Sales dashboards are powerful tools that can help you monitor, analyze, and improve your sales performance. But if you design them poorly, you might end up with confusing, misleading, or irrelevant data that hinders rather than helps your sales goals. In this article, you'll learn about the most common mistakes in sales dashboard design and how to avoid them.
One of the biggest mistakes in sales dashboard design is trying to cram too much data into one screen. This can make your dashboard cluttered, overwhelming, and hard to read. Instead of showing every possible metric, focus on the ones that are most relevant and actionable for your sales objectives. Use filters, drill-downs, and tabs to organize and display your data in a clear and concise way.
TMI (too much info) is the biggest issue. I had the merit to broker $5bb annually and the big surge started is when I figured out the top 3 metric that really drove it all and once I made the scorecards and dashboards only have these 3 and then everyone got focused and drove these metrics and with Gods help the rest is history!
Focus on the most essential KPI's and the ones that truly make a difference in your success and determining where you need to improve. You can have the fanciest and prettiest dashboard but if it doesn't help you perform better and learn more, of what value is it?
Data driven companies need to be able to transform data into information into insights into actions. Dashboards which don‘t show data that triggers actions are (especially for sales associates) useless.
Depending on the business type pick the most important metric, let's call it "Primary Metric" e.g. for SaaS it can be Monthly recurring revenue (MRR) or MAU (Monthly Active Users) Around the primary metric segregate your data as per the context e.g. Domestic/International, Month on Month growth of MRR or MAU, Mid Market / Enterprise For further detailing define secondary metrics derived from primary metric e.g. ARR ( Annual Recurring Revenue i.e. MRR*12) or ARPU (Average Revenue Per user i.e. MRR/MAU) This should suffice for key stakeholders in the business. The rest of the metrics/ numbers can become noise with minimal or zero value addition. #SalesAbundancebyMG
In my experience following needs to be considered - Key Performance Matrix - what needs to be measured and why and more importantly when. This helps trim unnecessary data clutter. - Data Point Vs. Trends - one needs to understand where a data point is enough and where trend lines are necessary. - One page/ Screen rule - I like dashboards where the data can open and be seen in a mobile screen rather than scrolling continuously. After all it’s sales and most managers are looking at data while on the move.
Another common mistake in sales dashboard design is using the wrong data or displaying it in the wrong way. For example, you might use outdated, inaccurate, or incomplete data that doesn't reflect your current sales situation. Or you might use inappropriate charts, graphs, or colors that distort or obscure your data. To avoid this mistake, make sure you use reliable and updated data sources, choose the right data visualization techniques, and follow best practices for data quality and integrity.
The accuracy and relevance of data are critical in sales dashboard design. Using outdated or inaccurate data can lead to misguided strategies and decisions. Similarly, inappropriate visualization techniques can distort the true picture.
To find the right data for your sales dashboards, it is very important to have one source of truth with all the updated data you need. This will remove data silos in the organisation and help increase data quality.
At times though the day may be 100% accurate, we fail to account for outliers which skew the data and lead to incorrect inferences. We must always have a mechanism to highlight outliers and these need to be defined clearly.
Using the wrong data or displaying it inaccurately can hinder the effectiveness of a sales dashboard. ???? It is crucial to ensure that the data used is up-to-date, accurate, and comprehensive, reflecting the current sales situation. By doing so, you can make informed decisions, identify trends, and take appropriate actions to drive sales performance. Utilizing reliable data and presenting it in a clear and meaningful way enhances the value of the sales dashboard in guiding strategic decision-making.
Wrong data includes inaccurate, incorrect and incomplete data. Data quality management is often a task with an underestimated value. One sinple example out of practice: spelling of a city name in different ways means no on-click comparison. New York / New-York / NewYork / Newyork / New_York /… ??
A third common mistake in sales dashboard design is presenting data without context. For example, you might show a number or a percentage without explaining what it means, how it was calculated, or how it compares to your targets or benchmarks. Or you might show data without providing any insights, recommendations, or actions based on it. To avoid this mistake, make sure you provide context for your data by adding labels, titles, annotations, explanations, and feedback to your dashboard.
Another issue is that not everything is relevant for everyone. We need to ensure views and adjusted according to the audience/stakeholder
Adding on, benchmark for the metric against key dates and BAU is critical. Some numbers make sense only if they are shown with a comparison benchmark
This is such an important point! Context is indeed king when it comes to data interpretation. Presenting numbers without explaining their significance or basis can lead to confusion and misinterpretation. Providing clear labels, annotations, and actionable insights alongside the data can make a world of difference in understanding and leveraging the information effectively.
Context is crucial in sales dashboard design. Avoid the mistake of presenting data in isolation. Provide clarity by explaining the meaning, calculation, and relevance of numbers or percentages. Compare results to targets or benchmarks, and offer insights, recommendations, or actionable steps. Labels, titles, annotations, explanations, and feedback contribute to a comprehensive context, ensuring your sales dashboard communicates meaningful information that aids decision-making.
context is key in making data meaningful. Don't just present numbers; provide clear labels, titles, and annotations to help users understand the significance. Contextualizing data by comparing it to targets or benchmarks adds depth. Additionally, offering insights, recommendations, and actionable steps based on the presented data turns your sales dashboard into a powerful tool for decision-making.
