If you’re a sales manager, you already know that not all teams are created equal—and neither are the dashboards that are supposed to help you spot the difference. This is for folks who want to cut through the noise and actually see how teams stack up, without getting buried in a mountain of half-useful reports. We’re digging into how to use Insightsquared to compare your sales teams, what works, and where you might want to skip the shiny features and just get the numbers that matter.
Why Bother Comparing Teams in the First Place?
If you’re reading this, you probably already have a hunch. But let’s be specific:
- Spot what’s working: Some teams are crushing it. Why? Is it process, people, or pure luck?
- Find coaching opportunities: You can’t fix what you can’t see.
- Resource allocation: If one team is drowning in leads while another is twiddling their thumbs, you want to know.
- Avoid “gut feel” management: Numbers keep things honest—especially when folks start arguing about who’s “really” pulling their weight.
That’s the goal. Now, here’s how to actually get those answers out of Insightsquared.
Step 1: Get Your Teams Set Up Right
Before you run reports, make sure your teams are actually set up as teams in Insightsquared. Sounds basic, but this is where things often go sideways.
What to check:
- Team assignments in your CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.) should match how you want to report in Insightsquared.
- User roles: Sales reps should be grouped under the right managers. If someone’s floating solo, they’ll vanish from team reports.
- Team names: Keep them clear and consistent. “NY East” and “East New York” aren’t the same thing in the system’s eyes.
Pro tip: If you’re syncing from your CRM, check that the sync is working and recent. Old data = bad comparisons.
Step 2: Decide What “Performance” Actually Means
You’d be surprised how many teams just grab the default dashboards and call it a day. But what really matters for your org?
Common metrics to compare:
- Closed revenue (the obvious one, but not the only one)
- Pipeline created
- Win rate
- Average sales cycle length
- Activity metrics (calls, emails, meetings)
- Forecast accuracy
Don’t get bogged down: You don’t need to compare 15 things. Pick what’s actionable for you. If it’s not something you’ll coach on or change, skip it.
Step 3: Build (or Customize) Team Comparison Dashboards
Insightsquared gives you a lot of dashboards, but their one-size-fits-all approach isn’t always helpful. Here’s how to make something actually useful.
A. Find the Built-In Team Reports
- Check the “Team Performance,” “Leaderboard,” or “Pipeline by Team” dashboards.
- These often compare teams side-by-side on revenue, pipeline, and activities.
What works: - Quick side-by-side views - Filtering by timeframe
What to ignore: - Vanity widgets (e.g., badges, “top rep of the day”): fun, but usually not actionable
B. Customize Your Own Comparison Views
- Use the dashboard builder to add charts or tables that break down your chosen metrics by team.
- Filter by time period, team, or manager as needed.
- Save views that you’ll actually use, not just the ones that look impressive.
Example: Set up a table that shows: - Team Name - Closed Revenue (this quarter) - Pipeline Created (this quarter) - Win Rate (%) - Average Deal Size
Pro tip: Add a trend column if you want to see whether teams are improving or sliding. But don’t overcomplicate—simple is usually better.
Step 4: Slice the Data—But Don’t Drown in It
Filters are your friend, but they can get out of hand.
What to try:
- Time frame: Compare Q1 to Q2, or this month to last month.
- Team type: SDR vs. AE, regions, product lines—whatever actually makes sense in your world.
- Exclude outliers: One giant deal can throw off averages. Sometimes it’s better to look at medians or remove unicorn deals for a clearer picture.
What to skip:
- Too many drilldowns: If you’re three clicks deep and can’t see the forest for the trees, back up.
- Comparing apples to oranges: Don’t compare inbound-heavy teams to outbound if their jobs are wildly different.
Step 5: Share and Use—Not Just “View”
It’s tempting to look at a dashboard, sigh, and move on. But team comparisons only work if people see them and do something.
How to share:
- Schedule regular dashboard emails to your team leads.
- Bring up the key chart in your weekly team meetings.
- Use screenshots (or live dashboards) in 1:1s with managers.
How to use:
- Celebrate wins: If a team’s crushing a metric, ask how.
- Spot issues early: Downward trends are easier to fix early on.
- Coach with data: Don’t just say “do better”—show what’s working elsewhere.
Honest take: If you only look at these numbers once a quarter, you’re wasting your time. Regular, light-touch check-ins beat “deep dives” you never get around to.
Step 6: Watch Out for Common Pitfalls
Let’s talk about what doesn’t work, so you can skip the pain.
Pitfall 1: Garbage In, Garbage Out
If your CRM data is a mess, Insightsquared will just make it look prettier. Bad data = bad decisions. Spend time fixing team assignments, activity tracking, and closed/won dates in your CRM first.
Pitfall 2: Overthinking the Metrics
There’s always a temptation to track everything. Usually, more data just means more confusion. Focus on what you’ll actually act on.
Pitfall 3: Ignoring Context
Numbers don’t tell the whole story. A team might have a low win rate because they’re taking on the hardest leads. Use data as a conversation starter, not the final word.
Pitfall 4: Chasing “Best Practices” Blindly
What works for one org might be useless in yours. Don’t get sucked into copying dashboards from blogs or LinkedIn. Customize for your real team and goals.
Step 7: Iterate (Don’t Set and Forget)
Your teams change. Your goals change. Heck, sometimes Insightsquared changes. Don’t treat your dashboards like stone tablets.
- Review your team dashboards every month or so. Are you actually using them? Is something missing?
- Kill off dead reports that nobody looks at.
- Ask your managers what they actually need to see.
Remember: The point isn’t to have fancier charts. It’s to make better decisions, faster.
Keep It Simple—And Actually Use It
Comparing team performance in Insightsquared isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overcomplicate. Set up clean teams, pick a few solid metrics, and keep your dashboards focused. Share what matters, skip what doesn’t, and tweak as you go.
You’ll spend less time fiddling with reports—and more time actually helping your team win. That’s the real point, right?