Hi there! With decades of experience building data visualizations for top corporations, I‘m excited to guide you through constructing illuminating sales dashboards on Tableau step-by-step.
These interactive dashboards don‘t just display sales metrics – they tell stories, reveal trends and ultimately help sales teams make smart data-backed decisions to accelerate growth.
By the end of this extensive walkthrough, you‘ll be confident in building stunning dashboards tailored exactly to your business needs!
Why Every Sales Team Needs a Snazzy Dashboard
Firstly, what makes dashboards indispensable for sales operations?
As per Gartner‘s 2022 Business Intelligence Study encompassing over 1000 organizations, 61% of teams rely on data dashboards as their primary tool for sales analysis and performance tracking.
Tableau itself now caters to a mammoth 86,000 customer companies including leading brands like Netflix, Verizon and Nestle.
The reasons for the immense popularity of Tableau sales dashboards include:
Interactive Visualizations – Well-designed charts allow deeper understanding vs. scanning boring reports. Managers can flexibly filter, sort and analyze data on the fly to answer questions instantly.
Unified Views – Key metrics across different systems like CRM, inventory etc. are brought together on one single pane of glass providing a holistic overview of the entire sales function.
Easy Monitoring – Dashboards constantly track KPIs across regions, campaigns, executives etc. enabling teams to quickly identify high/low performers. Issues like declining lead conversions get flagged early.
Predictions and Goals – Historical performance, industry benchmarks and machine learning guide reliable sales forecasts. Progress against quotas is tracked with alerts on slippages.
Now that you see why Tableau dashboards are invaluable, let‘s get cracking on building one tailored to your unique business scenario!
Step 1 – Data Prep and Connecting to Tableau
Like any data project, the foundational step is preparing the data source.
Here are best practices I always adhere to before bringing data to Tableau:
- Eliminate duplicates to avoid double counting
- Normalize values like state names to limit grouping errors
- Handle missing data via techniques like imputation
- Merge disparate sources like regional sales data into one unified dataset
Tableau connects directly to a wide array of data sources:
- Relational Databases – MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL etc.
- Files – CSV, XLSX and JSON files
- Big Data – Hive, Snowflake, Amazon Redshift etc.
- Cloud Apps – Google Analytics, Salesforce APIs etc.
I generally recommend CSVs to start since being text-based, they offer maximum portability across systems compared to proprietary software formats.
Once the data file is prepared, connecting it is dead simple:
- Launch Tableau and under
To a FileclickExcel - Navigate to the CSV and click
Open - Select relevant data if prompted by Tableau prep
The myth that Tableau requires specialized database skills is debunked! 💪
Okay, with data flowing in let‘s start shaping it into compelling visuals!
Step 2 – Building Impactful Data Charts
Tableau offers a flexible drag-and-drop workflow for instant chart creation. We support a rich library of 30+ chart types but here are 5 essential ones I‘d recommend for any sales dashboard:
1. Area Chart of Sales over Time
The area graph with color bands delivers an instantly understandable view of sales numbers aggregated by any time period:
[Satellite Map example]2. Heatmap of Sales by Region
The classic geographical heatmap arouses viewers‘ curiosity by vividly displaying differences in regional sales performance:
[Heatmap example]3. Scatterplot Comparing Sales vs. Profit
The correlation scatterplot enables making strategic decisions on improving profitability across offerings:
[Scatterplot example]4. Tree Map Showing Products by Revenue Contribution
This area-proportional chart helps managers identify top revenue generating products and detect underperformers:
[Tree Map example]5. Box Plot Depicting Deal Size Distribution
The distribution visualization allows managers to analyze deal patterns like sizes or conversion rates for different offerings. Outliers get visibly flagged:
[Box Plot example]Now you know the secret sauce for a hard-hitting dashboard! 😎 Next let‘s level-up…
Step 3 – Building Advanced Metrics
While Tableau renders beautiful charts out-of-the-box, savvy analysts enrich data further by crafting smart calculated fields.
I‘ll equip you with a few gems I brew after years of practice:
YoY Sales Growth
(SUM([Sales]) - LOOKUP(SUM([Sales]), -1)) / ABS(LOOKUP(SUM([Sales]), -1)) * 100
Calculates the annual growth in sales over previous year. LOOKUP fetches the past period value.
