If you manage a team that does live demos or screen sharing—especially in sales—you know how slippery “performance” can be. Targets get missed, activity gets fudged, and everyone’s got their own version of the truth. This guide is for anyone who wants a real handle on what their team’s doing using Crankwheel’s analytics and reporting. We’ll cut through the dashboard clutter and focus on what actually helps you improve, not just generate pretty charts.
Why Bother Tracking Team Performance?
Let’s be blunt: most teams think they’re tracking performance, but it’s usually a mix of guesswork, gut feeling, and whatever their CRM spits out. That’s not enough. If you’re using Crankwheel to run demos or do screen shares, you’ve got real data at your fingertips—if you know what to look for.
Good tracking helps you:
- Spot who’s really engaging with prospects—and who’s just going through the motions.
- Pinpoint where demos stall or go off the rails.
- Figure out which reps need coaching (and which ones can coach others).
- Back up your instincts with data—so you don’t just rely on the loudest person in the room.
But before you dive into Crankwheel’s analytics, you need a plan. Here’s how to do it without turning into a spreadsheet zombie.
Step 1: Set Realistic Performance Metrics—And Ignore the Vanity Stuff
Crankwheel gives you plenty of stats. The trick is to focus on what actually matters.
What’s worth tracking?
- Number of demos started: Tells you about activity, but don’t stop there.
- Demo completion rate: Shows who’s keeping prospects engaged through the whole demo.
- Average demo duration: Not always “longer is better”—look for outliers.
- Screen-sharing usage: Who’s using it, how often, and for what?
- Follow-up actions: Are meetings converting into next steps?
What not to obsess over:
- Raw activity numbers: More demos doesn’t always mean better results. One high-quality demo beats five rushed ones.
- “Peak times” data: Fun for trivia, but usually not actionable for most teams.
- Clicks per session: Unless you’re trying to break a world record, this is noise.
Pro tip: Pick 2-3 metrics that actually connect to your goals (like closing deals or moving prospects to the next stage). Ignore the rest.
Step 2: Get Your Team Using Crankwheel Consistently
Analytics are useless if half your team’s still doing demos on Zoom or forgetting to log calls. Here’s how to get everyone on the same page:
- Make it the default: Make Crankwheel your go-to tool for all screen sharing or demos. If people have to “remember” to use it, they’ll forget.
- Train once, reinforce often: A quick walkthrough is fine, but check in a month later to see if the workflows stuck.
- Reward consistency: Don’t just reward results—recognize people who follow the process. You can’t fix what you can’t see.
Warning: If you have rogue reps who use their “favorite” tools, your data will always be incomplete. Be clear about why this matters.
Step 3: Dive Into Crankwheel’s Analytics Dashboard
Crankwheel’s reporting is pretty straightforward, but it pays to know where to click.
Key Sections to Know
- User Activity Overview: See who’s using Crankwheel and how often.
- Session Details: Filter by rep, date, type of demo, and more. Great for spotting patterns or outliers.
- Aggregate Reports: Roll up activity by team or time period. Useful for spotting trends.
What Actually Helps:
- Compare reps: Who’s doing more demos? Who has better completion rates? Not to play “gotcha,” but to spot best practices and trouble spots.
- Drill down: If someone’s numbers are off, click into their sessions. Are they dropping off early? Are their demos way too short?
- Export data: Sometimes you need to pull the raw data into a spreadsheet, especially if you want to mash it up with CRM or sales results. Crankwheel lets you do this—don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty.
Pro tip: Don’t just look at last week. Trends over a month or quarter tell you much more than one fluky day.
Step 4: Turn Data Into Action (Without Micromanaging)
The point isn’t to hover over your team’s shoulder. It’s to clear roadblocks, celebrate what’s working, and fix what isn’t.
What to Do:
- Spot coaching opportunities: If someone has lots of demos but low completion, maybe their intros need work. Pair them up with someone who excels there.
- Share wins: If a rep consistently gets prospects to the next step, dig into how they run their demos—and share that approach.
- Identify technical hiccups: If several demos are dropping at the same point, maybe there’s a tech issue or a confusing slide.
- Set team goals: Not “do more demos,” but “let’s increase our average completion rate by 10%.” Clear, actionable, and tied to reality.
What not to do:
- Don’t nitpick every stat: If someone’s numbers dip for a day, it’s usually noise. Look for patterns, not blips.
- Don’t make it punitive: If people feel like they’re being surveilled, they’ll game the system. Keep it about improvement, not punishment.
Step 5: Keep Reporting Simple—And Actually Use It
It’s easy to get dashboard fatigue. Here’s how to avoid turning analytics into a chore:
- Schedule quick reviews: 15-minute weekly team huddles work better than monster monthly meetings.
- Visualize trends, not just numbers: Crankwheel’s charts are fine, but sometimes a simple “who’s up, who’s down” list is all you need.
- Ask the team: Bring data to the group, but let reps talk about what they’re seeing. Sometimes the problem isn’t in the numbers—it’s in the story behind them.
- Iterate: What you track will change. That’s normal. Adjust as your team or sales process evolves.
Pro tip: Don’t try to impress anyone with how many stats you can pull. If it doesn’t help you coach, improve, or make decisions, skip it.
Things That Trip Teams Up (And How to Dodge Them)
Even the best tools can’t fix a broken process. A few honest warnings:
- Partial adoption: If only half your team uses Crankwheel, your data is junk. Get buy-in or don’t bother.
- Overcomplicating reports: No one reads 12-tab spreadsheets. Focus on what you’ll actually act on.
- Ignoring context: Numbers don’t explain why something happened. Always dig deeper.
- Chasing “perfect” data: You’ll never have every detail. Good enough is, well, good enough.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Adjust as You Go
Crankwheel’s analytics can give you a real edge—but only if you use them to spot what matters, not just to fill out a report. Stick to a handful of meaningful metrics, make sure everyone’s using the tool, and use your data to have better conversations (not just more meetings).
Don’t overthink it. Track, tweak, and let common sense lead. If a metric or workflow isn’t helping your team get better, drop it and move on. Performance tracking should make your life easier, not harder.