Why Deal-by-Deal Forecasting is The Future of Sales Analysis

Deal-by-deal forecasting is the most accurate sales forecasting method, and it’s something all sales, revenue, and operations leaders should be paying attention to.

With the assistance of artificial intelligence, teams can use deal-by-deal to land within 5% of their forecasts, quarter after quarter.

It does this by combining seller feedback, sales manager intuition, and sales activity data all into a single forecast. The trick is that deal-by-deal forecasting applies this analysis at the opportunity and even contact level, for a hyper-granular analysis of every opportunity, and the individuals involved. 

How exactly? To learn everything you need to know about deal-by-deal forecasting, read our guide here.

How Does Deal-by-Deal Forecasting Work?

Deal-by-deal forecasting is a bottom-up method that utilizes manager interpretation, as well as digital sales data to better predict sales outcomes.  

Over the past year, we’ve seen a rapid evolution in the way that sales is conducted. The switch to selling through entirely digital sales channels like email, phone, video conferencing has led to the widespread availability of sales interaction data.

Deal-by-deal forecasting utilizes this data to interpret buyer sentiment and determine if they will purchase, and the course of action required to increase the chance of a sales win.

The basic deal-by-deal forecasting workflow is as follows:

1. Sellers commit deal to their forecasts
2. Front-line sales managers review their submissions. They include/exclude deals or adjust amounts based on their own intuition, and/or conversations with reps.
3. The differences and changes are logged and tracked. Large gaps signal that there is an issue within a specific opportunity that must be addressed.
4. AI analyzes buyer engagement, activity, sentiment, and more. An engagement risk score is calculated, and potential problems are highlighted for further action.

The Benefits of Deal-by-Deal Forecasting

Teams that utilize deal-by-deal forecasting see far more accurate forecasts, get highly granular deal inspection, and as a result, increased revenue.

When combined with an AI-driven sales forecasting platform, teams can come within 5% of their forecasts, quarter after quarter.

Since this forecasting method takes into account each individual deal, and what is happening within it, sales teams can inspect each deal to detect problems early on. They can save opportunities from slipping, coach reps on exactly what they need help with, and increase revenue without the cost of additional headcount.

Why You Need a Deal-by-Deal Forecasting Platform

While it is possible to utilize the deal-by-deal forecasting method without the proper platform, you will lose out on the extra assistance from AI. 

Further, not all forecasting platforms are not created equal, and many do not provide the ability to drill down from a cumulative forecast, into individual deals, and on to specific interactions, all within the same view.

Platforms like BoostUp are built from the ground-up for deal-by-deal forecasting, and provide a simple workflow for forecast submissions, manager overrides, change tracking, and AI analysis. Research shows that teams with BoostUp save time, increase productivity, and grow revenue thanks to the enhanced workflows and deal review capabilities that it provides.

Want to know more about BoostUp? Tour BoostUp's predictive sales forecasting solution.

You can also contact us at info@boostup.ai or schedule a demo here.