If you're in charge of a sales team, you know the drill: everyone's talking about "data-driven strategies," but what you really want is to know who's delivering, who's struggling, and what's actually working. If you use TamTam to manage your sales workflow, the built-in reports can help—if you know how to cut through the noise. This guide is for sales managers, team leads, or anyone who wants to use TamTam's reporting features to get real answers, not just pretty graphs.
Why Most Sales Reports Aren’t Very Useful
Let's be honest: most sales reports are either too vague (“Team Pipeline: 175%!”) or so overloaded with numbers that you can’t tell what matters. TamTam isn’t magic—it’ll spit out the same kind of data as any other CRM if you don’t know what to look for.
Here’s what happens if you just glance at dashboards:
- You miss early warning signs (like a rep quietly falling behind).
- Nobody knows what to actually change.
- Your team spends more time explaining numbers than fixing problems.
The trick is to go in with the right questions—and ignore the vanity metrics.
Step 1: Decide What You Actually Want to Measure
Before you touch a report, get clear on what you care about. For most sales teams, that’s:
- Activity: Are reps making calls, sending emails, and logging meetings?
- Pipeline Health: Are there enough real opportunities—not just names in a spreadsheet?
- Conversion Rates: How well does your team move leads from “maybe” to “deal closed”?
- Individual Performance: Who’s crushing it, and who needs support?
- Sales Cycle: How long does it really take to close a deal?
Pro tip: Ignore “total touches” or “emails sent” unless you know they lead to real results. Busywork isn’t progress.
Step 2: Find the Right TamTam Reports
TamTam has a lot of reports, but not all of them are worth your time. Focus on these core types:
1. Activity Reports
Shows: Calls made, emails sent, meetings booked, etc.
Useful for: Spotting who’s consistently doing the work—and who’s not.
What to watch for:
- Sudden drops in activity (could mean burnout or a blocked deal).
- Reps with high activity but low results (they might need training, not just encouragement).
2. Pipeline Reports
Shows: The total value and number of deals in each stage.
Useful for: Checking if your funnel is healthy—too many deals stuck in “demo scheduled” might mean your pitch needs work.
What to ignore: Giant pipeline numbers with no movement. Stale deals aren’t real deals.
3. Conversion Reports
Shows: How many leads move from one stage to the next.
Useful for: Finding bottlenecks—maybe you’re great at booking meetings but deals die after the proposal.
Pro tip: Don’t just look at overall team rates. Break it down by rep or deal type.
4. Performance Snapshots
Shows: Who’s hitting their targets? Who’s not?
Useful for: 1-on-1s, setting coaching priorities, and making sure nobody’s quietly struggling.
What to ignore: “Top performer” boards that only reward the loudest closer. Look for consistent improvement, not just big wins.
Step 3: Set Up a Simple Reporting Routine
You don’t need to drown in spreadsheets. Here’s a basic rhythm that works:
Weekly
- Monday: Pull the Activity and Pipeline reports. Spot new deals, check activity dips.
- Midweek: Quick look at Conversion rates. Any sudden changes?
- Friday: Performance Snapshot. Use it for a quick team review or 1-on-1s.
Monthly
- Deep dive into conversion rates and sales cycle length.
- Look for patterns—is someone always slow to move deals, or did a new process actually help?
Pro tip: Don’t build your process around TamTam’s report schedule. Build your rhythm, then use TamTam to feed you the numbers you need.
Step 4: Dig Into the Data—But Don’t Overthink It
Here’s where most managers go wrong: they treat every dip or spike like it’s a crisis. Instead, look for honest trends:
- Is one rep consistently lagging, or just having a bad week?
- Did a new script help, or are people just logging more calls without results?
- Are deals moving faster or slower than last quarter?
And don’t forget to talk to your team. Sometimes the data says “activity is down,” but the real story is “everyone was at a conference this week.”
Step 5: Use Reports to Actually Change Something
Numbers are only useful if they lead to action. Here’s how to turn TamTam reports into results:
- Spot coaching needs: If someone’s activity is high but conversions are low, it’s time for a role-play or shadowing session.
- Adjust goals: If deals are consistently getting stuck at the same stage, maybe your targets are unrealistic—or your process is broken.
- Share wins and lessons: Highlight when a new approach actually moves the needle (not just when someone lands a huge deal).
- Cut the noise: If a report doesn’t help you make a decision, stop looking at it. Seriously.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even with the best tools, it’s easy to fall into a few traps:
- Chasing vanity metrics: Who cares if you sent 200 emails if none turned into meetings?
- “Set it and forget it” reporting: Sales is messy. Regularly tweak what you track.
- Making it about the numbers, not the people: Use data to help, not to shame.
- Ignoring context: A sudden drop in calls could mean your best rep is sick, not slacking.
Real Talk: What TamTam Reports Can’t Do
A quick reality check—TamTam (or any reporting tool) won’t:
- Tell you why someone is underperforming. That’s your job.
- Fix a broken sales process. Data just shows you the symptoms.
- Replace regular check-ins. You still need to talk to your team.
But if you use it right, it will make your job a lot easier.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Keep It Useful
The best sales teams don’t obsess over dashboards—they use reports as a tool, not a crutch. Pick two or three TamTam reports that actually help you spot problems and track progress. Ignore the rest. Check them on a schedule that makes sense for your team, not just because TamTam says so.
If you’re not sure where to start, pick one report, use it for a month, and see if it helps you make better decisions. Adjust as you go. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of useful.
And remember: the goal isn’t a prettier report—it’s a team that keeps getting better.