Forecast call agenda

Before the call: each manager sends

Due the working day before, in writing, so the meeting tests the call instead of collecting it.

• Their number for the period, split into commit and best case.
• What changed since last week, deal by deal, with the reason for each change.
• The three deals that decide their quarter, with the buyer's next step and its date.
• One deal they want the leader's help on, and what kind of help.

The agenda (45 minutes)

1. 0 to 5 minutes. The number: last week's call, this week's call, and the gap to target.
2. 5 to 20 minutes. Commit deals: test the largest commit deals against the questions below, one manager at a time.
3. 20 to 30 minutes. What moved: deals that slipped, came in early or changed amount since last week, and why.
4. 30 to 38 minutes. Best case: what would have to happen for each best-case deal to close this period, and who owns it.
5. 38 to 45 minutes. Decisions: the number we commit, the deals the leader steps into this week, and every action with an owner and a date.

Questions that test a commit deal

• What has the buyer done that tells us it closes on this date?
• Who signs, and has anyone on our side met them?
• What does the buyer lose if they do nothing this quarter?
• Which steps are left on the buyer's side (legal, security review, procurement), and who owns each one?
• What would have to be true for this deal to slip, and how would we know first?
• If this deal were worth half as much, would it still be in commit?

Rules that keep the call honest

• One number per manager. A range belongs in best case.
• No deal moves into commit without a buyer action behind it.
• Every change to the number comes with a reason, recorded where the team can see it.
• Coaching happens in the one-on-one, away from peers.

After the call

• Send the committed number, the three biggest risks and what is being done about each to the CEO and CFO the same day.
• Record each manager's call so forecast accuracy can be measured at the end of the period.
• Put the deals the leader is stepping into on the leader's calendar before the end of the day.