Looking to actually see your sales numbers, not just stare at pretty charts? If you’ve got sales data and you want to build your own dashboard—without hiring a developer or wading through vague advice—this guide’s for you. We’ll walk through building a real, functional sales dashboard in Bricks, a tool that lets you build interfaces with your data. No hand-waving, no magic—just clear steps and what to watch out for.
Step 1: Figure Out What You Actually Need
Before you open Bricks or import any data, stop and ask: What do you want to see? Don’t try to rebuild Salesforce in a weekend.
- Start small. Pick 2-3 core metrics: monthly revenue, sales by product, and maybe win rate.
- Write them down. If you can’t describe it in a sentence, you won’t build it.
- Ignore the rest (for now). You can always add more later.
Pro tip: If your team always asks for “just one more chart,” you’re headed for dashboard bloat. Keep your first version lean.
Step 2: Get Your Sales Data Ready
Bricks isn’t magic—it needs data. If your sales data is in a CRM, spreadsheet, or database, figure out where it lives and how you’ll get it into Bricks.
- Supported sources: Bricks connects to Google Sheets, Airtable, SQL databases, and CSV files.
- Decide on live vs. static: Do you want your dashboard to update in real time? Or is a weekly CSV upload fine?
- Clean your data: Fix column names, remove duplicate rows, and check for missing values. Bricks is only as good as the data you feed it.
What to ignore: Don’t go overboard with “data pipelines” if you’re just getting started. A clean spreadsheet is usually enough.
Step 3: Connect Your Data Source in Bricks
Time to open up Bricks and plug in your data.
- Log in to Bricks. (Obvious, but some guides skip this.)
- Create a new project or dashboard.
- Add a data source:
- For Google Sheets or Airtable: Authenticate and select your spreadsheet/base.
- For CSV: Upload the file directly.
- For SQL: Enter your connection details (host, user, password, etc.)
Heads up: If you’re using a live database, be careful about permissions. You don’t want to accidentally give Bricks write access when you only need read.
Step 4: Sketch Your Layout—Don’t Overthink It
Before you drag in widgets, sketch out (on paper, whiteboard, or napkin) what you want to see.
- Top row: KPIs—monthly revenue, number of deals, average deal size.
- Middle: Bar chart for sales by product.
- Bottom: Table with recent deals or open opportunities.
Keep it simple. You can always rearrange later. The goal is clarity, not art.
Step 5: Build Out Metrics and Visuals
Bricks lets you drag-and-drop charts, tables, and summary blocks onto your dashboard. Here’s how to do it without getting lost in the weeds.
Adding KPIs
- Use the “Summary” or “Metric” block for things like total sales.
- Set the data source and pick the aggregation (sum, average, count).
- Format numbers—don’t show $123456.78 when $123K will do.
Building Charts
- Add a bar or line chart.
- Map your data: X-axis (e.g., month), Y-axis (e.g., total sales).
- Pick colors that don’t make your eyes bleed.
Tables for Details
- Drop in a table view for recent deals or pipeline.
- Limit to 10-20 rows. No one wants to scroll through 200 at once.
- Add filters—date range, sales rep, status.
What to ignore: Fancy chart types like radar or waterfall. Stick with bar, line, and table until you have a real need.
Step 6: Add Filters and Controls
A dashboard is only useful if people can slice the data.
- Add a date picker to filter by month or quarter.
- Add dropdowns for sales rep or region.
- Make sure filters are obvious and easy to reset.
Pro tip: Test your filters—broken filters are the #1 source of “why is this number wrong?” complaints.
Step 7: Share and Get Feedback
Don’t build in a vacuum. Share your dashboard with a couple of real users (sales manager, rep, exec) and ask:
- Is anything missing?
- Is something confusing?
- Is there a number you never look at?
Bricks lets you share dashboards via link or invite users directly. Use the simplest sharing option first.
What doesn’t work: Don’t ask “do you like it?” That’s a dead-end. Ask what’s useful and what’s not.
Step 8: Iterate—But Don’t Get Lost in Version Hell
Dashboards are never “done.” But that doesn’t mean you should tweak forever.
- Schedule a review in a month—see what’s working.
- Add new charts if people actually need them.
- Kill anything no one uses. Less is more.
Pro tip: Document your dashboard somewhere. Even a Google Doc with “What’s on this dashboard and why” will save you headaches when people ask.
What Actually Matters (and What Doesn’t)
Works well: - Bricks is fast for basic dashboards—if your data is clean. - Drag-and-drop makes layout easy, even if you’re not a designer.
Pain points: - Complex calculations (like custom cohort analysis) can get tricky. You may have to pre-calculate these in your data source. - Performance slows down with giant datasets. Aggregate before you load. - “Real-time” isn’t always real. If you need second-by-second updates, Bricks won’t cut it.
Ignore: - Don’t obsess over pixel-perfect design. Substance beats style. - Skip integrations and automations until your core metrics are right.
Wrapping Up: Ship It, Then Improve
Building a sales dashboard in Bricks isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to get sidetracked by features you don’t need. Start simple, focus on the metrics that matter, and listen to your users. Iterate based on real feedback—not wishlists. That’s how you end up with a dashboard people actually use, not just admire once and forget.
Keep it lean, keep it useful, and don’t be afraid to delete the stuff no one looks at. The best dashboard is the one you check every week—everything else is just noise.