If you're in sales, you know the drill: endless spreadsheets, weekly pipeline meetings, and that nagging feeling you're missing something important. Fancy dashboards promise to fix all this, but most are either too basic or so complex you need a PhD to figure out what matters. This guide is for people who want to actually see what's happening in their sales pipeline and make real decisions—not just stare at charts.
We're going to break down how to track and analyze your pipeline using Tome dashboards. You'll learn how to set things up, avoid the usual traps, and focus on what actually helps you close deals.
1. Know What You Really Need From Your Pipeline Dashboard
Before you even open up Tome, get clear on what you actually want to see. Don’t just copy a list of “best practices” from some blog. Ask yourself:
- What decisions do you need to make each week?
- What numbers or trends always come up in your pipeline reviews?
- What’s always missing when your team gets blindsided by a surprise in the quarter?
Most teams really just need answers to: - How much is in each pipeline stage right now? - What’s changed since last week? - Where are deals getting stuck? - Which reps (or products, or territories) are lagging or outperforming?
Write these down, even if it’s just on a sticky note. If you try to track everything, you’ll track nothing.
2. Connect Your Sales Data to Tome
Tome isn’t a CRM—it’s a dashboard tool. So you’ll need to hook it up to your sales data source. Here’s what usually works (and what doesn’t):
Common Data Sources
- CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, etc.): This is the best way. Tome usually has connectors or you can export a CSV.
- Spreadsheets: Messier, but it works. Just make sure your columns are clean (deal name, stage, value, owner, close date, etc.).
- Manual entry: Only if you enjoy pain.
Pro Tips
- Automate the sync if you can—no one remembers to upload last Friday’s spreadsheet.
- If your CRM setup is a mess (duplicate deals, missing stages), fix the basics first. Dashboards can’t fix bad data.
3. Set Up Your First Dashboard: Start Simple
Don’t get fancy yet. The best dashboards start basic and grow with your needs. Here’s how to build a sales pipeline dashboard in Tome that you’ll actually use:
a) Create the Core Pipeline View
- Add a pipeline funnel chart. This shows deals by stage (e.g., Qualification, Proposal, Negotiation, Closed Won/Lost).
- Table view: List all open deals, sortable by owner, value, or close date.
- Filter: Add quick filters for time period, sales rep, or product line.
b) Key Metrics to Include (Don’t Overdo It)
- Total pipeline value
- Number of deals per stage
- Win rate (if you have closed data)
- Average sales cycle length
Ignore for now: - “Weighted pipeline” unless your probability settings are actually accurate (for most, they're not). - Overly granular activity metrics (emails sent, calls made) unless you’re managing an SDR team.
c) Make It Visible
- Pin the dashboard to your team’s homepage or Slack channel.
- Set up a weekly email of the dashboard, if Tome allows.
4. Analyze Pipeline Progress: What to Look For
Now that your dashboard is up, here’s what to actually pay attention to—and what to ignore.
What Matters
- Stage-to-stage conversion: Are deals moving, or getting stuck? If you see a pileup in “Proposal Sent,” that’s where to dig in.
- Recent changes: Look for big swings in pipeline value or number of deals. Did someone push all their deals to next quarter?
- Aging deals: If deals are sitting for weeks in one stage, call it out. Stale pipeline is fake pipeline.
What Doesn’t Matter (Much)
- Vanity metrics: Number of activities logged, unless you know it directly correlates to results.
- Minute-by-minute updates. Sales is a week-to-week game, not a ticker tape.
Honest Take: Most dashboards get ignored because they’re cluttered with things no one cares about, or they update so often it’s just noise. Focus on trends and changes, not real-time “activity.”
5. Customize for Your Team’s Reality
Every sales team is different. If you try to use a “standard” dashboard, you’ll get standard (meaning, mediocre) results. Here’s how to make your Tome dashboard actually useful:
a) Add Custom Fields
If your sales process has key steps (like “Legal Review” or “Pilot Complete”), add those as stages or flags. Don’t try to force-fit your process into a generic mold.
b) Segment By What Matters
- By rep: Who needs help? Who’s crushing it?
- By product or territory: Spot patterns you’d otherwise miss.
- By source: Are marketing leads converting, or is outbound still king?
c) Set Up Alerts for Real Issues
If Tome supports it, create alerts for: - Deals stuck in stage > X days - Close dates slipping repeatedly - Unusually high (or low) activity
But: Don’t set up 20 alerts and ignore them all. Start with one or two that actually matter.
6. Use Dashboards to Drive Action—Not Just Reporting
A dashboard is just a tool. If it doesn’t change how you run sales meetings or coach your team, it’s just another thing to update.
How to Make It Useful
- Review it together: Don’t just email the dashboard. Pull it up in your pipeline meeting and ask real questions about stuck deals or slipping targets.
- Assign follow-ups: If a deal is stale, someone owns getting it moving (or clearing it out).
- Spot and celebrate wins: Use the data to highlight good news, not just problems.
What to Avoid
- Dashboard theater: Don’t just show charts to look busy.
- Hiding behind the data: If the numbers don’t make sense, dig in. Don’t assume it’s “just the way it is.”
7. Common Pitfalls (And How to Dodge Them)
You’ll hear a lot about “dashboard best practices.” Most aren’t worth much until you’ve dealt with these real issues:
- Bad data in, bad data out: If your CRM is a mess, clean it up first. No dashboard can fix garbage inputs.
- Overcomplicating: If people need a training session to read your dashboard, it’s too complex. Simpler is better.
- Ignoring adoption: If no one looks at it after week two, find out why and fix it. Usually, it’s either not answering real questions or too hard to access.
8. Iterate—Don’t Try to Nail It All Upfront
Set a reminder to revisit your dashboard after a month. What are people actually using? What’s ignored? Cut the fluff and double down on what works.
Keep it Simple, Keep it Useful
- Don’t be afraid to delete unused charts or metrics.
- Add new views only when there’s a real need.
- Get feedback from the people using it—your reps and managers, not just ops.
Wrapping Up: Make Your Pipeline Dashboard Work for You
There’s no magic dashboard that will suddenly fix your sales process. But a clear, focused Tome dashboard can help you see what’s going on, spot problems early, and make better calls. Start simple, focus on what you need, and don’t be afraid to change things up as you go. The best dashboards are the ones you actually use—and that help you close more deals.