The 3 Best Strategies To Forecast Your Sales

Sales forecasting helps you estimate future sales by looking at past data, market trends, and business conditions. It guides decisions about inventory, staffing, and budgeting. Without a good forecast, you might end up with too much stock, not enough staff, or missed sales opportunities.

Many businesses struggle with forecasting because they don’t use the right method. Some rely too much on past sales without considering outside factors. Others make broad guesses instead of using real data. A good forecast looks at both history and current trends to give you a clear picture of what to expect. In this article, we will give you some strategies to help you properly forecast.

1 – Qualitative methods

Sales forecasting uses different methods to predict future sales. When you don’t have enough past data, qualitative methods such as keeping an eye on supply chain trends can still give useful insights. These approaches rely on expert opinions, customer feedback, and market research instead of numbers.

One way to make predictions is by asking experts. People with experience in your industry can give estimates based on past trends and current conditions. The Delphi Method takes this a step further by gathering opinions from several experts, refining their answers through multiple rounds, and removing bias for a more balanced forecast.

Since qualitative forecasting is based on opinions, it’s best to use it along with other methods. It’s a good starting point for new businesses, but as more data becomes available, forecasts should be adjusted for better accuracy.

2 – Quantitative methods

Quantitative sales forecasting uses numbers to predict future sales. This method works well when you have past sales data to study.

One way to do this is with time series analysis. This method looks at past sales to find trends that repeat over time. If your business has busy and slow seasons, this approach helps you prepare for those changes.

Moving averages help smooth out short-term ups and downs in sales to show long-term trends. By taking an average over a period of time, you can see whether sales are going up, down, or staying the same.

Regression analysis is another useful tool. It looks at how different things affect sales. This helps you see what drives demand so you can adjust prices, promotions, or inventory based on what’s happening in the market.

3 – Pipeline forecasting

Pipeline forecasting helps businesses predict future sales by looking at deals that are still in progress. This method works well for B2B companies, where sales take longer and go through multiple steps before closing. Instead of just using past data, it focuses on current opportunities to estimate upcoming revenue.

A big part of this approach is studying sales funnel data. By tracking how leads move through different stages—from first contact to final purchase—you can get a better idea of what sales might happen soon. If many deals are close to closing, future revenue looks strong. If most are still early in the process, it may take longer to see results.