Lesson Plan

• Describe why accurate sales forecasts are essential for business planning.
• Identify key components and data sources used in a sales forecast.
• Apply a simple quantitative forecast formula to calculate projected sales.
• Analyze how forecast results inform decisions in production, finance, HR, and marketing.
• Evaluate the impact of inaccurate forecasts on inventory and cash flow.

• Projector and screen
• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed handout of forecast components and data sources
• Calculator worksheets
• Excel forecasting template
• Sample company sales data (historical)

Begin with a quick poll: “What would happen if a store ran out of its best‑selling product?” Connect this to students’ prior experience of budgeting and resource allocation. Explain that today they will learn how reliable sales forecasts reduce such risks. Success will be measured by their ability to calculate a forecast and link it to business decisions.

1. Do‑now (5'): Short quiz on budgeting terms to activate prior knowledge.
2. Mini‑lecture (10'): Explain why forecasting is essential and introduce key components.
3. Group activity (15'): Using the sample data, identify which components are available and discuss data sources.
4. Guided practice (15'): Apply the simple formula Sales = Base × (1 + Growth) on the worksheet and record results in the Excel template.
5. Class discussion (10'): Examine how the calculated forecast influences production, finance, HR, and marketing decisions.
6. Exit ticket (5'): Write one concrete way a forecast can prevent a business problem.

Recap the five benefits of accurate sales forecasting and highlight how the formula ties quantitative data to strategic choices. Collect exit tickets as a retrieval check and assign homework: each student finds a recent news article about a company’s sales forecast and summarises its expected impact on the firm’s operations.