If you’re running or working in a B2B sales team, you already know how painful it is when your sales forecasts are off. Miss your number, and the board gets nervous. Over-forecast, and you’re stuck with extra headcount and wasted spend. Enter Clari: one of the most widely adopted sales forecasting tools in the market. But does it really help? What features actually move the needle, and what’s just fluff? Here’s a clear-eyed look at what Clari brings to the table, what’s worth your time, and what you can probably ignore.
Why Accurate Sales Forecasting Is Such a Slog
Let’s get this out of the way: most B2B sales forecasts are more hope than science. The classic spreadsheet method? It's full of sandbagging, wishful thinking, and last-minute “adjustments” that make everyone nervous. Even with a CRM, you’re still wrangling incomplete data, rep optimism, and deals that mysteriously appear or vanish.
The result? Sales leaders spend hours each week piecing together a forecast that still misses the mark. It’s not for lack of effort—it’s the tools and process that are broken.
What Clari Actually Does (and Doesn’t)
Clari bills itself as a “Revenue Platform,” but let’s cut through the marketing. At its core, it’s a forecasting and pipeline management tool designed to help B2B teams get a clearer, more honest view of what’s really going to close this quarter. It pulls in CRM data, emails, calendar invites, and more, then uses machine learning to spot patterns and suggest more realistic forecasts.
But don’t expect magic. Clari can’t sell deals for you, and it can’t fix broken sales processes. What it does do well is shine a light on the reality of your pipeline—and force some uncomfortable but necessary conversations.
Key Features That Actually Matter
Here’s what you’ll actually use if you’re serious about improving forecast accuracy:
1. Automated Data Capture
- What it does: Clari automatically pulls in data from your CRM, emails, meetings, and calls. No more chasing reps to update deal stages.
- Why it matters: Most forecast errors start with missing or stale data. Automated capture means you’re not relying on memory or “I’ll update Salesforce later.”
- Real talk: It’s only as good as your integrations. If reps live in their inbox, it works great. If half your deals happen off-the-books or in Slack, some stuff slips through.
2. Pipeline Inspection
- What it does: Lets managers and reps drill into deals by stage, owner, or risk level, with filters for pretty much everything.
- Why it matters: You can spot deals that have stalled, slipped, or are being “happy-eared” by reps. It’s much faster than sifting through CRM reports.
- What to ignore: You don’t need to look at every bell and whistle. Focus on deals that have been pushed multiple times or show no recent activity.
3. Forecast Rollups
- What it does: Managers and reps submit forecasts in Clari, which automatically rolls them up the org chart. You can compare “committed,” “best case,” and “most likely” scenarios.
- Why it matters: It creates accountability. No more finger-pointing or “I thought finance was using a different number.”
- Pro tip: Don’t just trust the system’s suggested numbers. Use them as a starting point for tough conversations.
4. AI-Driven Predictive Insights
- What it does: Clari applies machine learning to deal trends, activity history, and past performance to predict the likelihood of hitting your number.
- Why it matters: It surfaces risk you might miss—like a big deal with no recent activity or a rep who always overcommits.
- Honest take: The AI is decent, but it’s not a crystal ball. It works best as a second opinion, not gospel.
5. Deal and Account Health Scoring
- What it does: Clari scores deals and accounts based on activity signals, engagement, and historical patterns.
- Why it matters: Gives you a quick read on which deals need attention versus which are just noise.
- Caveat: Sometimes a “low score” deal is just a whale that’s moving slow. Don’t let the algorithms override your judgment.
6. Change Tracking and Audit Trails
- What it does: Tracks every change to forecast numbers, deal stages, and pipeline movement. You can see exactly who changed what and when.
- Why it matters: Great for rooting out sandbagging or “hero” deals that appear out of nowhere at quarter end.
- Best use: Use this data to coach reps—not to play gotcha.
What’s Nice to Have (But Not Essential)
Clari’s got a lot of features. Here’s what’s worth exploring if you’ve already nailed the basics:
- Mobile App: Handy if you’re on the go, but not critical for most.
- Custom Dashboards: Useful for big orgs or execs who love their charts, but overkill for small teams.
- Collaboration Tools: Comments and annotations can be helpful, but often get ignored unless you make them part of your process.
- Revenue Intelligence Modules: These are interesting if you’re running massive, multi-product teams. Otherwise, stick to core forecasting.
What Clari Can’t Fix
Let’s be real—no tool solves every problem. Here’s what Clari won’t magically make better:
- Bad CRM Hygiene: If reps still treat Salesforce like a chore, Clari can only do so much. Garbage in, garbage out.
- Broken Sales Process: If your deal stages don’t match reality, or your team doesn’t follow a consistent process, no forecasting tool helps.
- Culture of “Happy Ears”: If your org rewards sandbagging or punishes bad news, even the best tool can’t save you from bad habits.
How to Get Real Value from Clari
If you’re thinking of rolling out Clari, don’t just “set it and forget it.” Here’s what actually works:
- Get buy-in from frontline managers. If your managers aren’t using Clari in their weekly pipeline reviews, adoption dies fast.
- Keep your CRM clean. Make CRM hygiene non-negotiable. Clari can only automate what actually exists in your systems.
- Make it part of the forecast call. Pull up Clari during forecast meetings. Use it to challenge reps, not just to rubber-stamp their numbers.
- Focus on coaching, not just reporting. Use the data to ask questions: Why did this deal slip? What’s really blocking this account? The tool is only half the solution.
- Iterate on your process. Don’t try to use every feature out of the box. Start simple—forecast rollups, pipeline inspection—and layer in more as your team gets comfortable.
The Bottom Line
Clari isn’t a magic bullet, but it’s a big step up from spreadsheets and scattered CRM reports. The key is to treat it as a tool that surfaces reality—sometimes uncomfortable, always useful. Focus on the features that actually help your team see the truth in your pipeline, and don’t get distracted by the shiny stuff.
Start simple, keep your data clean, and use Clari as a way to drive better conversations—not just better reports. Forecasting will always be part art, part science. But with the right setup, you can at least take the guesswork—and the drama—down a notch.