If you run a sales team or manage reps, you know the usual drill: everyone wants more data, but nobody wants to drown in it. You need to know who’s actually moving the needle—not just who’s loud on Slack. This guide is for sales leaders, ops folks, and anyone tired of gut-feel hunches about rep performance. We’ll cover how to use Attention dashboards to track what matters, cut through the noise, and make your team better (without becoming a spreadsheet zombie).
Step 1: Know What You’re Actually Trying to Measure
Before you open another dashboard, stop and ask: what are you really trying to optimize for? Too many teams track everything, then act on nothing. The trick is to pick a few metrics that actually show whether reps are performing—not just working hard.
Core metrics that matter:
- Closed deals/revenue: The only metric that truly pays the bills.
- Pipeline created: Are reps bringing in new, qualified opportunities?
- Conversion rates: How well do leads move from stage to stage?
- Sales activities: Calls, emails, demos—if they actually correlate to outcomes.
- Sales cycle length: Fast closers vs. slow burners.
Skip these (or use with caution):
- Raw activity counts: More calls don’t always mean more sales.
- “Vanity metrics”: Social touches, LinkedIn connections, etc.—unless you know they drive real deals.
- Uncontextualized quota attainment: Hitting 100% in a slow market might not mean much, and missing quota in a tough patch could be misleading.
Pro tip: Ask yourself, “If this number goes up, do we make more money?” If the answer is no, skip it.
Step 2: Set Up Your Attention Dashboards
Once you know what you want to track, it’s time to actually set up your dashboards in Attention. Here’s how to get started without getting lost in a maze of filters.
1. Connect Your Data Sources
Attention pulls from your CRM (like Salesforce or HubSpot), calendar, email, and call tools. Take the 10 minutes to hook these up—partial data leads to bad insights.
- Double-check field mappings, especially for deal stages and rep names.
- If you use custom fields for key metrics, make sure they’re synced.
2. Build the Right Views
Don’t just use the default dashboard. Create views that answer real-world questions:
- Individual Rep Performance: See who’s bringing in the most revenue, who’s creating pipeline, and who’s stuck.
- Team Overview: Get a snapshot of everyone’s progress, so you spot trends and outliers.
- Deal Health: Track deals by stage, age, and velocity to see where things stall.
Avoid: - Ten different dashboards for every tiny metric. You’ll never look at them. - Overly complicated filters—keep it simple so anyone can understand at a glance.
3. Customize Your Metrics (But Don’t Go Overboard)
Attention lets you add custom KPIs. This is useful if you have a reason for it (for example, tracking multi-threading in enterprise deals). If you find yourself adding dozens of custom stats, ask if you’ll actually use them or if you’re just making it harder to see the big picture.
Step 3: Analyze the Data—Don’t Just Admire It
Now you’ve got dashboards. Time to actually use them.
1. Look for Patterns, Not Just Top Performers
- Who consistently creates pipeline, even if they’re not always the top closer?
- Which reps have the fastest sales cycles? Are they skipping steps or just really good?
- Is someone’s activity high, but conversion low? That’s a coaching opportunity—or a sign they’re spinning their wheels.
2. Ask “Why?” Before Making Changes
It’s easy to see a dip and jump to conclusions. Don’t. - Did a rep’s conversion rate drop because they got a string of bad leads? - Is their pipeline lower because they’re handling bigger, more complex deals? - Are there seasonality effects, territory changes, or product issues?
Pro tip: Use dashboard data as a conversation starter, not a verdict.
3. Compare Over Time (Not Just Snapshots)
One week’s numbers tell you almost nothing. Track trends over months or quarters:
- Is a rep improving, plateauing, or sliding?
- Are new initiatives (like training or messaging changes) actually moving the needle?
- Does the team as a whole get better, or just stay busy?
Step 4: Turn Insights Into Action
Data’s only useful if you do something with it. Here’s how to turn your Attention dashboards into real improvements.
1. Use Data for Coaching, Not Just Reporting
- Show reps their own dashboards. Let them see where they stack up and where they can improve.
- Focus on one or two areas at a time. Don’t overwhelm with a wall of charts.
- Ask reps what’s working for them—sometimes your top performer knows something the data doesn’t capture.
2. Set Clear, Realistic Goals
- Base targets on historical data, not wishful thinking.
- Be transparent about how you’re measuring success. No gotchas.
- Adjust goals if you see systemic shifts (like a market slowdown or a new product taking off).
3. Automate Alerts (But Don’t Overdo It)
Attention can send alerts if certain metrics drop or spike. Useful for real issues—like pipeline drying up or a sudden drop in win rate. But turn off “low activity” nags unless you’re sure they’re meaningful. Nobody likes being micromanaged by a bot.
4. Rinse, Repeat, and Refine
- Check your dashboards weekly or biweekly, not just at the end of the quarter.
- Cut metrics that nobody uses.
- Add new views only if you have a real use case.
- Keep asking: “Are we actually getting better, or just measuring more stuff?”
What to Watch Out For
Let’s be honest: dashboards can be a huge waste of time if you’re not careful. Here’s what trips most teams up:
- Analysis paralysis: Too many metrics, not enough action.
- Gaming the numbers: Reps sandbagging or padding activity to look good.
- Ignoring context: Data without understanding is just noise.
- One-size-fits-all metrics: What works for enterprise reps might not fit SMB teams.
If you’re not sure if a metric is helping, try running a month without it. If nothing breaks, you probably don’t need it.
Wrapping Up
Tracking and analyzing sales rep performance isn’t about building the fanciest dashboard. It’s about figuring out what really drives results, measuring it clearly, and using those insights to help your team win. Start simple, focus on a handful of metrics that actually matter, and don’t be afraid to cut what’s not working. Iterate, adjust, and remember: the best dashboard is the one you actually use.