Here's how to sort data in Excel by multiple columns:

1. Select your data: Click anywhere within the data range you want to sort. It's best practice to include the header row if your data has headers.

2. Go to "Sort" options: There are two ways to access the Sort function:
* Data Tab: Click on the "Data" tab in the Excel ribbon.
* Home Tab: On the "Home" tab, navigate to the "Editing" group and click the "Sort & Filter" dropdown arrow. Choose "Custom Sort" from the options.

3. Sort by the first column:
* In the "Sort by" dropdown list, choose the first column you want to sort by.
* Select "A to Z" for ascending order or "Z to A" for descending order.

4. Add additional sorting levels (optional):
* To sort by a second or third column, click the "Add Level" button.
* In the "Then by" dropdown list for the new level, choose the next column you want to sort within.
* Define the sort order (ascending or descending) for this level.

5. Click "OK": Once you've defined your sorting criteria for all desired columns, click "OK" to apply the sort.

Here are some additional points to remember for multi-column sorting:

* By default, sorting happens within each group created by the previous sort level.
* For example, if you sort by Region first (A to Z) and then by Salesperson (A to Z), all salespeople within each region will be sorted alphabetically.
* You can use the "Copy formatting" option in the Sort window to maintain any formatting applied before sorting.