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This experience supports a high-stakes setup moment where users are bringing their own data into a complex system. People are trying to move contacts into Salesforce accurately, without creating problems they will have to unwind later. For the business, this moment is about getting clean data into the platform while preserving trust and momentum early in the relationship.
We tested Salesforce’s Import Contacts flow within the Data Import Wizard. Participants were asked to imagine uploading a CSV and moving through the steps required to add new contacts. The test focused on success, comprehension, sentiment, intent, and usefulness to understand how clearly the flow communicates next steps, how confident people feel acting on them, and where hesitation appears.
This kind of testing surfaces breakdowns that happen right before commitment, when users understand a process but pause because the consequences feel real. Those moments matter because they can quietly slow adoption, increase support needs, or erode confidence without obvious errors. Seeing these signals helps teams focus attention on the points where clarity is already present, but reassurance may be missing in decision-heavy moments.
User Needs & Business Goals
This experience balances the need for control and accuracy with the business goal of getting clean contact data into the system efficiently. Users want to feel confident they understand each step and won’t cause unintended issues, while Salesforce aims to support reliable adoption of its data model without introducing risk or hesitation.
Audience
This concept was tested with U.S.-based participants who have some familiarity with business software and CRM tools. Participants reviewed Salesforce’s Import Contacts flow within the Data Import Wizard. They were asked to imagine uploading a CSV of contacts and assess how clear, helpful, and confidence-building the experience felt as they moved toward starting an import.
User Needs
In this moment, users are focused on completing a high-impact task without making mistakes they can’t easily undo.
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The experience should feel clear and easy to follow so users know what to do at each step (intuitive).
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The experience should help users complete the task without unnecessary friction or extra effort (efficient).
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The experience should make it easy to locate the right options and understand how they apply to their data (findable).
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The experience should feel dependable and predictable, especially when handling important records (reliable).
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The experience should feel trustworthy and reduce anxiety around potential errors or consequences (credible).
Together, these needs matter because importing contacts is a one-way moment where confidence and clarity directly affect whether users move forward or hesitate.
Business Goals
From a business perspective, this concept supports accurate data ingestion and long-term product trust.
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Improve successful data imports by helping users complete setup correctly on the first attempt.
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Reduce support burden caused by import errors, confusion, or failed uploads.
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Build trust in Salesforce as a system that handles important customer data safely.
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Encourage broader adoption of contact management features by lowering setup anxiety.
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Support long-term retention by making early data setup feel manageable and dependable.
When these goals are met together, users get a smoother start with Salesforce, and the business benefits from cleaner data, fewer issues, and stronger long-term engagement.
Choose Metrics to Test Your Import Contacts
This concept examines a data import experience where users are deciding whether they feel ready to move forward with a high-impact action. A focused design stack of UX metrics was selected by mapping core user needs to observable signals in behavior and perception. The metrics used in this test were success, comprehension, sentiment, intent, and usefulness.
Intuitive → Comprehension
In this moment, users are trying to understand what the import process involves and what will happen at each step. Comprehension captures whether the structure, language, and sequencing make sense as people move through the flow. It reflects how quickly users can orient themselves without needing to stop and reinterpret what they are seeing.
Efficient → Success
Users want to complete the task without unnecessary friction or missteps. Success reflects whether people feel they can actually get through the process using what is presented. It captures where the flow supports forward progress versus where caution or uncertainty slows them down.
Credible → Sentiment
Importing contacts carries real consequences, so users are sensitive to how trustworthy the experience feels. Sentiment captures the emotional tone people associate with the flow, including confidence, anxiety, or intimidation. It helps reveal whether the experience feels supportive or risky at a glance.
Reliable → Intent
Users are deciding whether they would feel comfortable using this flow on their own. Intent reflects that readiness to act. It captures whether people believe the experience will behave as expected once real data is involved.
Useful → Usefulness
At a practical level, users want the flow to genuinely help them accomplish their goal. Usefulness captures whether the steps, guidance, and structure feel like they add value rather than overhead. It reflects how well the experience supports the job users are trying to get done.
Establish Hunches to Direct Your Testing
Starting with hunches helps teams surface where uncertainty exists before any data is collected. These hunches reflect real risks in the experience and guide the questions toward moments where confidence, understanding, or momentum might break down. Each one translates a concern into something observable through user responses.
Example: Salesforce Import Contacts
<table xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" style="min-width: 305px;"><colgroup><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="width: 255px;"><col style="min-width: 25px;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><th colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Hunch</p></th><th colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="255"><p>Question</p></th><th colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>UX Metric</p></th></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>The step-by-step structure may look clear, but users might not fully understand the consequences of each action. This uncertainty could affect whether they feel safe moving forward with real data.</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="255"><p>How well do you understand what will happen after you upload your contacts file?</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Comprehension</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>The experience may feel powerful, but that power could also feel intimidating for first-time users. This perception might lower emotional comfort even if the steps are clear.</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="255"><p>What impression does the contact import screen give you?</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Sentiment</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Users may believe they can complete the process, but still hesitate when imagining doing it on their own without guidance. This gap could affect follow-through.</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="255"><p>Would you feel confident using this import flow on your own?</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Intent</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>The flow may appear logically organized, yet still introduce friction that makes completion feel slower or more effortful than expected.</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="255"><p>Was it easy to add contacts into Salesforce using this flow?</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Success</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Users may question whether the steps meaningfully help them accomplish the task or simply add overhead. This perception could influence how valuable the experience feels overall.</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="255"><p>How helpful was this for importing contacts?</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Usefulness</p></td></tr></tbody></table>
Together, these hunches aim to evaluate whether clarity alone is enough to sustain confidence and momentum in a moment where mistakes feel costly.
