Measuring your sales team shouldn’t feel like grading a high school math test. But let’s be honest: most CRMs throw a wall of charts and numbers at you, and it’s tough to tell what actually matters. If you’re trying to figure out who’s crushing it and who’s coasting, Sellmethispen’s reporting features can help—but only if you use them right.
This guide is for sales managers, team leads, or anyone tasked with making sense of sales rep performance. We’ll walk through the practical steps, cut through the noise, and point out what’s worth your time—and what isn’t.
1. Get Clear on What You Want to Measure (and Why)
Before you even log into Sellmethispen, pause for a second. What exactly do you want to know about your sales reps? It’s tempting to track everything, but most teams just need a few key answers:
- Who’s actually closing deals?
- Who’s bringing in the most revenue?
- Who’s working the hardest—and is it paying off?
- Where do deals get stuck?
Write down your top 2–3 questions. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, no reporting tool will magically solve your problems.
Pro tip: Don’t chase “vanity metrics” like total calls made or number of emails sent—unless you know they matter for your business. Busywork isn’t real productivity.
2. Set Up Your Sellmethispen Dashboard for Rep Performance
Sellmethispen comes with a bunch of out-of-the-box dashboards, but you’ll want to tweak things. Here’s how to get started:
a. Identify the Reports You Actually Need
Stick to the basics at first:
- Pipeline by Rep: Who owns which deals, and what stage are they in?
- Closed Deals by Rep: Who’s winning, and how much?
- Activity Tracking: Calls, emails, meetings, or whatever “activity” matters to your sales process.
- Conversion Rates: How reps move leads from one stage to the next.
Skip the reports that only show “engagement” or “touches” unless you know they drive results.
b. Customize Your Dashboard
- Pin your key reports (see above) to your main dashboard.
- Filter by rep—don’t just look at the whole team, or you’ll miss the outliers.
- Set the right timeframes: Monthly is usually best for most teams, but weekly can help spot issues early.
Honest take: If Sellmethispen’s out-of-the-box reports aren’t giving you what you need, don’t be afraid to build a custom one. The default templates are “one-size-fits-most”—which means they fit nobody perfectly.
3. Dig Into the Right Sales Metrics
There’s no shortage of data, but only a few things actually move the needle:
A. Revenue Won
- Why it matters: At the end of the day, someone has to bring in money.
- How to use it: Compare revenue by rep. If someone is closing lots of deals but the deals are tiny, that’s a different story than someone landing whales.
B. Win Rate
- Why it matters: Shows who’s converting their opportunities, not just filling the pipeline.
- How to use it: Calculate deals closed divided by deals worked (per rep). Low win rates can mean shaky qualification—or just bad luck.
C. Sales Cycle Length
- Why it matters: Fast closers free up time for new deals.
- How to use it: Look for reps whose deals drag on forever. Maybe they need help with follow-ups, or maybe their pipeline is junk.
D. Activity (With Context)
- Why it matters: Activity only matters if it leads to results.
- How to use it: Look for patterns: Is high activity translating to more closed deals? If not, it’s time to rethink what “activity” means.
Don’t bother: Tracking every email or call just to have a big number is pointless. Focus on actions that actually build your sales pipeline.
4. Use Sellmethispen’s Filters and Segments (Without Going Nuts)
Sellmethispen lets you slice and dice data a million ways. Most people go overboard.
Stick to Simple Filters
- Rep name: Obvious, but easy to forget.
- Deal stage: Where deals die tells you more than the total number.
- Date range: Last 30 days, this quarter, or whatever fits your sales cycle.
Avoid Analysis Paralysis
The more filters you add, the harder it is to spot trends. Start simple. If you need more detail, drill down one layer at a time.
Pro tip: If you’re spending more time building reports than running sales meetings, you’ve gone too far.
5. Set Up Scheduled Reports and Alerts
You shouldn’t have to log in every morning just to see what’s happening.
- Set up weekly summary emails for yourself or your team.
- Schedule alerts for when someone’s falling behind on goals or when a big deal moves stages.
This stuff can help you catch problems early, but don’t turn your inbox into a firehose. Only set alerts for the metrics that really matter.
6. Meet With Reps—Don’t Just Email Them the Numbers
A dashboard isn’t a replacement for a real conversation. Numbers only tell part of the story.
- Use reports to start a discussion, not end it.
- If a rep’s numbers are down, dig in: Is it the leads? The process? Something else?
- Celebrate wins, but be honest about misses. The data’s just a starting point.
What never works: Sending out a spreadsheet and expecting behavior to change. People need context and coaching—not just stats.
7. Ignore the Noise: What to Skip in Sellmethispen Reports
Every platform wants to impress you with “advanced analytics.” Here’s what you can safely ignore:
- Leaderboard reports with no context: Ranking reps by one metric is misleading.
- “Engagement scores” with fuzzy math: If it’s not clear how it’s calculated, don’t base decisions on it.
- Overly complex funnel charts: Simple wins over pretty, every time.
If you can’t explain a report to your team in 30 seconds, it’s probably not worth your time.
8. Review and Adjust—Don’t Set It and Forget It
Your reporting setup isn’t a slow cooker. Check in every month or so:
- Are your key metrics still telling you what you need?
- Is anyone “gaming” the stats?
- Do you need to tweak what you track based on how your sales process evolves?
Most teams change over time. Your reports should, too.
Keep It Simple, Adjust as You Go
You don’t need a PhD in data to measure your sales reps. Stick to the basics: revenue, win rate, and activity that actually leads to sales. Use Sellmethispen as a tool—not a crutch—and don’t get sucked into tracking everything just because you can. Set up the reports that matter, have real conversations with your reps, and tweak your approach as your team grows.
The best reporting setup is the one you’ll actually use. Start simple, stay honest, and change what isn’t working. That’s how you’ll actually move the needle.