CRM stages. Activity logs. Rep sentiment.
They’ve been the foundation of B2B forecasting for over a decade.
But the reality of how buyers buy has shifted radically.
And the systems most companies still rely on to forecast haven’t caught up.
Forecasting models were designed for an era where sellers controlled the process:
Identify the problem
Book a demo
Move stage by stage
Close the deal
But in 2025, that linear process has unraveled.
According to our State of Sales in 2025 report:
95% of the buyer journey now happens anonymously
Buyers complete 60–70% of research before ever engaging a rep
The average deal involves 6–10 stakeholders, often researching in parallel
And 77% of buyers describe the journey as “very complex”
Instead of clean pipeline motion, buyers loop exploring, validating, stalling, restarting. Gartner describes it as a “rat’s nest,” not a funnel.
“Modern buying is messy, digital, and buyer-controlled. The old funnel model no longer reflects how decisions are made or by whom.”
So why are most sales forecasts still built on:
Pipeline stage (self-reported)
Activity volume (calls, meetings, emails)
Rep gut-feel (“We’re in a good place”)
These signals tell us what the rep is doing, not how the buyer is behaving.
In a world where:
Most stakeholders remain anonymous
Silence often signals churn, not waiting
Buyer committees shift mid-deal
Traditional forecasts leave leaders blind.
Top-performing teams in our research aren’t abandoning forecasting.
They’re upgrading it with Buyer Intelligence.
Here’s what that looks like:
| Old Forecasting | Buyer Intelligence Forecasting |
|---|---|
| Pipeline stage | Buyer engagement patterns |
| Last meeting date | Stakeholder coverage health |
| Rep notes | Real-time intent signals |
| Lead source | Committee influence mapping |
| Activity logs | Objection risk + nudge response |
Hive Perform doesn’t replace forecasting, it makes it smarter.
By combining sales engagement with Buyer Intelligence, Hive gives teams visibility into:
Who’s actively engaged (and who’s gone silent)
Where buyer-side blockers are hiding
What next best action will move the deal forward
When deals are actually moving, not just logged
Forecasts become grounded in real-time buyer behavior, not just historical assumptions.
And reps no longer rely on instinct alone, they're guided by insight.
The buying journey has changed.
Sales execution is adapting.
It’s time forecasting caught up.
Modern forecasts should measure momentum, not just motion.
If you want to see why high-performing teams are using Buyer Intelligence to drive more accurate forecasts and stronger revenue performance:
Get the full State of Sales in 2025 report.