Weekly/Monthly Forecasting – How to Predict the Future

Day 5 of 30 · Build Your Sales – 30 Days to More Deals

Today you'll learn how to create forecasts based on funnel data. The key: learn from the past to predict the future.


Daily Goal

  • Understand what forecasting is and why it matters
  • Create a weekly forecasting template
  • Create a monthly forecasting template
  • Set up a forecasting routine

Why it matters

  • Forecasting = control. If you know what will happen, you can prepare in advance.
  • Management communication: Management expects forecasts, not "hoping".
  • Resource planning: If you know how many deals you'll close, you know how many resources you need.
  • Early warning: If you see you're behind, you can fix it early.

Explanation

What is forecasting?

Forecasting = estimating future closes based on current funnel data.

Example: If you have 16 proposals sent now, and conversion is 25%, you'll close ~4 deals.

How to create a forecast?

  1. Look at current funnel status:
    • How many leads?
    • How many qualified?
    • How many connected?
    • How many proposals sent?
  2. Use conversion rates:
    • Lead → Qualified: 25%
    • Qualified → Connected: 40%
    • Connected → Proposal: 33%
    • Proposal → Closed: 25%
  3. Calculate expected closes:
    • 16 proposals × 25% = 4 expected closes
  4. Compare to your target:
    • Target: 4 closes
    • Forecast: 4 closes
    • Status: ✅ On track

Weekly forecast template

Stage Current Conversion Expected
Proposal sent 16 25% 4 closes
Connected 48 33% 16 proposals

Monthly forecast template

Same logic, but with monthly timeframe:

  • Monthly target: 4 closes
  • Current proposals: 16
  • Expected closes: 4 (16 × 25%)
  • Status: ✅ On track

Practice 1 – Weekly forecast (20 min)

  1. Look at your current funnel status (how many leads, qualified, connected, proposals)
  2. Use your conversion rates (or averages if you don't have your own yet)
  3. Calculate expected closes for the next week
  4. Compare to your target – are you behind or ahead?

Practice 2 – Monthly forecast (15 min)

  1. Create monthly forecast using the same method
  2. Write down what you need to change if you're behind target
  3. Set correction steps (e.g., more lead generation, better conversion)

Key Takeaways

  • Forecasting = control. If you know what will happen, you can prepare in advance.
  • Use historical data. Your own conversion rates are the most accurate.
  • Update weekly. Funnel status changes, forecast should change too.
  • Be conservative. Better to underestimate than overestimate.

Optional Resources