A fourth common mistake in sales dashboard design is creating a dashboard that is not aligned with your sales strategy, goals, and audience. For example, you might create a dashboard that is too generic, too specific, or too complex for your sales team or stakeholders. Or you might create a dashboard that doesn't match your sales funnel, process, or cycle. To avoid this mistake, make sure you define your dashboard purpose, scope, and audience before you start designing it.
The common mistake I have observed on a sales dashboard is not recognizing what's suitable for the type of business you run. For instance, a convenience store shouldn't have the same dashboard as an auto-repair store. The products are not the same, therefore the sales dashboard should be designed to suit the specific business in mind. Align your business category to the information needed on the dashboard.
I couldn't agree more! A sales dashboard should be a reflection of the sales strategy, goals, and its intended audience. If it's too generic, specific, or complex, it can miss the mark and fail to provide value.
Align your sales dashboard with strategy, goals, and audience to sidestep common pitfalls. Tailor the dashboard to avoid being too generic, specific, or complex for your team or stakeholders. Ensure alignment with your sales funnel, process, and cycle. Prior to design, define the dashboard's purpose, scope, and intended audience, securing a focused, relevant, and effective tool that aligns seamlessly with your sales objectives.
alignment with strategy and audience is crucial. Clearly define the purpose, scope, and intended audience of your sales dashboard to tailor it to your specific needs. Ensure the design aligns with your sales strategy, reflects the stages of your sales funnel, and caters to the preferences and requirements of your team or stakeholders. A well-tailored dashboard increases its relevance and effectiveness in supporting your sales objectives.
Worst practice: different teams (eg. sales, marketing, finance) look at different data sets for the same KPI. One single source if truth is key. At the same time all teams need to align an standardized KPI definition. Only with one source and standardized KPIs an cross-company alignment becomes possible.
A fifth common mistake in sales dashboard design is launching a dashboard without testing it. For example, you might create a dashboard that looks good on your screen but not on other devices, browsers, or platforms. Or you might create a dashboard that has errors, bugs, or glitches that affect its functionality or usability. Or you might create a dashboard that doesn't meet the expectations or needs of your sales team or stakeholders. To avoid this mistake, make sure you test your dashboard thoroughly and get feedback from your users before you go live.
I once made the mistake of not testing my dashboard before publishing it. This issue came to light with my most recent dashboard. After publishing, I noticed that I hadn’t adjusted the settings for mobile view, and as a result, some of the fonts had changed due to the tools I was using. Fortunately, a friend noticed the issue and brought it to my attention, allowing me to fix it. Since that incident, I’ve made a conscious effort to avoid such oversights, which can sometimes give the impression that we don’t know what we’re doing.
This is such a crucial point! Testing is often overlooked but it's an essential step in dashboard design. Ensuring the dashboard works well across different devices, browsers, and platforms, and is free from errors or glitches, is key to its functionality and usability. Moreover, gathering user feedback before going live can help identify any potential issues or improvements.
As we make in a show, an essay is a must. Every new creation may need tests before launching to the target people. Not doing it, may affect the author's reputation.
Testing is paramount in sales dashboard design. Avoid the error of launching untested dashboards that may have display issues on different devices or platforms, contain errors, bugs, or glitches, or fail to meet user expectations. Thoroughly test and gather feedback from users before going live, ensuring a polished, functional, and user-friendly dashboard that aligns seamlessly with the needs of your sales team and stakeholders.
A sixth common mistake in sales dashboard design is treating a dashboard as a one-time project rather than an ongoing process. For example, you might create a dashboard and never update it, review it, or optimize it. Or you might create a dashboard and ignore the data, insights, or actions that it generates. Or you might create a dashboard and not measure its impact or value. To avoid this mistake, make sure you monitor, analyze, and improve your dashboard regularly and continuously.
I think the biggest concern is timely improvement. May be what we need last year may not be required in future. Also, how the loops are designed for Analysis. Correction time should be short.
We need to account for the impact of the metrics that are being reviewed to topline and bottom line. If there are certain metrics which are being reviewed and are not contributing to measurable impact we may need to question the need of incorporating such metrics.
View your sales dashboard as a continuous process, not a one-time project. Avoid pitfalls such as neglecting updates, reviews, or optimizations. Actively engage with the data, insights, and actions it generates. Regularly monitor, analyze, and improve the dashboard to ensure it remains relevant and impactful. Embracing an ongoing approach helps maximize the value and effectiveness of the dashboard over time, aligning it with evolving sales needs and objectives.
Knowing that dashboarding is seen as the ?gold-standard“ in data analytics, some stakeholders sometimes also require a simple pdf (or even printed) one pager including all relevant insights on one page. Especially top management doesn‘t have the time to click through various dashboards to generate insights. Often here one ?simple“ standard report does the better job. But everyone knows from school, writing little cheat sheets, how tricky it is to summarise all relevant data on one page.
Head of Manufacturing Germany at Salesforce l Customer Centricity Advocat I Sales Geek
In sales everything is about outcomes and related to goals and targets. Make sure your dashboards include this perspective. Dashboards should answer the “so what” so it is easy to derive action.