home / skills / gtmagents / gtm-agents / forecast-discipline

This skill standardizes forecast discipline by guiding tiers, rubrics, cadence, and accountability to improve forecast accuracy and GTM alignment.

npx playbooks add skill gtmagents/gtm-agents --skill forecast-discipline

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

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SKILL.md
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---
name: forecast-discipline
description: Use to drive consistent forecast methodology, grading, and inspection
  cadences.
---

# Forecast Discipline Guide Skill

## When to Use
- Running weekly/monthly forecast calls.
- Coaching managers on commit/best case criteria.
- Aligning go-to-market teams on inspection processes.

## Framework
1. **Forecast Tiers** – define commit, best case, pipeline, upside with clear exit criteria.
2. **Grading Rubric** – outline inspection questions and data required for each tier.
3. **Cadence** – schedule prep steps, live inspections, and follow-up check-ins.
4. **Accountability** – log actions, approvals, and exceptions tied to each commit change.
5. **Continuous Improvement** – review accuracy vs actuals, adjust rubric/cadence quarterly.

## Templates
- Forecast call agenda + checklist.
- Commit change request form.
- Accuracy retro template with action items.
- **GTM Agents Inspection Worksheet** – standardized questions (deal health, decision process, paper process, risk plan) @puerto/README.md#244-271.
- **KPI Guardrail Sheet** – pipeline coverage, conversion %, slip rate with alert thresholds.
- **Escalation Memo Template** – summary for Chief Strategy Officer when forecast misses guardrails.

## Tips
- Keep commit changes transparent and documented.
- Incorporate MEDDIC/BANT prompts into inspection scripts.
- Pair with CRM hygiene dashboards to ensure data supports forecast claims.
- Mirror GTM Agents cadence: Monday management prep, Tuesday deal desk sync, Thursday exec forecast call.
- Require written rationale for any commit movement >5% week over week.
- If guardrail breached twice in a quarter, trigger RevOps remediation sprint (see lifecycle rip-cord procedures).

## GTM Agents Forecast Governance Overlay
1. **Call Structure**
   - Start with KPI guardrail review (coverage, wins, slip rate) vs GTM Agents thresholds.
   - Run tiered inspection (commit → best case → upside) with standard worksheet.
   - Assign owners for each risk + resolution plan.
2. **Cadence & Artifacts**
   - Weekly: manager inspections + Sales Director roll-up.
   - Bi-weekly: cross-functional sync with Marketing Director + Customer Success Manager for pipeline risks.
   - Monthly: accuracy retro + adjustments to rubric.
3. **Escalation**
   - Trigger CSO briefing when coverage <3.5x or commit accuracy slips below 85%.
   - Provide summary memo using Escalation Template.

## KPI Guardrails (GTM Agents Reference)
- Pipeline coverage ≥4x for new logo, ≥3x for expansion.
- Commit accuracy ≥90% in-quarter; warn at 85%.
- Slip rate ≤10% QoQ; immediate review if >15%.
- Stage hygiene: 95% of commit deals must have next steps + mutual action plan logged.

## Inspection Questions (Excerpt)
1. What changed since last call? (Deal, champion, procurement, competition)
2. Do we have verifiable next steps and dates? Who owns them?
3. What negative signals exist? (product gaps, budget freeze, legal hurdles)
4. How will this impact coverage if it slips—what backfill exists?

Use these prompts in every inspection to match GTM Agents Sales Director rigor.

---

Overview

This skill drives consistent forecast methodology, grading, and inspection cadences for go-to-market teams. It provides a practical framework, templates, and governance overlay to run disciplined forecast calls, log commit changes, and improve accuracy over time. Use it to standardize weekly and monthly inspection rhythms and escalate risks when guardrails are breached.

How this skill works

The skill defines forecast tiers (commit, best case, pipeline, upside) with exit criteria and a grading rubric to inspect deals against standard questions. It prescribes a cadence of prep, live inspection, and follow-up, plus accountability logging for commit movements and exceptions. Templates and KPI guardrails make it easy to run repeatable calls, capture remediation actions, and measure accuracy vs actuals.

When to use it

  • Running weekly or monthly forecast calls
  • Coaching managers on commit vs best-case criteria
  • Aligning sales, marketing, and CS on inspection processes
  • Preparing exec-level forecast reviews and escalation memos
  • Triggering remediation when accuracy or coverage guardrails are breached

Best practices

  • Define clear exit criteria for each forecast tier and enforce them consistently
  • Use the standardized inspection worksheet on every call (deal health, decision process, risks, paper process)
  • Require written rationale for any commit change exceeding 5% week-over-week
  • Pair inspections with CRM hygiene dashboards so claims are verifiable
  • Run quarterly accuracy retros to adjust rubric and cadence based on outcomes

Example use cases

  • Weekly manager inspections using the worksheet to grade commit deals and assign owners
  • Monthly accuracy retro using the provided template to produce action items and rubric tweaks
  • Escalation memo generation when coverage <3.5x or commit accuracy slips below guardrails
  • Bi-weekly cross-functional risk reviews that combine sales, marketing, and CS inputs
  • Deal desk preparation: manager prep on Monday, director sync on Tuesday, exec call on Thursday

FAQ

What are the KPI guardrails to watch?

Pipeline coverage (≥4x new logo, ≥3x expansion), commit accuracy target ≥90% (warn at 85%), slip rate ≤10% QoQ with immediate review if >15%, and stage hygiene—95% of commit deals must have next steps + a mutual action plan logged.

When should I escalate to the CSO?

Escalate when coverage falls below 3.5x, commit accuracy slips persistently below 85%, or guardrails are breached twice in a quarter—use the Escalation Memo template for the briefing.