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How to Build a HubSpot Dashboard Your CEO Will Actually Look At

Written by John Tabita | Dec 22, 2025 3:49:08 PM

Most HubSpot sales reports gather dust. Despite hours of setup, executives rarely open them. Why? Because they’re built for sales managers, not CEOs. Your CEO doesn’t want pipeline specifics. They want answers: Are we hitting our numbers? Where’s our growth coming from? What needs fixing now? 

Here’s how to build HubSpot sales reporting that gets used daily. 

What CEOs Actually Want in HubSpot Sales Reports 

Executives consume data differently than sales teams. While managers track rep activity and follow-up rates, CEOs focus on outcomes and trends that enable quick decisions. 

The best HubSpot sales reporting shows outcomes over activities, trends over daily fluctuations, and insights over raw data. At Concept, our CEO relies on many key reports that tell our complete sales story without overwhelming detail. 

Essential Reports for Executive HubSpot Sales Reports 

New Business Deals vs Goals 

Your headline metric shows whether sales teams will hit monthly targets. Display this as a single value with goal tracking, showing whether it’s on track, at risk, or behind. Your CEO should understand performance within a few seconds. 

New Business Deals vs Quarterly Goals 

Executives think in quarters. Show cumulative progress toward quarterly targets using a line graph. This helps leadership spot problems before quarter-end. 

Closed Won Amount by Month 

Revenue trends reveal business trajectory. Display at least 12 months of closed won revenue using a bar or line chart. Add a trend line to highlight whether growth is accelerating or stalling, which is a critical insight for strategic planning. 

New Business Deals Created by Source 

Which investments are paying off? This report shows whether pipeline comes from organic search, paid ads, referrals, or outreach. Use first-touch attribution in your HubSpot sales reporting, not last-touch. Display both deal count and dollar value. Some sources drive volume; others drive revenue. 

Opportunities Created This Year by Stage 

Pipeline health means knowing where deals stall. Show all opportunities created this year across sales stages using a funnel or horizontal bar chart. If most deals stick at the proposal stage, your CEO knows exactly where to focus resources. 

New Business Opportunities by Source 

This top-of-funnel view shows which channels generate opportunities before they close. It’s your leading indicator of future revenue. Compare this against closed deals by source. If one channel creates opportunities but few close, you’ve found a conversion problem. 

Quoted Amount 

The total value of active proposals reveals potential near-term revenue. A healthy quoted amount should be several times your monthly target. Display this as a single value in your HubSpot sales reports with trend data showing whether it’s growing or shrinking. 

Closed Won Deal Count 

While amount shows revenue, deal count reveals customer acquisition momentum. Track this monthly with year-over-year comparisons. Growing deal count with flat average deal size? You’re moving down-market, which is something executives need to know. 

Building Your Executive Dashboard: Setup Best Practices 

Create a dedicated dashboard for executives; don’t retrofit existing sales dashboards. Use custom date ranges that align with your fiscal calendar and ensure deal stages are clearly defined and consistently used. 

Dashboard Design Principles 

  • Place your most important metrics at the top (deals vs. Goals first) 
  • Use consistent color schemes, when appropriate (green = good, red = problems, yellow = caution) 
  • Limit to 6-8 visualizations per screen to avoid scrolling 
  • Match visualization types to data (trends = line charts, comparisons = bar charts) 

Configure automated reporting so that executives receive dashboard snapshots via email weekly or monthly. Even the best HubSpot sales reporting doesn’t help if nobody looks at it. 

Common HubSpot Sales Reporting Mistakes to Avoid 

  • Too much detail: Your CEO doesn’t need individual rep performance or email open rates. Save those for sales manager dashboards. 
  • Wrong date ranges: Default rolling 30-day views don’t work if your sales cycle is six months. Match date ranges to your business reality. 
  • Vanity metrics: Total pipeline value sounds impressive but includes deals that will never close. Focus on accurate, actionable metrics. 
  • Static dashboards: Schedule quarterly reviews to ensure your HubSpot sales reports align with evolving company priorities. When goals change, update goal tracking immediately. 

Making Your Dashboard Actionable 

Add brief annotations providing context, such as expected dips due to holidays or industry seasonality. Set up automated alerts for critical metrics, like deals vs. goals dropping below 80%. 

Train new executives on how to interpret your HubSpot sales reporting. A 15-minute walkthrough dramatically increases adoption and engagement. 

Build HubSpot Sales Reports that Drive Decisions 

Effective HubSpot sales reports for executives aren’t about cramming in every metric. They’re about understanding what leadership needs, presenting it clearly, and making it actionable. 

The reports we use at Concept, from deals vs goals to closed won deal count, provide complete visibility without overwhelming detail. They answer the three questions every CEO asks: Are we hitting our numbers? Where’s our growth? What needs fixing? 

Build your dashboard with these principles, and you’ll create HubSpot sales reporting that doesn’t just exist; it drives decisions. 

Your Certified HubSpot Partner is Here 

As a certified HubSpot partner, Concept helps teams with whatever HubSpot challenges you have. Whether you’re new to HubSpot sales reports or want to navigate them better, our HubSpot Consulting & Support team is here—reach out today.