Manage the Exceptions: Build the Right Sales Dials w/ Chris Blum

How to build validated sales dashboards, manage exceptions, and make better decisions—without flying by gut feel.

 To find our handout for this episode, click here. 

Static reports are lagging. In this conversation, Mark McGraw and Chris Blum (EH Blum Company) walk through moving from canned outputs to interactive, validated dashboards. Start simple (revenue, mix, low-margin drivers), manage the exceptions, hunt the 1% margin gains, and use leading vs. lagging indicators to forecast. Chris shares a private-pilot “six dials” framework (trust instruments, not feel), how to visualize obsolescence (new-in/old-out), why your dials must be custom, and where AI helps—as long as you validate the output before you act.

🔗 Download exclusive sales resources at: buildingyoursalesengine.com/giveaway

Links
Sandler: https://www.Sandler.com
Episode page: https://www.BuildingYourSalesEngine.com/39
Show links: https://linktr.ee/buildingyoursalesengine
Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-blum-5439aa30/


In this episode:

• Reports → dashboards and real-time data validation

• Manage exceptions; the Power of 1% margin improvement

• Leading vs. lagging indicators for practical forecasting

• The pilot’s six dials mindset for sales leaders

• Obsolescence: visualize new-in/old-out to protect margin

• Custom dials (cash flow, growth, R/Y/G alerts) tailored to your business

• AI to build faster—validate before you act

• Mark’s practice: rolling 12s and “AI is great until it’s not”