What are the best sales forecasting tools and software for outside sales teams?

1 CRM integration

One of the most important features of any sales forecasting tool or software is its integration with your customer relationship management (CRM) system. Your CRM system is where you store and manage all your customer data, interactions, and history, and it is the source of truth for your sales pipeline. A good sales forecasting tool or software should be able to sync with your CRM system, and automatically pull and update the relevant data for your forecasts. This way, you can avoid manual data entry, errors, and inconsistencies, and have a clear and comprehensive view of your current and potential sales opportunities.

2 Forecasting models

Another key feature of any sales forecasting tool or software is its ability to provide you with different forecasting models, methods, and scenarios, depending on your needs and preferences. For example, some of the common forecasting models include historical, opportunity, pipeline, and predictive. Each model has its own advantages and disadvantages, and you may want to use different models for different situations, such as short-term vs long-term forecasts, or high-risk vs low-risk deals. A good sales forecasting tool or software should allow you to choose and customize the best model for your specific goals, and compare and contrast different scenarios and outcomes.

3 Visualization and reporting

A third essential feature of any sales forecasting tool or software is its ability to present your forecasts in a clear, visual, and interactive way, and generate insightful reports and dashboards. Visualizing your forecasts can help you identify trends, patterns, gaps, and opportunities, and communicate them effectively to your team and stakeholders. Reporting your forecasts can help you track your progress, performance, and results, and adjust your strategies and actions accordingly. A good sales forecasting tool or software should offer you various options for visualization and reporting, such as charts, graphs, tables, maps, and filters, and allow you to customize and share them easily.

4 Collaboration and feedback

A fourth crucial feature of any sales forecasting tool or software is its ability to facilitate collaboration and feedback among your outside sales team and other relevant parties. Sales forecasting is not a solo activity, but a team effort, and you need to involve your sales reps, managers, and executives in the process. A good sales forecasting tool or software should enable you to collaborate and communicate with your team members, assign tasks and responsibilities, share updates and comments, and solicit and provide feedback. This way, you can ensure that your forecasts are aligned with your team's expectations, goals, and realities, and that everyone is on the same page.

5 AI and automation

A fifth and final feature of any sales forecasting tool or software is its use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to enhance your forecasting capabilities and results. AI and automation can help you automate tedious and repetitive tasks, such as data collection, analysis, and validation, and provide you with smart and accurate predictions, recommendations, and insights. A good sales forecasting tool or software should leverage AI and automation to help you save time and effort, optimize your decisions and actions, and increase your confidence and accuracy.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?