Customer Lifetime Value
FIXED [Customer ID], SUM(DATEDIFF(‘day‘,MIN([Order Date]), MAX([Order Date])) * AVG([Profit]))
Estimates lifetime customer value by averaging their order profitability over the relationship period
Churn Rate
COUNT(IF YEAR([Customer Since]) = PREVIOUSYEAR THEN [Customer ID] END)/COUNT(IF YEAR([Customer Since]) = PREVIOUSYEAR-1 THEN [Customer ID] END)
Analyzes retention rate by comparing number of repeat customers between years
Become a metrics wizard by harnessing the 150+ functions in Tableau‘s formula toolbox!
Step 4 – Dashboard Assembly – A Practical Demonstration
Finally, we arrive at the culmination – creating an uber-stylish yet functional dashboard from scratch! 🥳
Let me walk you through building a real-world Executive Sales Performance Tracker:
1. Hold a Brainstorm with Stakeholders
Kickstarting the design process with end-users helps understand what KPIs truly matter to help their decision-making. I framed mockups of 3 prototypes for the leadership team to pick from:
Mockup A: Geographical view for market expansion planning
Mockup B: Campaign Performance view to optimize investments
Mockup C: Executive-wise view for individual goal tracking
Prototype C was unanimously voted as meeting their review needs.
2. Wireframe and Storyboard Key Widgets
Next, I sketched wireframes marking out functional areas which capture metrics the execs cared about:
Area 1: YTD Regional Sales vs. Target
Area 2: Rep-wise Deal Pipeline Funnel
Area 3: Sales Forecast for Next Quarter
I intentionally ordered them in a logical narrative flow driving strategy discussions.
3. Populate Widgets with Relevant Charts
Referring to my wireframes, I populated each area with a meaningful chart:
Area 1: Filled Map comparing regional profit to historical baseline
Area 2: Stacked bar chart showing deal stages by sales reps
Area 3: Forecast combo chart using exponential smoothing
4. Interweave Design Best Practices
With content locked in, I shifted focus to aesthetics – enhancing crammed widgets using proven design principles:
- Used consistent color scheme for brand recall
- Aligned widgets into information hierarchy through sizing
- Added dividing lines between unrelated widgets
- Ensured optimal mobile visibility through horizontal layout
5. Perform Rigorous Quality Testing
Before deploying the dashboard, I pressure tested it under different scenarios to catch issues:
- Verified cross-filter interactions between widgets
- Checked rendering on mobile devices via emulators
- Confirmed scheduled data refresh populates latest figures
Witness the fruit of these diligent efforts – our revolutionary Executive Sales Dashboard! 💫
[Final Dashboard Sample]Now bask in the glory of your creation! 😄
Just a few easy steps stood between envisioning this game-changing artifact… and holding the tactile end product in your hands!
Step 5 – Sharing Your Masterpiece with the World
Now that you‘ve poured sweat and blood into sculpting this dashboard monument (cue triumphant background score!), let‘s make sure the key audience can access your handiwork!
Tableau offers flexible options to publish your dashboard digitally:
Tableau Public
Perfect for individual analysts looking to build a public profile by showcasing Tableau skills. But has certain data privacy limitations given public hosting.
Tableau Server
Enterprise teams commonly deploy Tableau web server on proprietary cloud or hardware allowing employees easy viewing access via single sign-on.
Embedded Code
For customer-facing dashboards with selective data, embed code into company websites allowing restricted viewing privileges.
Local PDF/PPT
For occasional sharing in email reports or presentations, simple local PDF exports get the job done without costly server setups.
Take a Bow, Maestro! 👏
My sincere appreciation for sticking till the very end of this epic blog!
You are now fully primed to build state-of-the-art Sales dashboards customized to your unique business challenges using Tableau‘s intuitive interface!
Do ping me should any tricky dashboarding situations arise in your undertakings! 😊
Bon Voyage and Godspeed exploring the exciting world of Tableau-driven Business Intelligence!
Warmest regards,
Roger watson
Sales Analytics Evangelist
