How to build sales dashboards that sales teams actually use

Most sales dashboards get ignored.

They’re built to look good in a QBR, not to help someone close a deal. Reps say they want dashboards-but what they really want is answers: who to call, what’s stuck, and how close they are to quota.

The truth is, a lot of sales dashboards are built by people who’ve never sold a thing. The result: performance metrics no one checks, charts no one trusts, and tools no one opens.

If you want a dashboard that gets used, start simple, build fast, and listen hard. Then iterate. Because usage beats requirements every time.

Check out a live Sales Team Dashboard built in Metabase.

Why most sales dashboards get ignored

Sales dashboards often end up as decoration: nice to look at, but ignored by the team. Here’s why:

• They report, not support: Good for QBRs, useless for day-to-day work
• Vanity metrics everywhere: Total pipeline, but no clue what’s actually moving
• They go stale: Data exports, no real-time updates
• They aren’t explorable: Reps can’t dig into their own numbers

How to build a sales dashboard team will actually use

Here’s what actually works:

• Start with real questions: What’s slowing us down? Where are deals stalling? Who needs help?
• Keep load time under 3 seconds: Speed is table stakes
• Prioritize action: If a chart doesn’t change behavior, drop it
• Build for self-service: Reps should answer their own questions without asking for help

Dashboards that help people do their job get used. Everything else is noise.

10 top metrics for a sales teams dashboard and how to calculate them

Begin with big-picture metrics to understand overall performance. Then drill down by rep or stage to spot what needs attention.

1. Pipeline by Stage

Why it matters: Shows where deals sit in the funnel and helps identify bottlenecks. In Metabase, you can drill into each stage to view the underlying deals.

How to build: Group deals by stage_name, count or sum deal_amount.

2. Closed-Won revenue

Why it matters: Tracks actual sales outcomes over time.

How to build: Filter stage = 'Closed-Won', group by closed_at month, sum deal_amount.

3. Opportunity win rate

Why it matters: Measures efficiency-how many opportunities convert into closed-won.

How to build: closed_won_count / (closed_won_count + closed_lost_count) grouped by month or rep.

4. Average Deal Size

Why it matters: Bigger deals can skew revenue-track trends and rep performance.

How to build: AVG(deal_amount) grouped by month or rep.

5. Sales cycle length

Why it matters: Helps identify delays in the funnel and forecast more accurately.

How to build: DATEDIFF(closed_at, created_at) averaged for closed-won deals.

6. Quota attainment by rep

Why it matters: Tracks individual performance vs. goal.

How to build: Join deal data with quota table, compare SUM(closed_won_amount) to target.

7. Pipeline contribution (by Source or Rep)

Why it matters: Know who or what channels are feeding your funnel.

How to build: Sum deal_amount grouped by source or rep.

8. Stage-to-stage conversion rates

Why it matters: See where deals drop off in the funnel.

How to build: Funnel chart showing count of deals at each stage transition over time.

9. Commission Forecast (Real-time)

Why it matters: This is the most viewed dashboard for many sales teams. It’s personal and drives action.

How to build: Multiply deal_amount * probability * commission_rate. Filter by rep and group by close month.

10. Next expected orders

Why it matters: Helps reps prioritize outreach by surfacing accounts likely to buy again soon.

How to build: Use expected_close_date to identify deals closing within the next 7-14 days. Optionally, base it on reorder history.

Helping your sales team adopt self-service analytics

If a dashboard requires a ticket to update, it won’t get used. Sales teams need tools they can adjust without help.

Metabase makes it easy to:

• Build without SQL using the Visual Query Builder
• Add filters for date, rep, and stage
• Click into charts to drill down to the raw data
• Set up alerts when metrics cross thresholds

Metabase helps you go from question to chart in minutes. Build once, share with the team, and let them explore.

Explore a real Sales Team Dashboard or get started with Metabase.