How do I build dashboards that drive decisions?

Emily was drowning in data. "We had dozens of reports," she remembers, "but in meetings, people would still ask questions we couldn't answer." As Revenue Operations Manager, she knew their dashboards needed to do more than display numbers - they needed to guide decisions.

The Dashboard Revolution

Today, Emily's team makes faster, more confident decisions because their dashboards tell stories. "We moved from showing data to showing insights," she explains. "Every metric now connects directly to actions we can take."

Finding the Story in Your Data

Emily's breakthrough came during a sales review. The team was looking at a standard conversion rate dashboard when someone asked, "But what should we do differently?" That question transformed their approach to reporting.

Instead of creating generic dashboards, they started with key decisions their teams needed to make:

• Where should sales focus their time?
• Which marketing campaigns deserve more investment?
• What service issues need immediate attention?

Making Data Actionable

One success story stands out. They rebuilt their sales dashboard to show not just pipeline value, but pipeline health. "We added deal age, last contact date, and competitive factors," Emily explains. "Suddenly, managers could see exactly which deals needed attention and why."

The Decision-First Framework

Emily's team now follows a simple process when building any dashboard:

1. Identify the decisions this dashboard needs to support
2. Determine the insights needed for those decisions
3. Choose metrics that reveal those insights
4. Design views that make the story clear

"The magic happens," Emily notes, "when people look at a dashboard and immediately know what to do next."

Beyond Basic Metrics

Rather than showing isolated numbers, Emily's dashboards now connect related metrics to tell complete stories. For example, their marketing dashboard doesn't just show conversion rates - it shows the entire journey from first touch to closed deal, highlighting where intervention would have the biggest impact.

Your Dashboard Journey

Start by asking: What decisions do your teams need to make? How can data help them make better choices? Let these answers guide your dashboard design.

Remember: The best dashboards don't just answer questions - they prompt the right actions.

Need help building decision-driving dashboards? Your HubSpot representative can guide you through creating views that drive real business impact.