Picture this: You’re in a high-stakes sales meeting presenting your department's quarterly numbers. But instead of nodding heads, you see confused looks, furrowed brows, and glazed eyes.
The problem isn't necessarily your data—it’s how you’re telling its story. Sales reports shouldn’t feel like a math exam. They should paint a crystal clear picture of what’s working, what isn’t, and what to do next. And that’s where having an effective sales report template becomes vital.
A well-designed sales report template helps you track key metrics, spot trends, and get clear insights quickly. More than that, it keeps your team on the same page and helps stakeholders make smarter decisions about the sales process.
This article briefly unpacks the essentials of sales reports. We’ll then walk you through how to build one from scratch and share templates to get you started.
What is a Sales Report?
A sales report is essentially the backbone of any organization’s strategic decision-making process. It presents a snapshot of relevant data associated with sales performance. The “relevant data” here depends on your business type and industry vertical.
That said, most sales reports include the following:
- KPI reports
- Sales opportunities
- Cycle trends
- Conversion reports
- Sales analysis
- Order reports
- Sales acquisition reports
Businesses can use CRM systems or spreadsheet software like Excel to gather and organize these data for sales reports. Most CRMs have their default sales report templates, while Excel requires handling the programming yourself.
Whichever option you choose, it helps to first understand the different types of sales reports applicable to most businesses.
Types of Sales Reports
Both enterprise sales and small businesses need sales intelligence. Here are the types of sales reports businesses can use whether they’re just starting out or already established and looking to scale.
Performance Reports
Sales performance reports measure how well your sales team or your entire organization is performing. They use metrics like ROI, closed deals, and revenue to show whether you’re hitting your goals and outperforming past campaigns, or falling behind competitors.
In short, performance reports give you a big-picture view of where you stand and where you need to improve.
Sales Forecast
Sales forecasting shows your organization’s direction to help you prepare for what’s ahead. It takes current sales information like customer spending and average order value to forecast potential revenue.
Even more importantly, sales forecasting shows potential risks. If, for example, your organization estimates lower conversion rates, there might be underlying issues you need to address in your sales funnels.
Sales Pipeline Conversion Reports
A smooth pipeline is fundamental to sales success. Sales pipeline conversion reports highlight bottlenecks and show how to fix them.
For example, if you’re generating a lot of leads but seeing low conversion rates, this report can pinpoint where prospects drop off. Maybe it’s at the negotiation stage or during follow-ups. Identifying these gaps helps you optimize your pipeline for better results.
Sales Campaign Performance
Marketing and outreach campaigns are essential for a high-converting sales strategy. Your campaign performance report evaluates your marketing and outreach campaigns to see if they’ve met goals, exceeded previous campaigns, or did poorly than others.
Campaigns cover everything from cold emails, social media marketing, influencer marketing, or content campaigns. Data from these campaigns help you figure out what works and what doesn’t.
Sales Activity Report
Your marketing and outreach campaigns drive sales, but are they working as hard as they should? A sales activity report answers this question definitively. It specifically tracks every action your team takes to close deals—like calls made, emails sent, and meetings scheduled.
While you can’t control every outcome, you can control effort and strategy. High activity levels with the right approach lead to better results. These reports help you identify which of those activities drive the most revenue, so you can double down on what works.
How to Create Your Own Sales Report Templates
Creating your own sales report templates helps your team track the most relevant data for your business. Here’s how to do it step by step:
Define Your Goals & Audience
Your goals determine what data to track. Start by asking specific sales-related questions, such as:
- How can we improve conversions by 20% this quarter?
- Which campaigns generate the most revenue?
- Who is our ideal customer?
Once you’ve defined your goals, choose the metrics that will help you track progress. For the questions above, you might focus on:
- Sales pipeline data for conversion improvement
- Inbound vs. outbound campaign conversion rates for revenue tracking
- Customer behavioral data to refine your target audience
Next, tailor the report to the viewer. A sales lead might need detailed, technical metrics, while executives prefer high-level summaries focused on results. Adjust the language and visuals accordingly.