Turn Hunches into Test Questions
Turning hunches into concrete questions makes uncertainty measurable. Pairing each UX metric with a specific question type ensures the test captures real signals from how participants interpret, feel, and decide in this moment.
**Success (Task-based evaluation)**
Question type: Task-based success rating
Example: Was it easy to add contacts into Salesforce using this flow?
**Comprehension (Clarity rating)**
Question type: Likert-scale understanding check
Example: How well do you understand what to do next after uploading your contacts file?
**Sentiment (Impression assessment)**
Question type: Multiple-choice impression question
Example: What impression does the contact upload screen give you?
**Intent (Confidence assessment)**
Question type: Likert-scale confidence question
Example: Would you feel confident using this import flow on your own?
**Usefulness (Value assessment)**
Question type: Likert-scale usefulness rating
Example: How helpful was this experience for importing contacts into Salesforce?
Calculate UX Metric Scores from User Feedback
This concept evaluates Salesforce’s Import Contacts experience, where users are preparing to bring real data into the system. In this context, people are trying to understand the process, assess risk, and decide whether they feel ready to move forward. The design stack includes success, comprehension, sentiment, intent, and usefulness, combining behavioral and attitudinal signals to show how understanding and confidence come together.
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Very Good = 90% and above
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Good = 70%–89%
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Average = 50%–69%
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Poor = 30%–49%
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Very Poor = below 30%
**Success (69% — Average):**
Most participants believed they could complete the import, but some hesitated when thinking about executing it with real data. The flow supports progress, yet caution slows momentum near completion. This suggests the task feels doable, though not effortless.
**Comprehension (83% — Good):**
Users largely understood what the flow was asking them to do and what would come next. The structure and sequencing help people orient quickly. Understanding is not the primary point of strain in this experience.
**Sentiment (65% — Average):**
Emotional reactions were mixed. While the experience felt capable and powerful, it also came across as intimidating to some users. This signals that confidence is tempered by concern about making mistakes.
**Intent (82% — Good):**
Most participants felt they could use this flow on their own if needed. The experience supports readiness to act, even if some users would pause to double-check before committing. Intent remains strong despite underlying caution.
**Usefulness (74% — Good):**
Users generally felt the flow was helpful for importing contacts. The steps and guidance are seen as relevant to the task at hand. However, usefulness does not fully override hesitation tied to perceived risk.
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Taken together, the scores point to an experience that explains itself well and supports forward motion. The main imbalance shows up between understanding and confidence, where users know what to do but slow down when consequences feel permanent. This positions the Import Contacts flow as clear and capable, yet slightly strained at the moment of commitment.
Click here to check out the raw survey data and UX metric scores for Salesforce’s contact import.
Draw Signals from Your Design Stack
Here’s how signals were surfaced from Salesforce’s Import Contacts test results by following five steps:
1. Focus on poorly scoring or imbalanced metrics
The overall test score landed at 74% (Average). Comprehension and intent were the strongest signals, while success and sentiment lagged behind. People generally understand what the flow is asking them to do and believe they could complete it, but they hesitate when it comes to actually moving forward. That hesitation appears tied to concern about making mistakes with real data rather than confusion about the steps themselves.
Signal: Users understand the process, but confidence softens at the moment where action feels irreversible.
2. Identify patterns across metrics
Comprehension and intent reinforce each other. The structure of the flow helps people orient quickly and see a clear path forward. Sentiment and success tell a different story. They reveal tension at the decision point, where users slow down to double-check instead of moving ahead. The dominant UX tension here is clarity versus confidence. People know what to do, but they are not fully at ease doing it.
3. Determine if user needs are being met
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Intuitive: Met — Most users understand the steps and what comes next.
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Efficient: Partially met — The process feels manageable, but caution introduces friction.
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Findable: Met — Key options and actions are easy to locate.
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Reliable: Partially met — Users trust the structure, but worry about outcomes.
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Credible: Partially met — The experience feels capable, though slightly intimidating for first-time use.
4. Compare outcomes to business goals
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Improve successful data imports: Partially supported — Understanding is high, but hesitation may slow completion.
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Reduce support burden: At risk — Uncertainty increases the likelihood of second-guessing or follow-up help.
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Build trust in data handling: Partially supported — The system feels powerful, but not fully reassuring.
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Encourage feature adoption: Supported — Users believe they can complete the task.
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Support long-term retention: Partially supported — Early confidence gaps may affect momentum.
5. Surface signals & establish a direction
Signals derived from the data:
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Users grasp the flow and sequence quickly.
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Confidence dips right before committing to the import.
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The experience feels powerful, but carries perceived risk.
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Hesitation is driven more by consequence than confusion.
Direction based on business context:
The evidence points toward an experience that succeeds at explaining the process but struggles to fully reassure users at the point of action. Momentum slows when users consider the impact of mistakes, even if they understand the mechanics. Reducing perceived risk appears more critical than adding clarity.
This is a clear, capable setup experience that builds understanding early. Its main strain shows up at commitment, where confidence has not fully caught up with comprehension.
