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Sales Forecasting

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Generate detailed sales forecasts with risk analysis.

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Free · Opens the source repo

What Sales Forecasting does

The Sales Forecasting skill enables users to create comprehensive sales forecasts by analyzing their pipeline data. By uploading a CSV from a CRM or manually inputting deal information, users can set their sales quotas and timelines to receive a weighted forecast that includes best, likely, and worst case scenarios. This skill is particularly useful for sales professionals preparing for quarterly forecast calls or assessing their pipeline's ability to meet quotas.

Users can benefit from a detailed breakdown of their sales pipeline, including a commit vs. upside analysis, which helps identify high-confidence deals versus those with lower certainty. The skill also provides a gap analysis, offering actionable recommendations to close any shortfalls in meeting sales targets. This makes it an essential tool for sales managers and teams looking to optimize their forecasting accuracy and strategy.

The skill operates as a standalone tool, meaning it can function without additional integrations. However, for enhanced functionality, users can connect their CRM to pull pipeline data automatically, track changes over time, and utilize historical win rates for more accurate projections. This integration allows for real-time updates and a more dynamic forecasting process, making it suitable for teams that rely heavily on data-driven decision-making.

Whether you are a sales representative looking to refine your forecasts or a manager aiming to strategize for upcoming quarters, the Sales Forecasting skill provides the insights needed to make informed decisions and drive sales performance effectively.

When to use it

Use this skill when preparing for sales forecasts, assessing pipeline coverage, or deciding on deal commitments.

When not to use it

This skill may not be suitable for teams without a structured sales pipeline or those who do not use CRM systems for tracking deals.

What you can build with it

Quarterly Forecast Preparation

Use the skill to generate accurate sales forecasts ahead of quarterly calls, ensuring you have data-driven insights to discuss.

Pipeline Coverage Assessment

Evaluate your current pipeline against sales targets to identify potential shortfalls and strategize accordingly.

Commit vs. Upside Analysis

Determine which deals to commit to your forecast and which ones to consider as upside opportunities based on risk analysis.

How to install Sales Forecasting

View source

1. Install with the skills CLI

npx skills add anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins/forecast --agent claude-code

2. Or install it manually

Download the skill folder and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ to scope it to one repo. Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill.

Anthropic's agentic coding CLI, and the reference implementation of Agent Skills. Drop a skill folder into ~/.claude/skills and Claude Code loads it automatically whenever a task matches the skill's description. Claude Code docs

Inside SKILL.md

Written by anthropics

/forecast

If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see CONNECTORS.md.

Generate a weighted sales forecast with risk analysis and commit recommendations.

Usage

/forecast [period]

Generate a forecast for: $ARGUMENTS

If a file is referenced: @$1


How It Works

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                        FORECAST                                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  STANDALONE (always works)                                       │
│  ✓ Upload CSV export from your CRM                              │
│  ✓ Or paste/describe your pipeline deals                        │
│  ✓ Set your quota and timeline                                  │
│  ✓ Get weighted forecast with stage probabilities               │
│  ✓ Risk-adjusted projections (best/likely/worst case)           │
│  ✓ Commit vs. upside breakdown                                  │
│  ✓ Gap analysis and recommendations                             │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  SUPERCHARGED (when you connect your tools)                      │
│  + CRM: Pull pipeline automatically, real-time data             │
│  + Historical win rates by stage, segment, deal size            │
│  + Activity signals for risk scoring                            │
│  + Automatic refresh and tracking over time                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

What I Need From You

Step 1: Your Pipeline Data

Option A: Upload a CSV Export your pipeline from your CRM (e.g. Salesforce, HubSpot). I need at minimum:

  • Deal/Opportunity name
  • Amount
  • Stage
  • Close date

Helpful if you have:

  • Owner (if team forecast)
  • Last activity date
  • Created date
  • Account name

Option B: Paste your deals

Acme Corp - $50K - Negotiation - closes Jan 31
TechStart - $25K - Demo scheduled - closes Feb 15
BigCo - $100K - Discovery - closes Mar 30

Option C: Describe your territory "I have 8 deals in pipeline totaling $400K. Two are in negotiation ($120K), three in evaluation ($180K), three in discovery ($100K)."

