Why Sales Forecasts Are Still Off in 2019

Forecasting sales is hard. Getting an accurate forecast is even harder.

Why? Because most forecasts are arbitrary. Pick a number 1 through 10, and that’s how you might forecast the number of deals you’ll close this quarter. Sounds like a joke, but the truth is sales forecasts are often made up because reps, and sales managers, don’t have a clear sales process that allows them to be accurate.

I spoke with Trey Gibson at Spotio to discuss why sales forecasts are still off in 2019. In this 40-minute interview we covered common forecast missteps and ways to set an accurate forecast.

Trey mentioned that his own team struggles with understanding when the deal will close. The truth is that it’s not when the sales rep needs the deal to close, it’s when the customer is ready.

Another point worth mentioning is that as sales reps, we are emotionally involved in the process. When that happens we often fail to have an accurate view of the situation, and that can further skew a forecast.

Watch the full interview at Spotio.

Expert Series: “Why Sales Forecasts Are Still Off In 2019” with Steve Kraner