Now on Salesforce+: Breaking Free From Spreadsheets (The Talk That Had People Nodding Hard)
Let’s face it – there’s a reason dashboards still get exported to Excel.
It’s not because users love spreadsheets.
It’s because they’re not yet confident navigating your dashboard.
They don’t trust what they’re seeing – or worse, they don’t know what to do with it.
At Tableau Conference 2025, Dawn Harrington and I unpacked one of the most frustrating realities in data:
Most dashboards fail not because the data’s wrong, but because the user can’t see the next step.
Maybe the actions aren’t clear.
Maybe the design feels unfamiliar or overwhelming.
Maybe it just doesn’t feel safe to make a call based on what’s on screen.
In our 40-minute session – now available to watch on Salesforce+ – we shared practical ways to change that.
What we covered:
- Why “Can I get this in Excel?” is a symptom, not the problem
- How to design dashboards that guide users to action, not leave them second-guessing
- The real reasons change is hard (and how to make Tableau feel less scary)
- Why trust, familiarity, and a clear story arc make all the difference
- The three pillars of visual analytics that keep users coming back (not clicking ‘Export’)
If your dashboards aren’t helping people feel confident enough to act, you’re not alone.
But there’s a better way.
(And while you’re there, check out 80+ other top talks from #TC25.)
This article was featured in Tableau’s Weekly Roundup.
