I have staff that access the sales side of QBO only - when the software opens up they are able to see the dashboard. You can click the privacy but they can unclick it

Your confusion ends here, @helen44.

Allow me to provide some details about the access rights of a limited access user.

Since your staff had limited access to the sales side only, they can only work under that permission. Though they can view the information on the dashboard, they can't make any changes from there. You might want to read this article to learn more about the different options for user roles and access permissions: User roles and access rights in QuickBooks Online.

You can also check out this article to learn how to manage users and modify their access permissions if needed: Add and manage users in QuickBooks Online.

Keep in touch if you need any more assistance managing users, or there's something else I can do for you. I've got your back. Have a good day.

@helen44 

As another option, consider having a CRM app for your sales team.