What is a commit?
A commit is a deal the seller and manager expect to close this period and agree to be held to. It is the most confident forecast category. Microsoft's CRM documentation describes a committed deal as one where the customer has made a verbal or contractual commitment and the seller is mainly waiting on paperwork or final approvals.
Why it matters to a revenue leader
The commit number is what a revenue leader puts their name on. In a PE-backed company, it feeds the monthly report to the sponsor and often the lender model. A commit that routinely lands short destroys trust. A commit that routinely lands far over hides upside the business could have planned for, in hiring, purchasing and crew scheduling. Both patterns are coaching problems, and both start with what evidence the team accepts before a deal enters commit.
Example
Fictitious numbersA fire and life safety company's sellers commit $1.2M for the month across nine deals. Seven close for $940,000. One miss slipped to next month after the client's purchase order stalled; the other was lost when procurement added a second bidder. The leader reviews what evidence supported each commit when it was made.
"What has the buyer done that makes this deal a commit?"
Sources
- Capture forecast category for opportunity checked 9 Oct 2026