Accurate sales forecasting: How we get there using Gong at Gong

If you also work in revenue operations, you know the relentless pursuit of accurate sales forecasting. Every company strives for that sweet spot, where precise forecasts drive impactful results and growth.

At Gong, we’re no different. We constantly analyze our pipeline to align with our goals and navigate complex data to make informed decisions. And we rely on our own platform to solve these challenges.

That’s why, as part of our “Gong on Gong” blog series, I’m pulling back the curtain to take you through some of the Gong Forecast features I rely on daily to prevent forecasting gaps and misses and achieve greater accuracy.

Before I get into how I use Gong, I want to stress the importance of embedding forecasting as a critical part of your organization’s operating rhythm . We’ve set clear weekly steps and expectations for reps, managers, and VPs that keep our data accurate and actionable. It’s this rigor and discipline that allows us to maximize Gong’s capabilities in the first place. Adhering to clear processes and fostering accountability will keep you aligned with your business and hugely increase your win rates.

It can be tough to ensure clarity and alignment across your entire revenue team. I’m obsessive about monitoring Gong’s pipeline to foster collaboration and focus our efforts on the right activities. I do a deep dive every Monday but maintain real-time awareness by checking our pipeline build every single day.

Using Gong’s Deal Board functionality, I can quickly assess how much pipeline is being built across each channel and team. Inside of Gong Forecast , you’ll find that you can either use different deal board templates or build your own. We rely on specialized views of the pipeline generation boardto focus on critical metrics, for example. I’m particularly interested in where our pipeline may be falling and how that impacts coverage in the current and upcoming quarter. Seeing gaps early helps us adjust strategies to mitigate risk and keep our momentum.

Missing a forecast is my biggest fear. You too? To make sure that doesn’t happen, I try to identify at-risk areas and find ways to mitigate them throughout the quarter. Every week, I look for potential gaps in our sales forecast and determine how we might fill them. When the indicators give us confidence, I may even raise our forecast, but then the cycle starts over to ensure we don’t miss the new target. To effectively manage these risk cycles, here are key things that I review all within Gong Forecast :

• Tracking to target attainment and forecast
• Stage progression
• Deal likelihood

I always say forecasting isn’t about being right — it’s about managing how wrong you might be. That’s the beauty of it. You have to understand risk profiles and leverage the right solutions to navigate them effectively.

That’s where Gong Forecast comes in; it has taken our revenue operations to new heights. By centralizing everything within our platform, we’ve achieved incredible accountability and alignment across our teams. Gong Forecast’s latest enhancements have drastically increased our ability to forecast with accuracy and agility.

Gong Forecast can help you make AI-powered, informed decisions based on real customer interaction data. It offers a holistic view of your sales pipeline, and supports your entire revenue organization – from SDRs to AEs to customer success – to drive revenue growth and operational excellence.

If you’re ready for next-level revenue forecasting results, get in touch .