Use Excel for heavier sales forecasting, and use Google Sheets when teamwork matters more than advanced tools. Both can run a sales projection formula. Both can make charts. Both can embarrass you if your data is messy.
TLDR: Excel is better for detailed sales forecasts with seasonality, large data sets, and built-in forecast tools. Google Sheets is better for simple projections, shared sales trackers, and teams updating numbers together. For example, if your store sold $80,000 last quarter and expects 12% growth, the simple projection is $89,600. A five-person sales team using Sheets may save hours each week by updating one shared forecast instead of emailing files named “final final v7.”
Table of Contents
The basic sales projection formula
Let’s keep this simple.
A sales projection estimates future revenue. You use past sales, growth rate, seasonality, or sales pipeline data.
The most basic formula is:
Projected Sales = Current Sales × (1 + Growth Rate)
Example:
- Current monthly sales: $40,000
- Expected growth: 10%
- Formula: $40,000 × 1.10
- Projected sales: $44,000
In Excel or Google Sheets, that may look like this:
=B2*(1+C2)
If B2 has sales and C2 has growth rate, you are done. Nice. No drama.
Simple method: growth rate forecast
This is the easiest way to forecast sales.
Use it when your sales grow at a steady pace. It works well for small shops, freelancers, agencies, and early stage teams.
Here is a tiny model:
| Month | Sales | Growth Rate | Projection |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | $50,000 | 8% | $54,000 |
| February | $54,000 | 8% | $58,320 |
The formula for February’s projection would be:
=B2*(1+C2)
Then drag it down.
That little fill handle is doing the boring work for you. Bless it.
Better method: linear forecast
Sales are not always neat. They bounce. They dip. They act like toddlers in a supermarket.
For this, use a linear forecast. It looks at past sales and predicts the next value based on the trend.
In Excel, use:
=FORECAST.LINEAR(target_date, known_sales, known_dates)
In Google Sheets, use:
=FORECAST(target_date, known_sales, known_dates)
Example:
- Dates are in A2:A13
- Sales are in B2:B13
- You want to forecast the next month in A14
Excel formula:
=FORECAST.LINEAR(A14,B2:B13,A2:A13)
Google Sheets formula:
=FORECAST(A14,B2:B13,A2:A13)
This is good for spotting a straight growth trend. It is not magic. If December sales spike every year, a basic linear formula may miss that pattern.
Excel for sales projection
Excel is the stronger tool for serious forecasting.
It has more built-in features. It handles big files better. It also has better chart controls and stronger analysis tools.
Excel gives you:
- FORECAST.LINEAR for trend-based forecasting.
- FORECAST.ETS for seasonality.
- Forecast Sheet for quick visual projections.
- Power Query for cleaning ugly sales exports.
- PivotTables for slicing sales by rep, region, or product.
FORECAST.ETS is the fun one. It can account for seasonal patterns. Think holiday sales, summer slowdowns, or end-of-quarter rushes.
Formula example:
=FORECAST.ETS(A14,B2:B13,A2:A13)
If you have monthly sales and strong seasonal behavior, Excel tends to feel safer. It gives you more control.
The annoying part? Excel files still get passed around by email. Then someone changes a number offline. Then someone else uses an old version. Suddenly your forecast meeting feels like a crime scene.
Google Sheets for sales projection
Google Sheets wins when the team needs to work together.
Sales reps can update pipeline numbers in the same file. Managers can review live totals. No one has to ask, “Who has the latest version?” That question should be banned from offices.
Google Sheets gives you:
- FORECAST for basic trend forecasts.
- TREND for projecting multiple future values.
- LINEST for regression analysis.
- Real-time sharing with comments.
- Easy links to forms, CRM exports, and dashboards.
For example, use TREND if you want forecasts for several future months.
=TREND(B2:B13,A2:A13,A14:A16)
This can project sales for the next three months in one move.
Honestly, it feels like Google Sheets was built for the “quick, update this before the call” moment. It is fast for shared work. But large files can get sluggish. Add too many formulas, tabs, and charts, and you may watch cells load like it is 2006.
Excel vs Google Sheets: quick comparison
| Feature | Excel | Google Sheets |
|---|---|---|
| Simple formulas | Great | Great |
| Seasonal forecasting | Stronger | Basic |
| Large data sets | Better | Can slow down |
| Team collaboration | Good with cloud setup | Excellent |
| Charts | More control | Quicker to share |
| Best for | Finance teams | Sales teams |
Which one should you use?
Use Excel if:
- You forecast by product, region, and channel.
- You need seasonal sales models.
- Your data set is large.
- Your finance team owns the report.
- You need polished charts for leadership.
Use Google Sheets if:
- Your sales team updates the file daily.
- You want live collaboration.
- Your forecast is simple.
- You share reports with links.
- You track pipeline by rep or deal stage.
Here is a simple rule:
If the forecast lives with finance, use Excel. If the forecast lives with sales, use Google Sheets.
A quick user case
Picture a small software company with 8 sales reps. Last month, it closed $120,000 in new revenue. The average monthly growth rate is 6%.
The quick projection is:
=120000*(1+6%)
That gives $127,200 for next month.
Now add real life. Two reps are on vacation. One large deal worth $25,000 may slip into next month. A simple growth formula now looks too cheerful.
This is where pipeline forecasting helps. Add each deal, expected value, and close probability.
Example:
- Deal A: $20,000 × 80% = $16,000
- Deal B: $15,000 × 50% = $7,500
- Deal C: $30,000 × 30% = $9,000
Total weighted forecast:
=SUM(deal_value * probability)
In a sheet, that might be:
=SUMPRODUCT(B2:B10,C2:C10)
This formula works in both Excel and Google Sheets. It is one of the best sales projection formulas for teams with active pipelines.
Best formulas to know
- Basic growth:
=B2*(1+C2) - Excel linear forecast:
=FORECAST.LINEAR(A14,B2:B13,A2:A13) - Google Sheets forecast:
=FORECAST(A14,B2:B13,A2:A13) - Excel seasonal forecast:
=FORECAST.ETS(A14,B2:B13,A2:A13) - Multiple future values:
=TREND(B2:B13,A2:A13,A14:A16) - Weighted pipeline:
=SUMPRODUCT(B2:B10,C2:C10)
Final pick
Excel is best for deeper sales forecasting. It has better forecasting tools and handles complex models well.
Google Sheets is best for shared sales tracking. It is simple, live, and easy for teams.
The best setup may be both. Use Google Sheets for daily pipeline updates. Use Excel for monthly forecast reviews. That keeps the reps moving and gives finance the detail it needs.
Start simple. Use clean data. Check your assumptions. A fancy formula cannot fix bad inputs. It will only make bad guesses faster.
