If you’re tired of pipeline reviews that feel like a waste of time, you’re not alone. Spreadsheets, endless slides, and half-baked CRM reports—most sales teams have been there. This guide is for sales managers, team leads, and reps who want to make their pipeline reviews useful (and maybe even a bit less painful) by putting everything in one place with Salesscreen.
You don’t need to be a power user or a data nerd. But you do need a system that shows what’s actually happening—not what people wish was happening. Here’s how to use Salesscreen to cut through the noise, run better pipeline reviews, and actually see your sales progress.
1. Get Your Data Right First
Before you start running pipeline reviews in Salesscreen, make sure your sales data isn’t a dumpster fire.
- Garbage in, garbage out. Salesscreen visualizes whatever you feed it. If your CRM has junk data, your pipeline review will too.
- Connect your CRM directly. Don’t waste time with manual uploads. Salesscreen integrates with most big-name CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, etc.). Set up the integration and test it—don’t assume it “just works.”
- Clean up your pipeline stages. If your team uses custom stages or fields, map them properly. “Proposal Sent” shouldn’t mean “Deal Won.”
- Check your activity types. Make sure calls, meetings, emails, and deals are tracked consistently. If people interpret things differently, your metrics will be a mess.
Pro tip: Spend an hour with your CRM admin and a couple of skeptical sales reps. Walk through what’s being tracked. It’ll save you headaches later.
2. Set Up Your Salesscreen Dashboards
Once your data’s flowing, it’s time to set up dashboards that actually tell you something.
What to Focus On
- Pipeline by Stage: See where deals are piling up or stalling.
- Forecast vs. Target: Get a reality check. Are you on track or wishcasting?
- Activity Metrics: Calls, emails, meetings—see who’s doing the work, not just talking about it.
- Deal Progression: Track deals as they move (or don’t move) through stages.
How To Build Your Dashboard
- Go to the “Dashboards” section in Salesscreen.
- Create a new dashboard for your pipeline review. Don’t cram everything on one screen; focus on 3–5 widgets.
- Add key widgets:
- Pipeline by Stage (bar or funnel chart)
- Forecast (vs. targets)
- Activity leaderboard (calls, meetings, etc.)
- Recent deals won/lost
- Filter by team, rep, or timeframe as needed. Don’t overcomplicate it—people tune out fast.
What to Ignore
- Fluffy vanity metrics. “Engagement score” or “sentiment index” look cool but rarely help you close deals.
- Widgets nobody looks at. If it’s not discussed in the meeting, kill it.
3. Prep for the Pipeline Review
The best pipeline reviews are short, focused, and honest. Salesscreen helps, but you still need to prepare.
- Share the dashboard link ahead of time. Let reps check their numbers so you don’t spend half the meeting explaining what’s on the screen.
- Decide on the agenda. Are you reviewing the whole pipeline? Just late-stage deals? Be clear.
- Pick a facilitator. Someone needs to keep things moving and call out vague updates (“Trust me, it’s coming in this month!” isn’t a plan).
Checklist Before the Meeting
- CRM data synced and up-to-date
- Dashboards refreshed
- Everyone knows what’s being reviewed
- List of deals to discuss (late-stage, stuck, big opportunities)
4. Run the Review: What to Do (and What Not To)
Here’s how to use Salesscreen during the actual pipeline review—without getting lost in the weeds or the hype.
Step-by-Step
- Start with the pipeline overview.
- Show the funnel view. Where are deals bunching up? Is the top of the funnel looking thin?
- Drill down by stage.
- Pick specific stages (e.g., “Negotiation,” “Proposal Sent”). Look for deals that have been stuck the longest.
- Ask reps for specifics: What’s blocking this deal? What’s the next step? No hand-waving.
- Review activity metrics.
- Who’s making calls, booking meetings, or just “researching”? Salesscreen’s leaderboards make this clear, but don’t shame people—use it to spot coaching opportunities.
- Look at forecast vs. target.
- Are you ahead, behind, or kidding yourself? If you’re way off, dig into why (bad data, optimism, real problems).
- Highlight recent wins and losses.
- Don’t just celebrate wins. Look at lost deals too. Any patterns? Any learnings?
What Works
- Visuals keep people honest. It’s hard to spin a story when the numbers are right there.
- Focusing on next actions. Every deal discussed should have a clear next step, owner, and deadline.
- Short meetings, frequent updates. Don’t wait a month between reviews. Weekly or biweekly beats quarterly marathons.
What Doesn’t
- Endless “pipeline theater.” If people are just reciting updates, you’re wasting time.
- Reviewing every single deal. Focus on what’s stuck, what’s big, or what’s at risk.
- Ignoring the data. If Salesscreen shows something off, dig in—don’t let people handwave it away.
5. Visualize Progress and Spot Red Flags
Salesscreen’s main draw is making trends obvious. Here’s how to use it to see what’s actually going on.
Trends to Watch
- Stage Stagnation: Are deals dying in “Proposal Sent”? Time to rethink your process or follow-up.
- Team or Rep Gaps: Is one person crushing it while others lag? Figure out why—don’t just assume it’s talent.
- Activity Drop-Offs: Sudden drop in calls or meetings? Could be burnout, distraction, or something broken in your process.
- Slipping Forecasts: If your forecast keeps shrinking each week, you probably have wishful thinking in your pipeline.
Pro Tips
- Set up alerts. Salesscreen can notify you if deal values drop, stages drag on, or activity falls below a threshold.
- Benchmark over time. Don’t just look at this week. Compare to last month or last quarter. Small changes add up.
- Get feedback from reps. Ask what the dashboard isn’t showing or what’s confusing. You’re not building this for the analytics team—it’s for the people closing deals.
6. Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
Let’s be honest: software can’t fix bad habits. Here are a few traps to watch for:
- Relying on visuals, ignoring reality. Pretty dashboards don’t mean much if people are sandbagging or updating deals at the last minute.
- Letting the meeting drift. Have an agenda. Stick to it. If you’re in the weeds, move on and follow up later.
- Ignoring small problems. Little blips in the dashboard often point to bigger issues. Don’t wait for a crisis.
- Overcomplicating your setup. More widgets ≠ more insight. Keep it simple or people will tune out.
7. Iterate and Keep It Simple
You’re not going to build the perfect pipeline review on day one—and that’s fine. The point of using Salesscreen is to get a clearer view, not to drown in data.
- Start basic. One dashboard, a handful of widgets, and a short meeting.
- Ask for feedback. What’s useful? What’s a waste? Tweak as you go.
- Focus on action. The best reviews end with clear next steps, not just a bunch of charts.
Bottom line: Use Salesscreen to make your pipeline reviews more honest, more focused, and less painful. Don’t let the tool run the meeting—use it to shine a light on what matters, then get back to selling. Keep it simple, keep it honest, and keep iterating.