If you’ve ever tried to make sense of your GTM performance in a dashboard and ended up with a mess of numbers and charts that don’t actually help, you’re not alone. This guide is for marketers, ops folks, and anyone who needs to turn raw GTM data into something you can actually use in Freckle (see Freckle). We’ll skip the fluff and get right into building dashboards that show you what matters—and nothing you don’t.
Why Custom Dashboards Matter (and Where Most Go Wrong)
Let’s be honest: default dashboards rarely cut it. They’re generic, overloaded, and often miss the context you need. If you want real GTM (go-to-market) insight—stuff like where pipeline is stalling, which channels actually drive revenue, or how sales cycles vary by segment—you’ll need to roll your own.
But before you start, keep these truths in mind: - Less is more: More charts usually means more confusion. - Dashboards are for action, not decoration: If you can’t make a decision based on it, it’s noise. - Start simple, iterate often: Your first draft will be wrong. That’s fine.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your GTM Metrics
You can’t track what you can’t define. Figure out what “GTM performance” means for your team before you build anything.
Typical GTM metrics worth tracking: - Pipeline created (by channel, segment, etc.) - Pipeline velocity (how fast leads move through stages) - Conversion rates (by stage, source, or rep) - Revenue attribution (if you trust your attribution, a big “if”) - Deal cycle length (how long to close, by segment or team) - Lead quality (not just volume—are they any good?)
Don’t waste time on: - Vanity metrics (total website hits, social likes, etc.) - Anything you can’t act on or explain to your boss in one sentence
Pro tip: Ask sales and execs what questions they want answered. Build only for those.
Step 2: Prep Your Data Sources
Freckle can only show what you feed it. If your CRM, marketing automation, or ad platforms are a mess, fix that first—or accept that your dashboards will be garbage-in, garbage-out.
Checklist before you start: - CRM fields are consistent and cleaned up (no “Lead Source: Other” everywhere) - Your key GTM events are actually tracked (pipeline creation, stage changes, etc.) - Data syncs to Freckle reliably (nightly, hourly—whatever fits your cadence) - Your team agrees on definitions (what counts as a qualified lead? What’s “pipeline created”?)
If you skip this step, expect headaches later. No dashboard can fix broken data.
Step 3: Map Your GTM Metrics to Freckle Data
Here’s where you get specific. For each metric, figure out: - Where does the data live? (CRM, ads, website, etc.) - What’s the exact field or event name? - How often does it update? - Who owns it?
Example: - Metric: Pipeline Created by Channel - Source: Salesforce “Opportunity Created Date” + “Lead Source” fields - Update Frequency: Daily - Owner: RevOps
List these out in a doc or spreadsheet before you touch Freckle. It’ll save you hours.
Step 4: Build Your First Custom Dashboard in Freckle
Now, finally, into Freckle. The UI is straightforward, but there are some gotchas.
- Create a new dashboard:
- Click “Dashboards” > “New Dashboard.”
-
Name it something clear, like “GTM Performance Overview.” (Don’t get cute.)
-
Add your key metrics as widgets:
- For each metric mapped above, add a Widget (chart, table, or KPI card).
-
Use filters to break out by segment, channel, or whatever matters to your GTM motion.
-
Arrange for clarity, not aesthetics:
- Put top-level KPIs at the top.
- Trending charts go left-to-right, so you can “read” performance.
-
Group related metrics together (pipeline, conversion, velocity).
-
Set up filters and drill-downs:
- Add dashboard-level filters (date range, region, owner).
-
Enable drill-downs so people can click into details (but don’t overdo it—rabbit holes are real).
-
Save and share:
- Set permissions so only the right folks can edit.
- Share with a link, or schedule emails/slack alerts (if Freckle supports it).
What to ignore: - Fancy visualizations that look cool but aren’t actionable. - Over-customization for edge cases—keep it simple.
Step 5: Tune and Test with Real Users
You’re not done. The first version of any dashboard is just a hypothesis. Now you see if it actually helps people.
How to test: - Sit with a few users (sales, marketing, execs) while they use it. What do they click? What confuses them? - Ask: “What decision would this help you make?” If they don’t have a clear answer, fix it. - Watch for “chart blindness”—big blocks of data nobody ever looks at.
Iterate ruthlessly: - Cut anything that’s unclear or unused. - Add annotations or descriptions where needed. - Fix confusing labels—nobody knows what “MQL2SQL Rate v2” means.
Step 6: Automate and Maintain (or Your Dashboard Will Rot)
Dashboards don’t stay useful on their own. If you want yours to survive contact with the real world:
- Automate refreshes so data is never stale.
- Set up alerts for when metrics go off the rails (if supported).
- Review quarterly with stakeholders. Kill or fix anything that isn’t helping.
And don’t let “dashboard sprawl” happen. If you make a new view for every request, you’ll end up with a graveyard nobody visits.
Honest Takes: What Works, What Doesn’t
What works: - A small set of core metrics, updated daily, that everyone understands. - Visualizations that tell a story—“pipeline is up 20% this month” is better than ten pie charts. - One owner per dashboard. If everybody owns it, nobody does.
What doesn’t: - Tracking everything. Information overload helps no one. - Ignoring data quality issues—bad source data will bite you. - Building dashboards “for leadership” without asking them what they need.
What to ignore: - Trendy visualizations (heatmaps, radial graphs) unless they answer a real question. - Requests to “just add this one thing”—say no until you’ve validated the need.
Pro Tips for Freckle GTM Dashboards
- Start with a dashboard template if Freckle offers one, but don’t be afraid to gut it.
- Use plain English in labels and descriptions. Avoid jargon.
- Document your metric definitions somewhere accessible, linked from the dashboard.
- Limit permissions—too many cooks in the kitchen leads to dashboard chaos.
- Keep a changelog of updates, so people aren’t surprised by sudden changes.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Custom dashboards are never “done.” The most useful ones are the simplest and most ruthlessly edited. Start with just a few metrics, validate with real users, and resist the urge to add more until you have to. Dashboards are a tool, not a trophy. If yours helps you make better decisions—without needing a manual—you’ve done it right.