How to track call outcomes and generate performance reports in Phoneburner

If your sales team lives and dies by the phone, you need to know which calls are moving the needle and which are just noise. That’s where tracking call outcomes and generating real reports in Phoneburner comes in. This guide is for anyone who wants clear, honest visibility into what’s actually happening on the phones—managers, sales reps, or anyone tired of gut feelings and guesswork.

1. Understanding Call Outcomes in Phoneburner

Before you start tracking, you need to know what to track. In Phoneburner, "call outcomes" are basically labels you slap onto each call, like "No Answer," "Left Voicemail," "Interested," or "Not Interested." They’re your shorthand for how a call went.

What Actually Matters?

  • Use outcomes that reflect your sales process. Don’t just use the defaults if they don’t fit your business. If “Left Voicemail” is a daily reality, keep it. If “Send Info” means nothing to you, kill it.
  • Avoid outcome overload. If you have 15 different labels, nobody will use them right. Stick to 5–8 that actually help you make decisions.

Pro tip: The fewer, the better. Only track what you’ll actually look at later.

2. Setting Up and Customizing Call Outcomes

You can’t expect good data if your team is confused about which outcome to pick. Here’s how to set up outcomes that make sense for your workflow.

Step 1: Access Your Call Outcome Settings

  1. Log in to Phoneburner.
  2. Click on your account or admin menu (usually top right).
  3. Look for “Settings” or “Dial Session Settings.”
  4. Find the section for “Call Dispositions” or “Call Outcomes.”

Step 2: Add, Edit, or Remove Outcomes

  • Add a new outcome: Click “Add” or “New Outcome.” Name it something crystal clear (e.g., “Demo Booked,” not “Next Step”).
  • Edit an outcome: Click the pencil/edit icon next to an existing one. Change the name or color if needed.
  • Remove outcomes: Trash the ones you never use.

Step 3: Map Outcomes to Actions (Optional)

Phoneburner can do things automatically based on the outcome you pick. For example: - Send a follow-up email if you select “Send Info” - Move the contact to a new folder or status - Trigger a callback reminder

Don’t over-automate. Automation is great, but if you set up a bunch of auto-emails or status changes nobody understands, you’ll end up with chaos.

Step 4: Train Your Team (or Yourself)

  • Make sure everyone knows what each outcome means.
  • Give examples. (Is “Interested” someone who says “call me next week,” or only hot leads?)
  • Make it a habit—outcomes should be required before ending a call.

3. Tracking Call Outcomes in Daily Use

You’ve set up your outcomes. Now, make sure you’re actually capturing useful data.

Step 1: Use Outcomes on Every Call

  • After every call in a dial session, Phoneburner will prompt you to pick an outcome.
  • Don’t skip it. Incomplete data means bad reports later.
  • If someone’s not using outcomes properly, find out why. Usually it’s confusion or too many options.

Step 2: Make Outcomes Mandatory (If Needed)

  • In admin settings, you can require an outcome before a session ends.
  • If you’re a manager, this is an easy way to keep reporting clean.

What Not to Do

  • Don’t let reps make up new outcomes on the fly. Consistency is everything.
  • Don’t “game” the data. If everyone’s marking “Interested” just to hit numbers, your reports will be worthless.

4. Generating Performance Reports in Phoneburner

Here’s where the rubber meets the road. Reports turn all those call outcomes into something you can actually use.

Step 1: Accessing Reports

  1. Log in to Phoneburner.
  2. Click “Reports” or “Analytics” in the left sidebar.
  3. You’ll see dashboards for various metrics: calls made, talk time, outcomes, etc.

Step 2: Customizing Your Reports

  • Filter by user, team, or date range. Want to see how Sally did last week? Or how your whole team did this month? Filter it.
  • Choose specific outcomes. Want to see just “Demo Booked” calls? Drill down by that outcome.
  • Export data. Download as CSV or Excel to slice and dice in your own spreadsheets.

Heads up: Phoneburner’s built-in reports are decent, but not super customizable. If you want pivot tables or fancy charts, you’ll need to export your data.

Step 3: Key Metrics to Watch

Don’t drown in numbers. Focus on a few metrics that matter:

  • Call Outcome Ratios: How many calls end with each outcome? Are you getting more “Interested” or “No Answer”?
  • Conversion Rate: Of 100 calls, how many led to real opportunities or bookings?
  • Talk Time vs. Outcomes: Are long calls actually more successful?
  • Rep Performance: Who’s getting the best outcomes—not just the most dials?

Step 4: Spotting Patterns and Problems

  • If you see a ton of “No Answer,” maybe you’re calling at the wrong times.
  • If “Not Interested” spikes, maybe your pitch needs work.
  • If one rep always has more “Interested” calls, find out what they’re doing.

Don’t just chase “calls made” or “dials.” It’s easy to look busy and produce nothing.

5. Building Better Reports (When Phoneburner Falls Short)

Let’s be honest: Phoneburner’s reporting is solid for basics, but it’s not built for deep analytics.

When to Use Built-In Reports

  • Checking team activity and basic conversion rates
  • Quick snapshots for daily or weekly standups
  • Spot-checking individual performance

When to Export Data

  • You want to see trends over months or quarters
  • You need to combine data with your CRM or other tools
  • You want custom dashboards (e.g., Google Data Studio, Tableau)

How to Export

  1. Go to your report or call log.
  2. Click “Export” or look for the download icon.
  3. Choose CSV or Excel.
  4. Open in your favorite spreadsheet tool and get slicing.

Pro tip: If you’re exporting more than once a week, automate it with Zapier or an API (if available). Saves time and reduces errors.

6. What to Ignore (Seriously)

  • Don’t obsess over vanity metrics. Total dials or talk time don’t mean much if you’re not seeing real results.
  • Ignore features you don’t need. Phoneburner has email, SMS, and other bells and whistles. If you just want call outcomes and reports, skip the rest.
  • Don’t get lost in endless customization. Set up outcomes that work, run reports, tweak as you go. Perfect is the enemy of done.

7. Troubleshooting Common Problems

Problem: Inconsistent Outcomes

  • Solution: Audit outcomes monthly. Kill the ones nobody uses. Clarify definitions in team meetings.

Problem: Report Data Looks Off

  • Solution: Check if reps are skipping outcomes, or if automation is misfiring. Garbage in, garbage out.

Problem: Reports Are Too Basic

  • Solution: Export and build your own, or consider a third-party reporting tool. Don’t wait for Phoneburner to add every feature.

Final Thoughts

Don’t let call outcome tracking or reporting become another time-wasting chore. Set up clear outcomes, make sure everyone uses them, and pull simple reports that actually help you make decisions. Start small, see what’s useful, and tweak as you go. Whatever you do, keep it honest and don’t let the data get in the way of actually making good calls.