Where is the best place to start improving the accuracy of pipeline and forecasting reports (currently off by at least 20% each quarter)?

I would start with a diagnostic of why the pipeline and forecast accuracy are so far off. From that, you can identify improvements to make in your process. This likely requires a full understanding of your funnel, a review of data hygiene, and a close partnership with sales leadership to align that accuracy is something everyone agrees is important. A few things I would look at: Are the errors asymmetric? If the team always under-forecasts (aka sandbagging), what is causing that? Is there some h ...Read More

For simplicity sake, I'll assume that your forecasts at the beginning of the qtr are +/-20% from end-of-qtr (EOQ) actuals (since forecasts near the EoQ converge with actuals). What are table-stakes for both consistent and more accurate qtrly revenue forecasting is the org-wide adoption of A common forecast tool/dashboard/report and Common instructions/operations for using the data from step 1 to forecast If you don't have both, start with ensuring there is a common set of tooling/reporting for s ...Read More

If your pipeline and forecasting reports are only out by 20% each quarter better here is my advice on how to give them surgery: - MEDDPICC for Qualification Rollout: This framework helps standardize how your teams are qualifying opportunities amongst everyone. This brings an extra level of discipline to your sales process and means you only move in well-qualified deals, making forecasts more robust. - Revisit Your Opportunity Stages Again — Once more, make sure you have defined your opportunity ...Read More

To improve pipeline accuracy, I first look at the process related to sales forecasting: How much of the process is (or can be) assigned to objective activities (ie contract signing, request for quote etc)? How well are your salespeople trained on the non-automated aspects of pipeline and forecasting? Are there aspects of your sales comp plan that are tied to pipeline? Who is accountable for the accuracy of the pipeline? Does that person have the right tools/authority to coach/correct contributor ...Read More