Tracking · Forecast / Deal Hygiene Rules

Write a Close-Date Slippage Audit Prompt

Audit every deal whose close date has slipped more than once to catch sandbagging, padding, or stalled deals before they wreck the forecast.

managerIntermediate⏱ 2-3 hours per audit
When to use
Use this each Friday before the weekly forecast call, or mid-quarter when the forecast suddenly looks rosy or shaky. Reveals which deals are being pushed quietly so you can pressure-test them on Monday.
The prompt
You are a sales operations analyst at a digital agency who has built close-date integrity dashboards used to challenge reps on every forecast call.
Agency: [AGENCY_NAME] — [SERVICES] | CRM: [CRM_TOOL] | Reporting period: [PERIOD] | Quota at risk: [QUOTA] | Pipeline list with slippage events: [DEAL_LIST_CSV].
Audit the deals in [DEAL_LIST_CSV]. Flag any deal where the close date has slipped 2+ times. For each flagged deal, produce: deal name, total days slipped, # of slips, current stage, rep, and a recommended action (challenge, downgrade, push to next quarter, mark Lost).

- Use numeric thresholds: 2+ slips = flag, 3+ slips = mandatory challenge, slip > 50% of [SALES_CYCLE_DAYS] = recommend Lost.
- Group output by rep so the manager can run a single 1:1 per person.
- Don't make up data — only use what's in [DEAL_LIST_CSV].
- Recommended action must be one of: Challenge, Downgrade Category, Push Next Quarter, Mark Lost.

Markdown table grouped by rep. Columns: Deal | Slips | Total Days Slipped | Stage | Recommended Action | Why. End with a 1-paragraph summary of forecast risk for the period.
Variables
  • [AGENCY_NAME] — Your agency
  • [SERVICES] — Services sold
  • [CRM_TOOL] — Your CRM
  • [PERIOD] — Quarter or month being audited
  • [QUOTA] — Quota for the period
  • [SALES_CYCLE_DAYS] — Avg sales cycle
  • [DEAL_LIST_CSV] — CSV export of open deals with: name, rep, stage, original close date, current close date, # of close-date changes
Example input
Agency: BlueArrow — paid media retainers | CRM: Salesforce | Period: Q2 2026 | Quota: $400K | Cycle: 35 days | DEAL_LIST_CSV: 24 open deals, 9 with 2+ slips.
Example output
Q2 2026 CLOSE-DATE SLIPPAGE AUDIT — BLUEARROW

## Rep: Maria Lopez
| Deal | Slips | Days Slipped | Stage | Action | Why |
|------|-------|--------------|-------|--------|-----|
| Northwind SEO | 3 | 42 | Proposal | Mark Lost | Slipped > cycle length, no rep activity in 18d |
| Acme Media | 2 | 21 | Verbal | Challenge | Verbal received but contract delayed; manager joins next call |

## Rep: Jordan Kim
| Deal | Slips | Days Slipped | Stage | Action | Why |
|------|-------|--------------|-------|--------|-----|
| Trellis Co | 2 | 14 | Proposal | Downgrade Category | Move from Best Case → Pipeline pending champion re-confirm |

Summary: 9 of 24 deals (~$78K) have slipped 2+ times. 3 should be marked Lost immediately, removing $32K of phantom Q2 forecast. Remaining $46K needs manager pressure-test by Friday.
Pro tips
  • Run this every Friday at 3pm so Monday forecast calls start with clean data.
  • Track 'slips per rep' as a leading indicator — patterns reveal sandbagging vs over-optimism.
  • Pair flagged deals with the Why-Will-This-Close Justification Template before allowing them to stay in forecast.
Works with
ClaudeChatGPTGemini
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