The Backstory: You oversee your team's forecast and want to catch risk early, but tracking week-over-week changes usually requires logging into Backstory. Instead, you opt into the Weekly Forecast Trends Email, which highlights how your forecast has changed so you can spot risk and take action before a slipping number becomes a missed quarter.
The Weekly Forecast Trends Email is an automatic email that shows how one forecast field has changed since the prior week in both dollar value and percentage. It arrives shortly after your team's weekly forecast snapshot is taken and compares it to the last week’s snapshot. This gives you an early read on where your forecast is heading without having to open Backstory.
Beta: The Weekly Forecast Trends Email is in beta and is not turned on by default. Contact your Customer Success Manager to request this feature.
Reading Your Weekly Forecast Trends Email
Each email covers a single forecast field for one Forecast Type at your assigned hierarchy level. Your admin controls these settings, and you will receive separate emails for each Forecast Type you oversee.
Subject line: The subject line summarizes the trend in plain language so you can read the direction of your forecast without opening the email. It follows this formula: [Forecast Type]: [Hierarchy Level] [Forecast Field] [direction] [WoW %] to [current value]. For example, "CS Forecast: Renewal Forecast Down 2.6% WoW to $1.2m" tells you the Renewal Forecast field for the CS Forecast type fell 2.6 percent week-over-week and now sits at $1.2 million.
Headline: The headline repeats the change in large type at the top of the email, showing the dollar amount and percentage moved. It is color-coded so you can read direction at a glance: green for an increase, red for a decrease, or neutral if flat.
Comparison dates: Shows the specific snapshot dates being compared so you know exactly which period the data covers.
Rollup table: Lists the tracked field for your top-level node and subordinates, featuring the name, current forecast value, and Diff. (highlighted week-over-week change).
Review Deals button: Opens the in-app drill-in page to view live rollup tables and the underlying deals.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the email arrive?
It is sent shortly after your team's weekly forecast snapshot is taken, starting in the second week of the quarter. You will not receive one in the first week because there is no prior snapshot from the current quarter to compare against yet.
Why am I not receiving the Weekly Forecast Trends Email?
First, check your spam or junk folder to make sure the email wasn’t routed there. If you still can’t find it, ask your organization's Backstory administrator to check whether the Weekly Forecast Trends Email is enabled and configured for you. They can open the relevant Forecast Type in the Backstory App, then check for a Notifications tab. If the Notifications tab is present, your admin should check that the email is configured to send to you. For more information about accessing and configuring forecast notifications, see Create a Forecast Type. If the Notifications tab is not present, the feature is not enabled for your organization. Contact your Customer Success Manager or support@backstory.ai to request enablement.
The number in my email does not match what I see in the app. Why?
The email is a point-in-time comparison between two fixed snapshots and stays accurate as of when it was sent. The app instead compares the current live value against the most recent snapshot, so once deals are updated, the in-app Diff. figure changes while your email keeps its original week-over-week comparison. Neither is wrong, they just measure against different points. You can hover the Diff. tooltip in the app to see the exact snapshot date the live value is being compared against.
Why does my email track this particular field and level?
Your admin selects which forecast field and which hierarchy level you receive. If you would like to track a different field or level, contact your admin.
Will I get one email covering everything I forecast?
No. Each Forecast Type generates its own email, so if you oversee more than one you will receive a separate message for each. There is no combined digest.
How do I stop receiving these emails?
You cannot unsubscribe yourself. As the footer of the email notes, let your Backstory admin know and they can turn the emails off for you.
Can I change when the email is sent?
No. The timing follows your team's weekly snapshot schedule and is not something recipients can adjust.
Need Help?
Contact your Customer Success Manager or support@backstory.ai.