If you manage a sales team that does a lot of cold calling, you know gut instincts only get you so far. You need real numbers to see who’s actually connecting, who’s just burning through lists, and what’s working (or not) in your call strategy. This guide is for sales leaders, enablement folks, and anyone who wants to use Orum analytics to track rep performance—without getting lost in a sea of metrics that don’t actually help you sell.
Let’s skip the hype and get practical. Here’s how to actually use Orum analytics to understand your reps, tweak your approach, and get better results.
Understanding What Orum Tracks (and What Actually Matters)
Orum is a parallel dialer—meaning it lets reps call multiple numbers at once and connect when a real person picks up. The analytics built in are supposed to help you track rep activity and see what’s working. But, not every metric is useful. Here’s what’s actually worth your time:
Metrics That Matter: - Connect rate: How often reps are actually reaching humans, not just leaving voicemails or hitting dead numbers. - Talk time: Total time spent on live calls. More isn’t always better, but zero is definitely bad. - Calls per hour/session: Useful for spotting effort, but don’t obsess—quality over quantity. - Booking/conversion rate: Of the connects, how many turn into meetings or next steps? - Dispositions: How reps are labeling outcomes (e.g., not interested, callback requested).
What To Ignore (Mostly): - Total dials: Looks impressive, but doesn’t tell you much about actual outcomes. - Activity heatmaps: Fun for dashboards, rarely actionable. - Fancy engagement scores: Unless you know how it’s calculated, take these with a grain of salt.
Pro tip: Don’t let your reps chase “vanity metrics.” Set expectations around connects and meetings booked, not just dials.
Step 1: Set Goals Before You Start Tracking
Before you even open the analytics dashboard, get clear on what you actually want to improve:
- Is your team struggling to book meetings?
- Are too many reps burning out on lists with no results?
- Do you feel like calls are happening but not moving deals forward?
Define a few key questions you want Orum to answer for you. For example: - Which reps are consistently reaching prospects? - What call times or scripts lead to more connects? - Where are reps getting stuck in the call process?
You’ll save yourself a lot of dashboard rabbit holes if you know what you’re trying to find.
Step 2: Set Up Your Orum Analytics the Right Way
Orum’s analytics aren’t magic—you have to set things up so the data means something. Here’s how:
1. Standardize Dispositions
- Make sure every rep is using the same call outcome labels (dispositions). If some say “Not Interested” and others use “NI,” your data’s junk.
- Have a quick team huddle to define 5–7 clear outcomes—no more, or people will get lazy.
2. Connect Your CRM (But Don’t Overdo It)
- Sync Orum with your CRM (like Salesforce). This lets you track meetings set, not just calls made.
- Only pull in the fields you actually care about—too much data, and you’ll drown.
3. Set Up Dashboards That Answer Real Questions
- Create simple views: Rep leaderboards (by connects, meetings booked), Connect rates by time of day, and Call outcome breakdowns.
- Save these dashboards—don’t reinvent the wheel every time you log in.
Step 3: Use Orum Analytics To Track Rep Performance
Here’s how to actually use the numbers (and not just admire them):
1. Watch for Outliers—Not “Average” Reps
- Are some reps booking meetings with way fewer connects? Figure out what they’re doing differently.
- High dials but low talk time? That’s a sign of “going through the motions” or list quality issues.
- Low connect rates across the board? Maybe your call windows or lists need work.
2. Hold Short, Focused Standups
- Don’t make this about shaming. Use the data to spot coaching opportunities.
- Ask high-performing reps to share call openers or objection-handling tips.
- If someone’s numbers dip, check in—sometimes it’s a process problem, not a people problem.
3. Look for Trends, Not One-Offs
- See if Mondays always have terrible connect rates, or if certain lists tank.
- Don’t change your whole approach based on one slow week—watch for real patterns.
Step 4: Optimize Call Strategies Using Real Data
The whole point of tracking this stuff is to get better, not just to have prettier charts. Here’s how to use the insights:
1. Tweak Call Times
- If your connect rates spike at certain hours or days, double down there.
- Share this info with your reps—don’t make them guess.
2. Test and Share Scripts
- If a certain rep is getting more meetings, listen to their calls (Orum lets you record them).
- Try A/B testing openers or voicemails, then track which gets better outcomes.
- Don’t just hand down new scripts—let the team experiment and report back.
3. Clean Up Lists
- If you see high dial counts but terrible connect rates, your data’s probably stale.
- Work with marketing or ops to refresh lists, or try new sources.
- Don’t waste time dialing dead numbers—track which lists underperform and cut them.
4. Focus on Conversion, Not Just Activity
- It’s easy to get obsessed with “calls made,” but meetings booked is what matters.
- Celebrate conversions, not just effort.
- If someone’s making tons of calls but not booking, coach on qualifying or closing.
Honest Takes: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Skip
What Actually Helps: - Standardized dispositions—otherwise, your analytics are a mess. - Short, focused dashboards—don’t try to track everything. - Real talk time and connect rates—not just dials.
What Sounds Good, But Rarely Delivers: - Overcomplicated dashboards. If you need a manual to understand it, no one will use it. - Fancy AI insights that just restate obvious trends. Use your own judgment. - Pushing reps to hit arbitrary dial numbers. It’s about quality, not just activity.
What to Ignore: - Any metric you can’t explain in one sentence. - Heatmaps and “engagement scores” that don’t tie to meetings booked. - Over-automating feedback—sometimes you just need a real conversation.
Keep It Simple—and Iterate
You don’t need to be a data scientist to use Orum analytics well. Set clear goals, track what actually matters, and use the numbers to have better conversations with your team. Don’t try to fix everything at once—pick one area to improve, try something new, and see what happens.
Most importantly: don’t let analytics become another thing to micromanage. Use the data to spot real opportunities, keep things honest, and help your team win more often. Then, tweak and repeat. That’s how you get better call outcomes—without drowning in dashboards.