If you’re in a B2B company and responsible for go-to-market (GTM) performance, you know the drill: everyone wants “visibility” but most dashboards end up ignored, out-of-date, or both. Tools promise to make your metrics “actionable,” but more often than not, you get a parade of half-baked charts and vague KPIs.
Let’s cut through the noise. This guide digs into which features of Geckoboard actually help B2B teams see their GTM metrics clearly—and what you can safely ignore.
Who This Is For
- B2B teams (sales, marketing, customer success, execs) who need to track pipeline, funnel, and revenue metrics
- Folks tired of exporting CSVs and squinting at Excel
- Anyone skeptical of fancy dashboards that collect dust after launch
What GTM Metrics Actually Matter?
Before talking features, let’s get real about which GTM metrics most B2B teams care about. You’ll want to track:
- Pipeline health: New leads, qualified opportunities, win rate
- Revenue: MRR, ARR, closed deals
- Funnel conversion: Lead-to-demo, demo-to-opportunity, opportunity-to-close
- Customer metrics: Churn, NPS, onboarding progress
- Activity: Emails sent, calls made, campaign engagement
There’s always someone who wants to see “everything,” but focus on what you’ll actually act on. The rest is dashboard wallpaper.
Geckoboard Features That Actually Move the Needle
Let’s break down the features that help B2B teams avoid dashboard hell and keep GTM metrics front and center.
1. Dead-Simple Dashboard Building
Most tools make you drag, drop, and pray—Geckoboard’s builder is about as straightforward as it gets.
- Pre-built widgets: Pull in Salesforce, HubSpot, Intercom, and more with a few clicks—no API wrangling.
- Live preview: See what you’re building as you go, so you don’t have to guess what will show up on the TV in the sales pit.
- No code required: This isn’t Tableau, and that’s a good thing. Marketers and sales ops folks can handle it.
What works: You can have a usable dashboard in under 30 minutes, especially if you stick to the basics.
What doesn’t: If you need custom calculations or highly specific chart types, you’ll hit the ceiling fast.
Pro tip: Don’t overcomplicate it. Your first dashboard should fit on one screen.
2. Plug-and-Play Data Integrations
Here’s where Geckoboard shines for busy B2B teams. You don’t want to be a part-time data engineer.
- Popular B2B integrations: Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Sheets, Zendesk, Intercom—most common GTM tools are covered.
- Google Sheets connector: For everything else, just use a sheet as a bridge. It’s not glamorous, but it works.
- Automatic refresh: Data pulls update on a schedule, so you’re not staring at last week’s pipeline.
What works: You can get real data flowing in minutes, not days.
What doesn’t: If your source isn’t supported and you hate spreadsheets, you’ll be frustrated. API access is limited unless you get technical.
Ignore: Any “integration” that requires three other SaaS tools to glue together. If it doesn’t connect directly, you’re better off with a weekly manual export.
3. Clear, No-Nonsense Visualizations
You want charts that make sense at a glance, not ones that win design awards.
- Big numbers: Show key stats (like MRR or new opportunities) front and center.
- Simple bar and line charts: Perfect for tracking trends without overcomplicating.
- Conditional formatting: Use color to flag when something’s off (e.g., red for churn spikes).
What works: Geckoboard deliberately limits chart types. That’s a feature, not a bug.
What doesn’t: Forget about Sankey diagrams or custom D3.js widgets. If you want those, you’re in the wrong place.
Pro tip: Use color sparingly. Too many flashing reds and greens, and people stop paying attention.
4. Sharing and Display Options That People Actually Use
A dashboard nobody sees is a dashboard nobody uses. Geckoboard makes it simple to keep GTM metrics in front of the team.
- Shareable links: Send a live link to anyone (no login needed). Great for execs who don’t want another password.
- TV mode: Display metrics on an office screen—still useful for remote teams on virtual “office” monitors.
- Scheduled snapshots: Automatic email updates for those who live in their inbox.
What works: The TV mode is criminally underrated—it keeps everyone honest and focused.
What doesn’t: If you need fine-grained permissions (e.g., everyone sees something different), Geckoboard is basic.
Ignore: Over-customizing views for different audiences. If people need different dashboards, make two simple ones, not a Frankenstein monster.
5. Simple Goal Tracking and Status Indicators
You need to know at a glance: are we on track, or not?
- Goal widgets: Set targets (like “$500k pipeline this quarter”) and see progress in real time.
- Status indicators: Visual cues (green, yellow, red) help teams spot trends early.
What works: Setting explicit goals makes the dashboard more than just a report card—it’s a scoreboard.
What doesn’t: If your targets change every week or you need dynamic, formula-based goals, you’ll need workarounds.
Pro tip: Don’t set too many goals. Three is plenty for most B2B teams.
6. Lightweight User Management
You want to add or remove users without a ticket to IT.
- Invite teammates: Simple email invites. No hoops.
- Viewer vs. editor roles: Keep editing rights limited so your dashboard doesn’t turn into a group art project.
What works: It’s easy to get the right people in quickly.
What doesn’t: If you have a giant team with complex role hierarchies, this isn’t enterprise-grade.
What You Can Ignore (For Now)
- Heavy customization: If you’re tempted to add your logo to every widget, stop. Focus on clarity.
- Advanced analytics: Geckoboard isn’t for slicing and dicing data or running forecasts. It’s for seeing what’s happening now.
- Mobile apps: The mobile experience is fine, but B2B teams almost always use these dashboards on big screens or in browsers.
Common Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)
- Trying to track everything: Start with the five metrics that matter most. You can always add more.
- Poor data hygiene: Garbage in, garbage out. Make sure your CRM is up to date—no dashboard can fix bad source data.
- Ignoring adoption: A dashboard nobody checks is useless. Put it where people will see it (TV, Slack, email).
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
The best GTM dashboards aren’t the most complicated—they’re the ones people actually use. Start with what matters, make it visible, and tweak as you go. You don’t need every bell and whistle. If a feature saves you time or helps your team focus, use it. If it’s just there to look impressive, skip it.
The goal isn’t dashboard perfection. It’s helping your team see what’s working, spot problems early, and keep moving forward. That’s what Geckoboard is actually good at—if you keep things simple and honest.