Dashboard Essentials for Growth Teams in B2B Saas

Jun 11, 2022

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Narayan Prasath

Why Dashboards Are Your Strategic Powerhouse

Think of a good dashboard as your organization's nerve center, constantly pulsating with vital insights.

These insights let you make smarter decisions each day, especially in B2B SaaS Marketing.

Unfortunately, not all dashboards are built equal.

The challenge many growth teams face in B2B SaaS Marketing isn't just the scarcity of data—it's knowing how to utilize it effectively.

Whether you work at an enterprise or at a startup in B2B SaaS Marketing: data is the compass for your strategic moves.

And the strength of your next move hinges on the quality of your insights.

Anyone can make a blind move. But results come to those who tirelessly use data in their favor.

Without the right data. You’re just playing a guessing game.

That’s why I've put together this article, with a focus on B2B SaaS Marketing. Drawing from my own experience and from collected knowledge.

So you don't have to start from scratch.

But getting dashboards right is a struggle, particularly in B2B SaaS Marketing. Many stumble over the basics—what data to gather, how to prioritize it, and where to start and stop.

But here’s the good part.

Building an effective dashboard doesn't have to be rocket science in 2024.

The good news? Many of the tools you're already using likely have built-in capabilities to help you.

This post is not a step-by-step into how to actually build one.

Instead, we cover the essentials that matter in B2B SaaS Marketing 2024

Tying together core metrics that directly add value to your customers is the secret sauce.

Particularly in B2B SaaS, whether you are sales-led or product-led, or a mix of both.

Let's drill down the essentials.

So, what's the recipe for a dashboard that truly makes an impact? What elements are non-negotiable for it to effectively tell the story of what's happening in your business?

You need 3 Dimensions in your vantage point

  • Activity

  • Impact

  • People

Why these three?

Different teams entrust different attitudes when it comes to steering their strategy in B2B SaaS Marketing.

While some teams focus on activities - # of calls, email, content, etc.

Others are attuned to the bottomline or outcome(impact) - # leads, traffic, opportunities, revenue.

People data is about tying to the respective teammate, and holding them accountable.

At the end of the day, if you don’t have people tag hardcoded in the data, you lost track of who needs to be accountable for what.

Successful teams in B2B SaaS Marketing have a blend of the three dimensions.

If you’re using a CRM like Hubspot, you’re in a good spot. As long as your data’s there, setting up your essential dashboard is a few clicks away.

Forget sifting through hundreds of marketing metrics.

I've cut through the clutter to bring you only the core essentials for B2B SaaS Marketing.

Below are the must-have charts for your B2B Saas Growth dashboard, no fluff, just the essentials.:

We've broken it down into impact, activity, and people metrics. But there's more.

Your B2B Saas Growth dashboard needs another layer - key metrics that reflect the health and efficiency of your Growth System.

Think of these as Team Success metrics.

They span across both marketing and sales, giving you a holistic view of performance.

Data hygiene is vital for building a reliable dashboard — and that’s where teams struggle the most starting out.

For larger teams in B2B SaaS Marketing, collaboration and is key. Teaming up with the stakeholders to get your data hygiene in check is the first step. There are several ways to go about this, but most B2B Saas teams I’ve advised use Hubspot & Salesforce, and here’s what is essential for that common setup:

  • Streamline Source Data Fields between platforms

  • Map fields & dedupe

  • Take it step-by-step in phases

Remember, no two B2B Saas teams are alike, so your dashboards shouldn't be either.

Treat the above essential set as a lego set and build a B2B Growth dashboard that works for your team.

And know that it doesn’t have to be perfect the first time. You will take a few iterations to get it right.

It's about constantly evolving as you learn and grow.

 

Navigating Growth is complex and challenging.

There’s a lot to think about.

Unfortunately, winging it won’t get you far.

Finding the right levers at the right moment is key.

And effective dashboards help with that.

 

Here are some real world examples of dashboard essentials: Opportunities Amount by Stage

Leads by Campaign

Opportunities Amount by Source


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