
What doesn’t:
- Watching all metrics equally.
- Letting dashboards get cluttered. More isn’t better.
Step 3: Get Granular—Drill Down to Real Conversations
Broad metrics are fine, but the gold’s in the details. Verse lets you drill down from dashboards into actual conversations, so you can see what prospects are saying—and what’s falling flat.
How to do it:
- Click into specific campaigns or reps.
- Look for patterns: Which pitches get replies? Which ones flop?
- Read sample conversations.
- Don’t just trust the numbers. Sometimes a “reply” is just a prospect unsubscribing. You need to know the tone and content.
- Tag or flag key outcomes.
- Verse lets you tag conversations by outcome (e.g., “Booked Demo,” “Requested Info,” “Not Interested”). This is way more actionable than just tracking replies.
Stuff to watch out for: - Reps or campaigns with a ton of “engagement” but low conversion. That’s a sign your messaging might be catchy, but not convincing. - Conversations that stall after the first reply. Maybe your follow-ups aren’t working.
Ignore:
- Any metric that doesn’t actually connect to a conversation. Numbers for their own sake don’t pay the bills.
Step 4: Analyze Trends, Not Just Snapshots
It’s tempting to celebrate a spike in engagement, but one good week doesn’t mean much. Verse dashboards let you spot trends over time.
How to spot trends:
- Use date range comparisons.
- Compare this week to last, or this month to last quarter. Are you moving in the right direction?
- Segment by campaign, rep, or source.
- Not all prospects are created equal. Maybe inbound leads engage more than outbound, or one rep’s messaging just works better.
- Watch for sudden drops or jumps.
- Did a new template tank your replies? Did a subject line change suddenly get more demos booked?
Pro tip:
If you see a trend, dig into the conversations that caused it. Don’t assume—find out why.
What works:
- Looking for consistent improvement (or decline) over time.
- Pairing metrics with real conversations to get context.
What doesn’t:
- Overreacting to every little bump. Some weeks just stink, and that’s normal.
Step 5: Share, Act, and Iterate—Don’t Just Admire the Charts
Data’s useless if it just sits on a screen. The best teams use Verse dashboards as a starting point for action.
How to make use of what you find:
- Share key insights, not just data dumps.
- “Replies dropped 20% after we changed the intro line—let’s test the old version for a week.”
- Run quick experiments.
- Verse makes it easy to set up A/B messages. Try new subject lines, follow-up timing, or call-to-action phrases. Watch what actually works.
- Coach your team with real examples.
- Pull up actual conversations in 1:1s or team meetings. “Here’s what got a response; here’s what fizzled.”
- Automate (carefully).
- Verse has automations for follow-ups and reminders. Use them for consistency, but don’t let robots replace real talk.
Don’t bother: - Reporting every metric to leadership. Focus on what can be changed, not just what can be measured. - Ignoring the “why.” If a metric moves, find out what changed in your messaging, timing, or targeting.
Quick FAQ: Verse Dashboards and Engagement Metrics
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Is “engagement” just replies?
No. It’s about real back-and-forth that moves a prospect toward a next step. Don’t be fooled by vanity metrics. -
How often should I check the dashboards?
Weekly is plenty for most teams. Daily leads to overreacting and wasted time. -
What if my numbers look bad?
Good. Now you know what to fix. Bad numbers are more honest than fake “success.”
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple and Iterate
Don’t drown in data. Pick the handful of metrics that move the needle, set up Verse dashboards to show you just those, and check in regularly. If you’re not sure what’s working, dig into the conversations themselves. The less time you spend admiring charts, the more time you have to actually improve results.
Start simple. Make one change at a time. Track what matters, ignore what doesn’t, and let the real conversations guide your next move. That’s how you get better—no hype required.