“We hold ourselves to the same standards of accountability in Clari that our customers rely on for their revenue teams.”
At Clari, we don’t just sell Clari, we run our business on it. The real story isn’t about the product itself; it’s about the system of discipline and accountability we’ve built around it. Clari is not a dashboard our executives glance at once a week. It’s the operational backbone that drives how our entire GTM organization — Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success — operates every single day.
What makes it work isn’t simply the feature set. It’s the way we use the full platform to create visibility, establish ownership, and ensure every person in the revenue org knows exactly what’s expected of them. In other words: we hold ourselves to the same standards of accountability in Clari that our customers rely on for their revenue teams.
Setting the foundation: Roles, visibility, and discipline
The foundation of using Clari internally starts with clear roles and strict operating discipline. Forecasting is not optional, and it’s not an ad-hoc activity. It’s a weekly, structured process where everyone owns their number — from reps to frontline managers to executives.
That ownership comes with transparency. Reps know their managers can see their updates in real time. Regional leaders know their forecasts roll up consistently. Our CEO sees the exact same number the team is discussing in a forecast call. There are no hidden spreadsheets, no side conversations, no black-box adjustments.
Although, visibility alone isn’t enough. It only works because we’ve aligned on definitions and expectations across the GTM org. “Commit” means the same thing to every rep and every executive. Stages in the CRM aren’t up for interpretation, they’re enforced and consistent. And the way we evaluate performance, whether it’s pipeline coverage, deal progression, or rep pacing, looks the same across functions. That shared language makes accountability possible.
How we use Clari
“Leaders trust the forecast not because it’s always perfect, but because they understand how it was built.”
Forecasting & rollups
Forecasting at Clari is a bottoms-up process. Every rep enters and updates their forecast in Clari. Managers don’t override numbers behind closed doors; they review them with reps, validate assumptions, and then roll them up.
RevOps plays a critical role here, not as the “owner” of the forecast, but as the enabler of clarity. We provide context on why numbers shift, flag where assumptions don’t line up with activity, and make sure roll-up logic is transparent. Leaders trust the forecast not because it’s always perfect, but because they understand how it was built.
Pipeline inspection & deal review
Pipeline inspection goes beyond counting deals in stage. In Clari, we inspect by activity, deal risk indicators, and progression velocity to determine which opportunities are real. Reps are expected to keep close dates accurate and supported by customer engagement.
Managers use Clari’s deal-level insights to coach on strategy, diving deep on questions like:
- Are deals multi-threaded, or is the rep leaning on one contact?
- Is there consistent activity from both sides, or is momentum stalling?
- Are close dates realistic, or repeatedly slipping?
These are visible in the system and addressed in weekly reviews.
Quarterly planning & accountability
We also use Clari to inform quarterly planning. Coverage analysis shows whether pipeline is sufficient to hit targets, both at the team and individual level. Rep pacing data helps us determine where additional enablement is needed.
Instead of building plans based on gut feel, leaders have a single system of record that shows exactly where we’re strong, where we’re thin, and where investments are required. That discipline ensures planning isn’t disconnected from execution.
Cross-functional accountability
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of using Clari internally is how it creates cross-functional alignment. Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success (CS) don’t just see their own siloed metrics, they see the entire revenue picture.
- Marketing can see whether sourced opportunities are progressing and how much pipeline is being built.
- Sales knows which accounts need support from CS to expand.
- Customer Success sees where adoption or renewal opportunities align with pipeline.
This transparency eliminates finger-pointing. If deals are stuck, everyone knows why and what’s required. If the pipeline is thin, Marketing and Sales can address it together. Alignment isn’t theoretical, it’s visible in the same system.
What Clari Enables
The result of this discipline is simple: less time debating, more time executing. Leaders don’t waste calls arguing about which number is right and instead they spend time fixing gaps. Forecast discussions shouldn’t be about reconciling spreadsheets, it should be a time where everyone comes together to discuss strategy and execution.
“Leaders don’t waste calls arguing about which number is right and instead they spend time fixing gaps.”
It also builds trust across functions. Sales leaders know Marketing’s data is visible. CS leaders know expansion opportunities are tracked consistently and have an easy way to see their forecasted retention. Executives know the number they’re looking at isn’t hidden behind a narrative that they have to break through. That trust accelerates decision-making and reduces friction.
For reps, the benefit is clarity. They know what’s expected of them, they know their data is visible, and they know managers will coach based on what’s in Clari. There’s no ambiguity around ownership. That creates a culture of accountability without constant policing.
Practical examples of alignment in action
A few examples illustrate how this plays out in practice:
- Quarter close. Instead of last-minute surprises, leaders know which deals are committed, which are risky, and what actions are in play. The entire org rallies around a clear set of priorities.
- Pipeline health reviews. Before every quarter, we use Clari to evaluate whether we have enough early- and mid-stage pipeline to support future targets. Instead of relying on gut feel, leaders can see coverage ratios by segment, identify shortfalls early, and align with Marketing on where to generate additional demand.
- Board prep. When preparing for executive or board reviews, the numbers we share externally are the same ones the team uses internally. There’s no “special” version of the truth.
These examples show why Clari isn’t just software, it’s actually the operating system for how we run revenue.
Final thoughts
Tools don’t create accountability, but well-run systems do. Clari works for us not because of the features alone, but because of the discipline we’ve built around it supported by many of those features. By enforcing consistent definitions, ensuring visibility, and making every rep and leader own their number, Clari has become more than a platform. It’s our source of truth.
That’s what enables us to drive execution week after week, align every GTM function, and hold ourselves to the same standards many of our customers hold their own teams to. We’re not just selling our platform — we’re using it every day.
Align and scale your revenue organization with a single-source-of-truth by adopting Revenue Context. Learn how in Revenue Context: The Missing Link for Enterprise-Scale AI.