What Your Weekly Sales Report Should Actually Tell You

Johanne Stimson

If your sales report feels like a stack of numbers that nobody reads then you’re not alone.

Most family-run businesses have reporting in place because “we should,” not because it’s genuinely driving performance. The result?

A weekly meeting full of updates, a spreadsheet nobody trusts, and a vague sense that everyone’s busy… without knowing what’s actually working.

A sales report should do one thing above all else: Tell you what needs your attention next.

If it doesn’t, it’s not a report it’s admin.

How reporting goes wrong

Reporting problems rarely start with laziness. They start with good intentions and bad design.

Here’s what usually happens:

• Someone creates a spreadsheet full of metrics “to keep track of everything.”

• Salespeople see it as something for you, not for them.

• Data is filled in late or inconsistently.

• Meetings turn into a play-by-play of what’s already happened.

The problem isn’t that your team isn’t reporting properly. It’s that the report itself isn’t telling a useful story.

What a useful sales report actually shows

A good weekly sales report doesn’t overwhelm. It focuses on three simple questions:

1. Are we doing enough?

   
   

   → Activity — calls, quotes, visits, follow-ups.

   
   

2. Is what we’re doing working?

   
   

   → Conversion — quotes to orders, calls to appointments, enquiries to sales.

   
   

3. What’s coming next?

   
   

   → Opportunity value — the real size and timing of what’s in the pipeline.

That’s it. Everything else is noise.

When those three numbers are accurate and visible, you can lead with clarity. You can see what needs support, who needs coaching, and where energy should go next week.

Why too much data kills performance

It’s tempting to measure everything. Revenue, margin, call volume, follow-ups, conversion by product, sector, or postcode.

But too much data doesn’t create insight it creates paralysis. Your team stops engaging because they can’t see what matters and you stop trusting the numbers because they don’t tell a clear story.

Simplicity is strength. The right three metrics tracked consistently will outperform twenty metrics tracked inconsistently every time.

Turn reports into decisions, not documents

A sales report is only useful if it changes behaviour.

If activity is high but conversion is low — you’ve got a skill issue, not an effort issue.If conversion is strong but activity is inconsistent — you’ve got a rhythm issue, not a motivation problem.If opportunity value drops two weeks in a row — you’re looking at a pipeline drought waiting to happen.

That’s how you use reporting to lead, not just review.

The rhythm matters more than the format

You don’t need fancy dashboards or software to run effective reporting. You need consistency.

• Weekly rhythm: same day, same format, every week.

• Clear ownership: each salesperson updates their own section — no chasing.

• Shared visibility: everyone sees the same truth.

Over time, reporting becomes part of the culture, not a chore and when it’s working, you’ll notice a quiet shift: salespeople start bringing solutions, not just numbers.

How I help

After 19 years running the sales side of my own business as Joint Managing Director, Sales Director, and part-owner, I’ve seen how easy it is for good reporting to slip into box-ticking.

Now, I help family-run businesses bring back commercial clarity. Together, we rebuild reporting so it means something showing exactly where focus, coaching, or structure will unlock growth.

If your weekly sales reports feel busy but not useful, it’s a sign your systems need a reset.

Book a call with me, and let’s look at how to turn your reporting into a rhythm that drives results not just reviews.