Forecasting [Legacy]

Forecasting renewals is a powerful feature of Subscription management in ClientSuccess. Because how renewals are managed is often unique to your company's products and processes, it is important to understand how forecasting works within our tool.

Before we get started, here are two definitions (from the link above) to remember:

• Forecast: A record of the probability and terms of a renewal of an active subscription.
• Probability: A scale from 0 - 100 indicating your confidence the Subscription will (or will not) renew at forecasted amount.

As CSMs engage with their renewable book of business, it's critical for them to be able to record potential renewal upsell or downsell. ClientSuccess' renewal forecasting feature was built for this purpose.

The following examples can help you understand how forecasting works in ClientSuccess.

Default Forecast and Probability

When you add a recurring subscription, a default forecast will be set to match that active subscription. The probability will also be automatically set to 70%.

​​

Note + Tip: If you have "auto-renew" checked on the active subscription, the forecasted amount will automatically renew when that active subscription lapses. Alternatively, if you manually book the renewal the forecasted amount will become the new active subscription.

The Renewals Screen

As you engage with your renewable book of business, you'll likely want to report on upsell opportunities and forecast potential downsells. Our renewals screen is a powerful dashboard for tracking your forecast and the results of client renewals. This provides a historical summary for renewals and churn, allows you watch the month or quarter play out in real time, and to look into the future for goal setting and planning.

One thing to keep in mind is role-based segmentation. Which renewable book of business are you wanting to see? Your company's? Your team's? Or only your renewals? Another is which timeframe you want to view - you can now view renewals for any month, quarter, or year—in the past or future.

​​

The waterfall chart projects actual and forecasted results. This screen also provides a breakdown of subscriptions still up for renewal, those that have renewed, as well as those that have terminated.

Though forecasting can be accomplished via individual client records, this is the best place to get a holistic view for renewal management.

Managing Forecast and Probability

To change the default forecast and probability, hover over the subscription up for renewal, click the ellipsis, and then "forecast". You can then adjust the quantity, start or end dates, term, amount, and even include notes or files. The new subscription metrics (ARR or MRR, etc.) will be calculated for you (whether it's an upsell or downsell).

​​

Note + Tip: If you have "auto-renew" checked on the active subscription, the forecasted amount will automatically renew when that active subscription lapses. Alternatively, if you manually book the renewal the forecasted amount will become the new active subscription.

Forecasting is a feature that can be used at any time in the customer relationship. We strongly recommend using this and the renewals screen to better manage and forecast your renewals. You'll receive great insight into your company's or individual book of business, and it can also make the actual renewal process a little easier to manage.