Intro to Tableau

Tableau - Premium Data Visualization 

Tableau is a powerful and intuitive data visualization tool that helps people see and understand data. 

1. Download and install Tableau Desktop. They offer a free trial so you can test it out.

2. Import your data. Tableau connects to a wide variety of data sources like CSV files, databases, cloud services etc. The data import process is quite smooth.

3. Build views of your data using Tableau's drag and drop interface. Easily create charts, maps, dashboards etc without coding.

4. Customize and add interactivity, this supports deeper data exploration.

5. Share/Publish dashboards and enable collaboration.

6. Connect to data live to always have updated views as the data changes. Tableau's integration options allow quick connections to live data.

7. Utilize a wide range of extensions and integrations built by Tableau's active community to further enhance functionality.

8. Learn best practices for effective data visualization and dashboard design to create impactful stories with your data.
   
   For maximum capability without costs, open source self-hosted tools like Metabase, Redash and Superset are great choices to consider as Tableau alternatives.