A Complete Guide to Sales Forecasting for Beginners

Managers use sales forecasts from their reps to estimate how much business their team will close. Team forecasts are used by directors to predict department sales. The VP of Sales forecasts the organization's sales using department forecasts. These reports are usually distributed to company executives, board members, and/or stockholders.

Forecasting sales adds value to a company's bottom line. Forecasts are used by finance to develop budgets for capacity plans and hiring, and sales forecasts are used by production to plan their cycles. Forecasts aid sales operations in territory and quota planning, supply chain in material purchases and capacity planning, and sales strategy in channel and partner strategies.

In both cases, sales forecasting is similar.

Sales forecasts assist the entire company in planning resources for shipping products, paying for marketing, hiring employees, and more.

Accurate sales forecasting results in a well-oiled machine that meets current and future customer demand.

Internally, sales revenue that arrives within the estimated time frame makes leaders and collaborators happy, just as a shipment that arrives on time makes them happy.

One of the most important things a company does is sales forecasting.

It helps with sales forecasting and is used for staffing and budgeting across an organization.

Despite its importance, many organizations still rely on antiquated methods that result in inaccurate forecasts.