Sales Forecasting Report

Step 1: Enable the Prospect feature for Individuals

*Because if you don't, only businesses can be considered prospects

1. Log in as the owner (or as someone with permission to the General Setup & Options screen)
2. Follow this menu path: Toolbox => Setup => General Setup & Options
3. Enable this feature: "Allow Individuals to be Prospects:"
4. Click on the Update Button

 

Step 2: Mark people as prospects

In order for this report to work, you need to start tracking prospects. This simply means that you save people into the system that aren't actually clients, but you think could be some day. Once you save them into the system, check the Prospect? Box at the top of his or her screen. See image

 

Step 3. Enter Prospect information

You now need to enter all of the prospect information about this client in his or her Profile screen see image

• Closure Prob%: Basically, you're predicting how likely the odds are that this prospect will buy your services (eventually making them a client). If you type in "80" , then you're giving your prospect 80% odds that they will actually do business with you. You're assuming there's a 20% chance that they won't become a paying client. Like you would with any other customer relationship managing software, you're going with your gut instinct when you fill this in.
• Exp Close Date: This is your guess about when the prospect will close, meaning when they will eventually buy your services.
• Exp Close Amt: This is the amount you think the prospect will pay you when they do finally pay for your services.
• First Contacted: This is the date that you first made contact with the client via email, over the phone, or in person.

1. Log in as the owner (or as someone with permission to the General Setup & Options Screen)
2. Follow this menu path: Reports => Sales => Sales Forecasting

• Start Date - This report searches through a range of dates. The Start Date is the beginning of the date range that you're about to search. The report is looking for the expected close dates that you typed into the "Exp Close Date" of each prospect's Profile screen. If a prospect's expected close date falls outside of this range, then he or she won't appear on the report.
• End Date - This report searches through a range of dates. The End Date is the end of the date range that you're about to search. The report is looking for the expected close dates that you typed into the "Exp Close Date" of each prospect's Profile screen. If a prospect's expected close date falls outside of this range, then he or she won't appear on the report.
• Client Types - If you're using our Client Types Feature, than you have learned that you can create your own categories for clients/prospects.
• Close Probability - You can search for just prospects that are above a certain close probability. You enter close probabilities in the Client Profile Screens. This would allow you to weed out prospects that are less likely to close than others.
• Sales rep - If you have checked the "Sales Rep" Box in your staff member's screen see image, then they will show up on the drop-down list. You can search for just the prospects assigned to a sales rep. Where are prospects assigned to a rep? On each prospect's Profile screen see image
• Generate - This magic button makes the report appear.
• Tag Clients Only - Check this box to run the report for only clients that have been tagged

• Company Name - This is the name of the client or company that is considered a prospect.
• Exp Close Date - This is the date that you guessed the client would actually pay for one of your services. You set this up in each prospect's Profile screen. Click here for more information.
• Probability Value - This is the amount of money you guessed that your prospect would spend for their first payment once they became a paying client. You set this up in each prospect's Profile screen. Click here for more information.
• Forecasted Value - This is the theoretical value of the prospect. We take the Closure Probability, i.e. the odds that this person will actually become a paying client, and multiply it by the expected close amount. You entered both of these values in the prospect's Profile Screen. You set this up in each prospect's Profile screen. Click here for more information.