If you're tired of wading through generic reports and want to actually see the sales info that matters to you, this guide is for you. We’ll walk through how to create custom sales reports in Avercast, step by step, in plain English. Whether you’re a sales manager, analyst, or just the unlucky soul who got handed “the reporting job,” you’ll get practical advice—plus a few warnings about what to avoid.
Let’s get started.
Why bother with custom sales reports?
Sure, Avercast comes with plenty of canned reports, but they rarely fit your real questions. Custom sales reports let you:
- See what you care about (not what the vendor thinks you should care about)
- Slice data by region, product, rep, or time period
- Actually spot problems and trends before your boss does
But don’t get sucked into analysis paralysis. Start simple. You can always add bells and whistles later.
Step 1: Know what you actually need
Before you even log in, grab a notepad (or open a doc) and answer:
- What specific question do I need answered?
- Who will use this report? (Just you? Your team? The execs?)
- How often will I need it?
- Do I need summary data, detailed data, or both?
Pro tip: If you can’t explain your report in one sentence, it’s probably too complicated.
Step 2: Log in and find the reporting tools
Once you’re clear on your goal, log in to Avercast. Navigate to the main dashboard.
- Look for the “Reporting” or “Custom Reports” section—names vary a bit by version.
- If you don’t see it, check under “Sales,” “Analytics,” or “Data.”
- Still can’t find it? You might need special permissions. Ask your admin (and maybe bring coffee).
Honest take: The navigation isn’t always intuitive. Give yourself five minutes to poke around before giving up.
Step 3: Start a new custom report
Ready to roll? Click “Create New Report” or the equivalent button.
- You’ll likely be asked to choose a “report type.” For sales, pick “Sales,” “Sales Orders,” or whatever matches what you want.
- Name your report something obvious—“Q2 Midwest Widget Sales” beats “Report 3.”
Pro tip: Use a naming convention so you can find reports later. “Sales_By_Region_May2024” is clear. “FinalFinal2” isn’t.
Step 4: Select your data fields
This is where most people overcomplicate things.
- You’ll see a list of available data fields—think “Customer Name,” “Product Code,” “Order Date,” “Sales Rep,” “Revenue.”
- Pick only what you need. If you just want revenue by product, don’t add customer address, sales rep, and 15 other columns “just in case.”
- Drag and drop or check boxes to add columns to your report.
What works: Start with the basics. You can always add more fields later.
What doesn’t: Pulling every field “just to have options.” This slows everything down and makes your report impossible to read.
Step 5: Set your filters
Filters are how you zero in on what matters.
- Common filters: Date range, product category, region, customer segment, sales rep.
- Set filters to match your initial question. Want Q1 sales in the Northeast? Set “Order Date: Jan 1–Mar 31” and “Region: NE.”
- Some versions let you save filter presets—use this if you’ll run the same report regularly.
Expect some fiddling: Filters can be fussy. Double-check that your filters do what you think they do, especially with date ranges.
Step 6: Group and summarize your data
This step is optional but powerful.
- You can usually group data—by product, region, rep, month, etc.
- Add subtotals or summaries. For example: Total sales by product line.
Pro tip: Don’t group by more than two things at once unless you really need to. Otherwise, it’s unreadable.
What to ignore: Fancy pivot tables and charts, at least for your first report. Get the raw numbers right first.
Step 7: Preview and tweak
Always click “Preview” before running the full report.
- Look for missing data, extra columns, or weird numbers.
- Check if your filters worked—did you get the right time frame? Are all the expected products included?
- If something looks off, go back and adjust. It’s normal to need a couple of tweaks.
Honest take: Avercast’s previews sometimes lag or don’t show all data. Don’t panic—run the full report if in doubt.
Step 8: Run and export your report
Once you’re happy with the preview, run the report.
- Some reports run fast, others take a while. Large date ranges or too many fields slow things down.
- Export options usually include Excel, CSV, and PDF. Excel is best for further analysis; PDF for sharing.
- Save your report config. Good tools let you re-run it with a click next time.
Pro tip: Always export and double-check totals in Excel. Trust but verify—especially if you’re showing numbers to management.
Step 9: Automate (if you need to)
If you’ll need this report regularly:
- Look for a “Schedule” or “Automate” option.
- Set up daily, weekly, or monthly runs, delivered to your inbox or a shared drive.
- Test automation at least once to make sure it actually works (and doesn’t break when someone updates the software).
What doesn’t work: Setting up a daily report for something you only need once a month. Be honest about how often you’ll use it.
Step 10: Share and gather feedback
Don’t just email the raw file and call it a day.
- Add a short note explaining what the report shows (and doesn’t show).
- Ask for feedback: “Is this what you needed?” “Anything missing?”
- Save these comments for your next round of changes.
Pro tip: If people ignore your report, it’s either too complicated or not useful. Don’t take it personally—just ask what would help.
Real-world advice: What works, what doesn’t
- Start small. Your first custom report should answer one clear question.
- Iterate. Nobody nails it on the first try. Tweak as you go.
- Skip the charts at first. Focus on getting the numbers right.
- Document your steps. Future you (or your replacement) will thank you.
- Don’t trust totals blindly. Run a quick manual check. Data can be messy, and tools aren’t magic.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, fix it later
Building custom sales reports in Avercast isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to get lost in the weeds. Stay focused on the question you need answered, build a basic report, and improve it over time. Don’t waste hours chasing the “perfect” report—good enough is usually good enough, and you can always tweak it next week.
If you get stuck, ask your admin or reach out to Avercast support. Most problems are either permissions, weird filters, or just too much data at once.
You’ve got this. Keep it simple, make changes as you go, and don’t be afraid to scrap a report that nobody uses. That’s how you get actually useful reporting—not just another file on the server.