Beyond Vanity Metrics
Knowing you had 150 leads last month is nice. Knowing that 40% of them came from promoters, 85% of those sat for an appointment, and your average order value from promoter leads is £3,200 — that's actionable intelligence.
The difference between a good sales director and a great one often comes down to which numbers they watch and how quickly they can access them.
The Five Reports Every Sales Director Needs
1. The Pipeline Dashboard
Where are your leads right now? How many are uncontacted, how many have appointments booked, how many are at the pitch stage? A visual pipeline that updates in real-time means you'll never be surprised in a Monday morning meeting again.
2. Lead Source Performance
Not all leads are created equal. A lead from a returning customer referral converts at a completely different rate to a cold-canvassed lead from a new promoter. Track:
- Volume by source (promoters, showroom, phone, web, referral)
- Conversion rate by source
- Average order value by source
- Cost per acquisition by source
3. Sales Rep League Tables
Healthy competition drives performance. A league table showing each rep's:
- Appointments sat
- Pitch rate (appointments that resulted in a pitch)
- Close rate (pitches that resulted in a sale)
- Average order value
- Cancellation rate
When a rep's numbers dip, you can spot it immediately and offer support before it becomes a trend.
4. Branch Comparison
If you're running multiple branches, you need to see them side by side. Not just total sales — the underlying metrics that drive those sales. A branch with high lead volume but low conversion needs different intervention than one with low volume but high conversion.
5. Trend Analysis
Month-on-month, quarter-on-quarter — are things improving or declining? Seasonal patterns are normal in glazing (spring is always strong), but trends within seasons tell you whether your changes are working.
Real-Time vs Historical
The best dashboards show both. Real-time data for today's decisions ("which reps are available this afternoon?"), historical data for strategic decisions ("should we invest more in promoter teams or web marketing?").
The Monday Morning Meeting
With the right dashboard, your Monday morning meeting changes completely. Instead of an hour of people reading numbers from spreadsheets, you spend 15 minutes looking at a screen together, discussing the two or three things that need attention this week.