If you’re responsible for hitting a revenue number—whether you manage a sales team, wrangle finance, or run operations—you know that accurate projections are a lifesaver. But most “revenue forecasts” are either wild guesses in a spreadsheet or fluffy charts from a tool nobody actually trusts. This guide is for people who want to use Clari Co-Pilot to get real, detailed revenue projections—without the wishful thinking or wasted time.
Let’s break down the steps, call out what actually works, and skip the buzzwords.
1. Get Your Data House in Order
Before you even think about projections, you need clean, up-to-date data. Clari Co-Pilot is powerful, but it can’t fix garbage inputs.
Check these basics first: - CRM records: Make sure deal stages, close dates, and amounts are current. If reps aren’t updating these, your projections will be fantasy. - Historical data: The more closed/won and closed/lost data you have, the better. If you’re missing history, your forecasts will be shaky. - Integrations: Clari Co-Pilot can pull from Salesforce, HubSpot, and more. If you haven’t synced these, do it now.
Pro tip: Don’t trust your gut here. Run a quick audit—pull a report of your open deals and spot-check for missing or stale info.
2. Set Up Clari Co-Pilot for Your Team
First time using Clari Co-Pilot? The setup’s not rocket science, but don’t just click “next” on everything, or you’ll end up with a generic experience.
Here’s what matters: - Pipeline definitions: Get clear about what counts as pipeline. Is it only deals past discovery? Everything with a value? Define it up front so everyone’s speaking the same language. - Forecast categories: Customize these to match your process (e.g., Commit, Best Case, Pipeline, Omitted). Skip categories you don’t use—fewer is better. - User roles & permissions: Make sure reps, managers, and execs see what they need (and not more). Too much access = confusion. - Notifications: Clari loves to send alerts. Set these up thoughtfully or you’ll tune them out within a week.
What to ignore: Fancy dashboards out of the box. They look nice but rarely fit your workflow until you’ve got clean data and clear categories.
3. Map Out Your Revenue Model
Clari Co-Pilot can’t read your mind. You have to give it a clear definition of how your business actually brings in money.
Be specific: - Deal types: Are you projecting new business, renewals, expansions, or all of the above? Don’t lump them together—different deals move at different speeds. - Sales cycles: Is your average deal 30 days or 9 months? The software needs to know, or it’ll make bad assumptions. - Stages and conversion rates: Map each stage (e.g., Discovery → Proposal → Negotiation → Closed) and be honest about conversion rates. Overestimate, and you’ll miss your number.
Pro tip: If you’re not sure, export your deals for the last year and calculate real conversion rates. Don’t just guess.
4. Feed Historical Data into Clari Co-Pilot
This is where Clari’s AI actually earns its keep. The more historical data you feed in, the better it gets at spotting patterns and projecting future revenue.
How to do it: - Connect your CRM: Let Clari pull in all deals from the past 12-24 months. If you have less, use what you’ve got, but expect less accuracy. - Import non-CRM data: Got spreadsheets or other sources? Clean them up and import them. If the data’s messy, fix it first. (Yes, it’s a pain, but it’s worth it.) - Check for gaps: Clari will flag missing fields, but do your own spot checks. Missing close dates or deal owners can throw things off.
Heads up: If your historical data’s full of sandbagging, backdating, or weird deal movements, Clari will pick up those habits. Clean out the junk.
5. Build Your First Projection
Now for the part you actually care about. Clari Co-Pilot will crunch your pipeline, historical win rates, and deal stages to spit out a number. Don’t stop there.
Key steps: - Review the AI forecast: Take the number with a grain of salt. Is it wildly different from what your gut says? Dig in—something’s off. - Drill down into deals: Use Clari’s filters to see which deals are driving the number. Are these real, winnable deals, or just big pipe dreams? - Scenario planning: Use “what if” tools to see how slipping one or two big deals changes the forecast. It’s rarely the average deal that breaks your quarter.
What works well: The side-by-side view of “rep committed,” “manager commit,” and “AI forecast.” This is where you can spot optimism—or sandbagging.
What doesn’t: Blindly trusting the AI. Clari’s smart, but it’s not magic. If your team routinely pushes deals to next quarter, the model will lag.
6. Pressure Test and Adjust (Don’t Just Accept)
A projection is only as good as the scrutiny you give it. Now’s the time to get skeptical.
Try this: - Challenge assumptions: Ask managers why certain deals are in “commit.” Dig into recent activity—no updates in 30 days? That’s a red flag. - Compare to last quarter: Are your win rates or average deal sizes suddenly changing? If so, figure out why—growth, seasonality, or just wishful thinking? - Check for pipeline coverage: Clari will show you if you have enough pipe to hit your number. If you don’t, don’t fudge the data—start creating pipeline now.
Pro tip: Set up a recurring meeting to review the forecast with your team. Make it real—no PowerPoint, just “what’s real, what’s not.”
7. Share and Track Changes Over Time
Revenue projections aren’t a one-and-done deal. You need to see how they change week to week so you can spot problems early.
How to keep it honest: - Use snapshots: Clari can show you how your forecast has changed over time. Use these to spot slippage or last-minute heroics. - Highlight movement: Which deals moved stages? Which ones disappeared? Don’t just look at the top-line number—dig into the story. - Share selectively: Don’t blast the whole org with every update. Tailor what you share to execs, managers, and reps.
What to ignore: Endless tweaking to “make the numbers look better.” The point is to see reality, not to win a reporting contest.
8. Iterate and Improve
Even with good tools, forecasting is never perfect. The goal is to get less wrong, not to find the one perfect system.
Keep these in mind: - Revisit assumptions quarterly: Update conversion rates, deal sizes, and stage definitions. Business changes; so should your model. - Ask for rep feedback: If your team says, “this doesn’t feel right,” listen. They’re closer to the deals than any algorithm. - Don’t automate everything: Clari’s AI is helpful, but human judgment matters. Use both.
Pro tip: Document what you change and why. When next quarter rolls around, you’ll remember what you tweaked—and what happened.
Keep It Simple (and Real)
Clari Co-Pilot can absolutely help you build better revenue projections, but it’s not a magic wand. The real work is getting your data right, being honest about your pipeline, and actually using the insights to change how you sell. Don’t overcomplicate things—start with the basics, get into a weekly forecasting rhythm, and tweak as you go. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s getting a little less surprised every quarter.