Sales reports are essential for every data-driven company. These reports don't just make your Monday morning meetings more informative; they make your day-to-day decisions more effective. Visually, each CRM reports information differently, but all can quickly capture a wealth of information, from leads to target tracking, sales to follow-ups. Use them to understand when your process is working and when it isn't, which of your reps need more training or are ready to run promotions, which outreach methods have the highest ROI, and more. Your CRM can run many useful reports. The five detailed below provide the most useful high-level insights, including the number of high-quality deals you're closing and how you're doing against your goals. Below, learn how to use each of the five most important sales reports to become a successful sales manager. 1. Enhance lead generation and increase closed deals with sales funnel analysis reports Think of the Sales Funnel Analysis report as a 30,000-foot view of each step in the sales funnel: % of qualified leads Percentage of qualified leads who made offers Percentage of quotes entering the contract stage % of contracts won As prospects move through the sales funnel, they become more qualified and their chances of converting increase. If leads keep industry mailing list at a certain stage, you can pinpoint why and make improvements. Not only can you see how the entire team is performing, but you can also drill down to see how each person's experience is in the funnel. Use it to identify stages where your team may need additional coaching, and individuals whose success will make them great trainers. It may be difficult for the entire team to move leads from quotes to contracts, but the report also identifies the strongest salespeople in the field. Additionally, if you see a lot of lead conversions but never get cited, you can use the Funnel Analysis report to determine if your qualification process needs fixing or if there are issues in the future. Or, if you find that too much business is lost between "Pitched" and "Won," it may be time to guide your rep through the deal. 2. Ensure marketing efforts are effective with incoming transaction volume reporting How effective is your recent marketing campaign? Are newsletters still generating opportunities? Should we still use Twitter? Neither you nor the marketing team want anything to happen. The information in the incoming transaction volume report distinguishes what generates interest and what generates business. Use it to calculate exactly how much business your marketing team is bringing in.