Sales Forecast Template

Sales forecasts play a very important role in any business. They are not only essential for managing the business but also necessary when applying for a loan from a bank or seeking investment from an investor. Sales are a vital component of every business, and they are especially important for product-based businesses.

In the process of selling, companies offer their manufactured goods to customers and earn a profit in return. The profit earned depends entirely on the company’s sales. To increase profit, a company needs to boost its revenue.

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These days, businesses are using various methods and techniques to boost sales and maximize revenue.

Using a sales forecast template is one effective method. The template’s contents help a person plan, implement, assess, and control the company’s sales program by providing insights into future sales in advance.

The forecast can be of different types, such as monthly or yearly. Multiple products and services can be compared and analyzed by entering the number of units sold per month, the price per unit, and the cost of goods or services.

The template is available free of charge and can be easily customized to suit your needs. Its contents depend on the sales forecast you want to create for your business. The important sections of this worksheet are described below.

Forecast Input:

This is Sheet #1 of the template named Forecast Input. This sheet contains information about different sales opportunities along with a weighted forecast. It includes the following details:

  • Opportunity: The name of the business or organization involved in the potential sale.
  • Sales region: The region where the sale is expected. Analyzing sales regions is vital for planning.
  • Sales category: The type of sale, such as consulting, products, training, professional services, support, or a mix of these.
  • Forecast amount: The expected amount for a particular sale.
  • Sales phase: The stage of the sale, such as formal approval, opportunity identified, budget validation, etc.
  • Probability of Sale: The percentage that represents the likelihood of the sale.
  • Forecast close: If sales forecasting is done monthly, enter the name of the month.

Enter all the relevant information, and the sheet will automatically calculate the total forecasted amount along with a weighted forecast. Refer to the screenshot below for a detailed example.

Detailed sales forecast template

Forecast Totals:

This is Sheet #2 of the template named Forecast Totals. It contains the sales forecast totals for each month of the year. While the sheet is editable, it is strongly advised not to alter any cells, as they contain formulas that perform various functions. This sheet serves primarily as an output for the forecasted sales for each month.

Detailed sales forecast template

Forecast Graph:

This is Sheet #3 of the template named Forecast Graph. It contains a graph showing the relationship between monthly weighted forecasts and forecasted revenue.

Detailed sales forecast template

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