Forecast Review

The weekly Forecast Review is an internal sales meeting designed to create clarity on the team's revenue forecast and drive accountability across Account Executives and Customer Success Managers. The meeting reviews what is in the pipeline, what has changed since the last session, and whether pipeline generation is on track to meet full-year targets.

Forecast and Commit Deals

The forecast gives the organization and board our best estimate of what we expect to deliver for the quarter. Commit Deals are a subset of Forecast Deals and are included in the total forecast. Forecast ARR and new-customer count must use the same deal assumptions.

Forecast Deals

Deals we expect to close in the quarter being forecast, based on buyer engagement, deal progress and a credible plan to complete the remaining work.

Forecast Deals can be in Stage 3 or higher, provided they meet the following criteria:

  • The buyer has confirmed the business need and intended purchase timing, with a credible budget source and approval path identified.
  • There is a realistic plan to resolve outstanding commercial terms and technical requirements within the quarter.
  • Procurement, legal and security requirements are identified, with sufficient time and a credible plan to complete the necessary steps.
  • There is a credible path to signature by quarter-end, supported by buyer engagement and a concrete next milestone.

Commit Deals

The subset of Forecast Deals we have high confidence will close in the quarter being forecast, supported by confirmed buyer decisions and limited remaining uncertainty.

Commit Deals must be moved to Stage 5 - Commit and meet the following criteria:

  • The buyer has confirmed the purchase decision, budget and approval authority.
  • Commercial terms and remaining technical requirements are sufficiently resolved.
  • Procurement, legal and security steps have owners and credible completion dates.
  • There is a buyer-supported path to signature by quarter-end, with a concrete next milestone.

Preparation

Before the meeting, every AE and CSM must:

Meeting agenda

The meeting runs through the pipeline in three phases.

Month-by-month review (current + next 2 months)

For each of the three months, the team walks through what has changed since the last review:

  • Closed lost — deals that were lost and why
  • New deals — newly created opportunities and their expected value
  • Deal growth — existing deals that have increased in value; see Deal Amount Fields for why deal values should only move up as a deal progresses
  • Stage movements — deals that have advanced or regressed in the pipeline

The goal is to understand the delta: what moved, why, and what it means for the monthly forecast.

Full-year pipeline review

After the three-month walkthrough, the meeting closes with a full-year view to confirm that pipeline generation is healthy and on track to support annual targets. This surfaces any gaps early so the team can adjust sourcing or coverage.

Pipeline discipline: the 60-day rule

Deals must clear the Diagnose stage within 60 days of creation. This keeps the pipeline honest: what you see in the forecast is real, active demand, not aging placeholders.

  • At 30 days — deals still in Diagnose are flagged for additional attention. The deal owner reviews next steps with sales leadership at the next Forecast Review and agrees on the specific actions needed to advance or disqualify.
  • At 60 days — deals that have not cleared Diagnose are closed lost. Disqualifying fast is a healthy outcome; it frees time for deals we can win and keeps forecast quality high. A closed deal can always be reopened if the prospect re-engages.

Flagged and overdue deals are reviewed as part of the month-by-month walkthrough in the weekly Forecast Review.