Forecasting honestly

Skills you'll practise

• Distinguish pipeline stages from forecast categories
• Assign deals to forecast categories using recorded buyer evidence
• Calculate weighted pipeline, pipeline coverage and forecast accuracy
• Recognize over-forecasting ('happy ears') and sandbagging in a forecast history
• Update a forecast promptly when evidence changes and explain why

Course outline

1. 1.Forecasting honestlyVideo · 2 min
2. 2.Stages, categories and evidenceLesson · 16 min
3. 3.Weighted pipeline, coverage and slipping datesLesson · 16 min
4. 4.Calling the number and keeping it honestLesson · 16 min
5. 5.Forecasting honestly: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 16 questions
6. 6.The forecast call: commit or not?Scenario
7. 7.Final exam8 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out

Sources it draws on

The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.

• General sales-forecasting practice: pipeline stages, forecast categories and weighted pipeline
• General consultative-selling practice (discovery, qualification, value)