How to export actionable sales insights from Insightsquared to Excel

If you’ve ever tried to wrangle sales data out of a BI tool, you know it can feel like wrestling a greasy octopus. Maybe you’re staring at a dozen “insightful” dashboards, but all you want is a simple Excel file you can actually use. This guide is for sales ops folks, revops teams, and anyone who needs to get real, actionable numbers out of Insightsquared and into Excel—without the fluff, the noise, or the corporate nonsense.

Let’s get you from “Where’s the export button?” to a spreadsheet you can actually work with.

Step 1: Get Clear on What You Actually Need

Before you even log in, ask yourself: What do I need to see in Excel? More data isn’t always better. If you export everything, you’ll just waste time cleaning up a mess. Focus on:

The report or dashboard that actually drives decisions (not just looks pretty)
The fields your team cares about—usually things like deal size, stage, owner, close date, and maybe a few custom fields
The time period that matters (last quarter, this month, pipeline next 90 days, etc.)

Pro tip: If you’re trying to answer a specific question (“Which deals are stuck in negotiation?”), filter for that now, not later.

Step 2: Find (or Build) the Right Report in Insightsquared

Insightsquared is good at churning out reports, but not all of them are equally “export-friendly.” Here’s how to cut through the noise:

Head to the Reports or Dashboards section.
If your org has a shared dashboard, great—start there.
Otherwise, poke around or use the search to find what you need. Don’t be afraid to create a new report if the defaults are useless.
Customize before you export.
Remove columns you don’t need. (You can usually do this via the column picker or settings gear.)
Adjust filters so you’re not exporting 10,000 irrelevant records.
Sort the data in a way that’ll make sense in Excel—by date, owner, or whatever suits your workflow.

What to skip: Pie charts, summary widgets, and anything “visual”—these don’t export well and just clutter your file. Go for tabular views.

Step 3: Export the Data—Here’s How

Most people assume the export process is one click, but Insightsquared likes to hide this feature under different names (Export, Download, CSV, etc.) depending on the view.

Look for Export Options In Your Report
Usually, there’s an “Export” or “Download” button at the top right of the table.
If you see options, always pick CSV or XLSX. These play nicest with Excel.
Sometimes, you’ll need to click a three-dot menu (...) to find export options.
Choose the Right Format
CSV: Safest bet. Universal, but sometimes messes up special characters or numbers with leading zeros.
XLSX: If available, go for this—Excel likes it and you’ll keep formatting.
Set Any Export-Specific Filters
Some exports let you choose which columns to include. If so, double-check your selections.
For larger exports, you might get an email with a download link instead of an instant file. Check your spam folder if it doesn’t arrive.

Heads up: Export limits are real. Some Insightsquared setups cap the number of rows you can export in one go. If you hit a wall, try filtering your data tighter (smaller date range, fewer columns) or export in chunks.

Step 4: Sanity-Check Your Export

Before you fire off that Excel file to your boss or team, open it and make sure it’s actually useful.

Check for missing or weird data. Did special characters break? Are columns lining up?
Watch for extra “helper” columns. Sometimes the export throws in metadata fields you don’t need.
Verify your filters stuck. Make sure you didn’t accidentally pull every deal since 2014.
Look for summary rows or footers. Delete these—they’ll break your formulas later.

Pro tip: Save a clean, “master” copy of the raw export before you start editing. That way, if you break something, you can start over.

Step 5: Make the Data Actionable in Excel

Now you’ve got your spreadsheet. But dumping data into Excel isn’t the same as making it useful.

Clean up headers. Rename columns if needed. Remove any “internal” names or codes.
Format your data. Set date fields to date format, currency fields to dollars, etc.
Add filters. Turn on Excel’s filter function so you can slice and dice quickly.
Highlight what matters. Use conditional formatting to call out deals over a certain size, past-due dates, or owners with too many deals.

If you’re sharing this with others, consider adding a quick “Read Me” tab to explain what’s in the file and what each column means. Saves a ton of email back-and-forth.

Things That Actually Don’t Work (or Aren’t Worth Your Time)

Let’s be honest:

Automated exports rarely work as advertised. Most BI tools promise scheduled Excel reports, but in practice, these break whenever someone tweaks a dashboard or renames a field. Manual exports are safer if accuracy matters.
Exporting charts or pivot tables straight from Insightsquared is a mess. You’ll just get an image or, worse, a broken table. Build your charts in Excel after the export.
API exports are overkill for most humans. Unless you’re a developer or have a real integration need, don’t waste time here.

Troubleshooting: When Exports Go Sideways

Stuff goes wrong. Here’s what to check:

Nothing happens when you click Export? Try another browser, or disable pop-up blockers.
File is empty or missing data? Double-check your report filters and export settings.
Excel mangles your data (e.g., dropping leading zeros)? Open the CSV with “Import” instead of “Open” in Excel, and set column types manually.
Still stuck? Sometimes, it’s a permissions thing. Make sure your user role in Insightsquared allows data exports.

Quick Reference: Exporting in a Nutshell

Decide what you actually need—don’t export everything.
Clean up your report in Insightsquared before exporting.
Export as CSV or XLSX.
Sanity-check the file for completeness and weirdness.
Clean and format in Excel for action.

Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple and Iterate

Exporting sales data from Insightsquared to Excel doesn’t need to be a project. The trick is to keep your focus narrow, avoid exporting all the noise, and clean up just enough to make the numbers useful. If your first export isn’t perfect, don’t sweat it—iterate and refine next time. Most importantly, don’t get distracted by bells and whistles. In the end, a clear spreadsheet beats a fancy dashboard every time.