Step 2: Your Targets

  • Quota: What's your number? (e.g., "$500K this quarter")
  • Timeline: When does the period end? (e.g., "Q1 ends March 31")
  • Already closed: How much have you already booked this period?

Output

# Sales Forecast: [Period]

**Generated:** [Date]
**Data Source:** [CSV upload / Manual input / CRM]

---

## Summary

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| **Quota** | $[X] |
| **Closed to Date** | $[X] ([X]% of quota) |
| **Open Pipeline** | $[X] |
| **Weighted Forecast** | $[X] |
| **Gap to Quota** | $[X] |
| **Coverage Ratio** | [X]x |

---

## Forecast Scenarios

| Scenario | Amount | % of Quota | Assumptions |
|----------|--------|------------|-------------|
| **Best Case** | $[X] | [X]% | All deals close as expected |
| **Likely Case** | $[X] | [X]% | Stage-weighted probabilities |
| **Worst Case** | $[X] | [X]% | Only commit deals close |

---

## Pipeline by Stage

| Stage | # Deals | Total Value | Probability | Weighted Value |
|-------|---------|-------------|-------------|----------------|
| Negotiation | [X] | $[X] | 80% | $[X] |
| Proposal | [X] | $[X] | 60% | $[X] |
| Evaluation | [X] | $[X] | 40% | $[X] |
| Discovery | [X] | $[X] | 20% | $[X] |
| **Total** | [X] | $[X] | — | $[X] |

---

## Commit vs. Upside

### Commit (High Confidence)
Deals you'd stake your forecast on:

| Deal | Amount | Stage | Close Date | Why Commit |
|------|--------|-------|------------|------------|
| [Deal] | $[X] | [Stage] | [Date] | [Reason] |

**Total Commit:** $[X]

### Upside (Lower Confidence)
Deals that could close but have risk:

| Deal | Amount | Stage | Close Date | Risk Factor |
|------|--------|-------|------------|-------------|
| [Deal] | $[X] | [Stage] | [Date] | [Risk] |

**Total Upside:** $[X]

---

## Risk Flags

| Deal | Amount | Risk | Recommendation |
|------|--------|------|----------------|
| [Deal] | $[X] | Close date passed | Update close date or move to lost |
| [Deal] | $[X] | No activity in 14+ days | Re-engage or downgrade stage |
| [Deal] | $[X] | Close date this week, still in discovery | Unlikely to close — push out |

---

## Gap Analysis

**To hit quota, you need:** $[X] more

**Options to close the gap:**
1. **Accelerate [Deal]** — Currently [stage], worth $[X]. If you can close by [date], you're at [X]% of quota.
2. **Revive [Stalled Deal]** — Last active [date]. Worth $[X]. Reach out to [contact].
3. **New pipeline needed** — You need $[X] in new opportunities at [X]x coverage to be safe.

---

## Recommendations

1. [ ] [Specific action for highest-impact deal]
2. [ ] [Action for at-risk deal]
3. [ ] [Pipeline generation recommendation if gap exists]

Stage Probabilities (Default)

If you don't provide custom probabilities, I'll use:

StageDefault Probability
Closed Won100%
Negotiation / Contract80%
Proposal / Quote60%
Evaluation / Demo40%
Discovery / Qualification20%
Prospecting / Lead10%

Tell me if your stages or probabilities are different.


If CRM Connected

  • I'll pull your pipeline automatically
  • Use your actual historical win rates
  • Factor in activity recency for risk scoring
  • Track forecast changes over time
  • Compare to previous forecasts

Tips

  1. Be honest about commit — Only commit deals you'd bet on. Upside is for everything else.
  2. Update close dates — Stale close dates kill forecast accuracy. Push out deals that won't close in time.
  3. Coverage matters — 3x pipeline coverage is healthy. Below 2x is risky.
  4. Activity = signal — Deals with no recent activity are at higher risk than stage suggests.

Frequently asked questions about Sales Forecasting

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