Decide on a Timeline
Decide on the reporting frequency: daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly. This depends on your goals and who will use the report. For instance, sales teams might need weekly updates, while executives prefer quarterly overviews.
Gather Data Based on Goals
With your KPIs in place, the next step is to compile and analyze data. For example, if you’re tracking email campaigns, integrate your email marketing tool with a CRM to centralize your data.
This makes it easier to track leads, nurture prospects, automate follow-ups, and analyze your campaign performance—all in one place.
Visualize to Provide Context
Data without context is just numbers. To make it meaningful, use visual aids like charts, graphs, and infographics. These help tell the story behind the numbers.
For example, if sales goals aren’t met, show the contributing factors using a funnel chart or trend line. This not only highlights issues but also sparks strategic discussions on how to improve.
For the best results, combine visuals with concise explanations to create an easy-to-grasp narrative that resonates with your audience.
Find Patterns and Forecast
The true power of sales reports lies in their ability to reveal patterns and forecast outcomes. In particular, analyzing trends helps you accomplish two vital objectives:
- Identify opportunities for growth or areas needing improvement.
- Predict sales revenue and set realistic targets.
This way, you make proactive decisions rather than reacting to challenges. As a bonus, you can uncover industry-shaking insights early that put you significantly ahead of the competition.
Ready-to-Use Sales Report Templates for Every Business Need
Now that we’re clear on how to create sales reports, let’s make the process even easier with ready-to-use templates you can customize to fit your unique needs:
Daily Sales Report Template
Daily sales reports provide a snapshot of your team’s day-to-day activities. They’re especially useful for real-time decision-making and keeping a pulse on sales productivity. In practice, you can use this template to track:
- Daily sales volume and revenue.
- Customer interactions (calls, emails, meetings).
- Conversion rates for each channel.
Here’s an example of a daily report template you can adapt:
Weekly Sales Report Template
Weekly sales reports give a broader view of your team’s performance, showing how they’re progressing toward their goals. They offer a balanced perspective, preventing you from getting lost in daily fluctuations while still being agile enough to make impactful changes.
You can use this template to track:
- Sales tactics, win rates, and goal-tracking
- Lead progress through the sales pipeline.
- Revenue generated and challenges faced.
Here’s an example of how this might look:
Monthly Sales Report Template
Monthly sales reports provide a comprehensive view of your sales team’s performance over a longer period. They offer deep insights that drive long-term strategies and resource allocation, helping you stay on track to achieve your business goals.
They also inform high-level decisions about pricing, marketing, and product development. You can use this template to track:
- Progress toward strategic goals.
- Top-performing products and channels.
- Opportunities for growth and challenges to address.
Here's an example to help you get started:
Sales Pipeline Template
Your sales report can also include data from your sales pipelines. You can easily make your template using a few key details from your prospect, including:
- Company
- Contact person
- Sales region
- Lead source
- Forecast revenue
- Sales stage
- Expected close date
Here’s an example from Microsoft:
CRM Pipeline Template
You can use free tools like Trello for a more streamlined and simple template. It works just like a taskboard, so you can easily build a system for your sales process. Here’s one of their templates:
Setting Up Your Sales Report for Success
A good sales report tells a story your team can act on. Here’s how to make the most of them:
- Start with clear questions you want your report to answer. Are you tracking team performance? Looking for product trends? Monitoring regional growth?
- Match your report’s style to your audience. Your sales team needs different details than your CEO. Keep it focused on what matters to them.
- Pick your time frame prudently. Weekly reports spot immediate issues. Monthly ones reveal trends. Quarterly reports help with bigger strategic moves.
- Choose numbers that answer your questions. Skip vanity metrics that look good but don’t guide decisions or apply directly to your specific circumstance.
- Add visuals that highlight key patterns. Charts and graphs can reveal trends your raw numbers might miss.
The best sales reports go beyond just tracking performance to shaping it. With the right approach, you’ll not only understand where you’ve been but also effectively chart the course for where you’re going.
