How does deal size distribute between self-serve and sales-assisted? Bimodal = two healthy motions; single peak = collision.

MetricDistribution of deal ACV split between self-serve and sales-assisted motions

UnitUSD ACV, distribution shape by motion

Histogram of deal sizes split between self-serve and sales-assisted motion. Bimodal means both motions healthy and distinct. Single peak means collision (sales reps closing self-serve-sized deals). Build by tagging each deal with motion type in CRM. Example: 45% self-serve below $1K; 22% sales-assisted $25-100K.

ACV

Annual contract value. Total contract value divided by contract length in years.

CRM

Customer relationship management system. The system of record for accounts, contacts and pipeline.

B2B SaaS and B2B AI running both a self-serve and a sales-assisted motion, 2024 to 2026 data. ACV measured as first-year contract value at close. · Direction is shape because there is no good absolute number here, only a good separation. The card's own framing is correct: two peaks means two functioning motions, one peak means they have collided and reps are being paid to close deals the product would have closed unassisted. ICONIQ's 2026 data supports the two-motion structure being normal rather than exceptional, projecting self-serve at roughly 20% of revenue for high-growth companies against roughly 10% for peers, and reporting free trials and proof-of-concept motions converting near 50%, the highest of any motion in that dataset. The threshold between motions is where Benchmarkit's finding bites: the $10K to $50K ACV band is consistently more expensive to acquire than $50K to $100K, so an assisted motion drifting down into the $10K to $50K band is the most expensive place a GTM structure can sit.

Category split omitted: Both Benchmarkit and ICONIQ segment by go-to-market motion, but ACV by motion is published as unlabelled chart output or as revenue share rather than as deal-size quartiles, so category values cannot be stated without inventing them.

A single peak rather than two, with the sales-assisted distribution sitting on top of the self-serve one instead of beside it, so the sales motion is adding cost without adding deal size.

70% of sales-assisted deals land under $9K, which is the same band as the self-serve median, with only a thin tail above $40K.

• Set an explicit floor for sales engagement and route everything below it to product-led self-serve. Benchmarkit's finding that the $10K to $50K band is more expensive to acquire than $50K to $100K makes the mid band the worst place to leave an undecided routing rule.
• Invest in free trial and proof-of-concept rather than more assisted coverage at the low end. ICONIQ 2026 reports free trials and POCs converting near 50%, the strongest funnel efficiency figure in that report, which is a better answer to small deals than a cheaper rep.
• Do not assume the self-serve motion is cheaper as it scales. Benchmarkit 2025 finds product-led companies show higher sales and marketing spend as a share of revenue over time, which the report explicitly calls antithetical to the common belief.
• Chart assisted and self-serve on the same axis rather than in separate reports. The collision this card is designed to catch is invisible when each motion is reported to a different owner in a different deck.

1. ICONIQ GrowthState of Go-to-Market 2026 · 2026 · Survey of GTM executives at 150+ B2B and AI software companies, January 2026 Free trials and POCs convert near 50%, the highest of any motion. Self-serve revenue projected at about 20% for high-growth companies in 2026 versus roughly 10% for peers. High-growth companies draw 60-80% of pipeline from sales and channel versus 15-20% from marketing. 48% report hybrid as primary pricing model. Higher AI adopters show stronger AE quota attainment across SMB, mid-market, enterprise and strategic. iconiq.com ↗
2. SaaStr (analysis of ICONIQ State of Go-to-Market 2026)ICONIQ: The Top 10 Findings · 2026 · Commentary on ICONIQ survey of 150+ B2B and AI software companies Top-quartile YoY ARR growth for companies under $50M ARR reached 111% in H2 2025. Free trials and POCs convert at 50%, the strongest funnel efficiency number in the report. saastr.com ↗
3. Benchmarkit2025 B2B SaaS Performance Metrics Benchmarks (full deck, PDF) · 2025 · N=583 participants; metric-level n varies from 21 to 228 by chart Glossary defines CAC Payback as S&M expenses divided by (new customer ARR x gross subscription margin) x 12. Solutions in the $10K-$50K ACV band are consistently more expensive to acquire than $50K-$100K. New CAC Ratio above $100K ACV is lower than the $10K-$100K range. PLG companies show higher S&M as a share of revenue over time, contrary to common belief. Expansion ARR is 40% of total new ARR at median. hibob.com ↗
4. Benchmarkit (with Pavilion)2025 B2B SaaS Performance Metrics Benchmarks · 2025 · N=583 participants, 2024 performance data, segmented by ARR, ACV, pricing model, GTM motion, financing source, region New CAC Ratio median $2.00 of S&M per $1 of new customer ARR, up 14%, with the fourth quartile at $2.82. Blended CAC Ratio $1.40, down 12%. Expansion CAC Ratio $1.00. CAC payback 18 months median. Gross margin 77% total, 81% subscription, 30% professional services. S&M 37% of revenue median, 45% for VC-backed versus 33% for PE-backed. ARR per FTE $240,000 at $50M-$100M ARR and $283,379 above $100M. GRR 88%, NRR 101%. benchmarkit.ai ↗
5. The Bridge GroupSDR Models, Motions & Metrics: 2025 Research Report (10th ed.) · 2025 · n=351 B2B companies, 78% North America, 83% B2B SaaS, $47M median revenue, $50K median ASP 60% of SDRs at quota, lowest on record. Median SDR OTE $80K at 68:32 base to variable. Pipeline per SDR $3.78M, with 50% of respondents between $1.9M and $6.4M. Monthly held-meeting quota median 10 at Stage 0 and 6 converted at Stage 1. Ramp 3.0 months. Attrition 40% median, 21% to 57% interquartile. 4.1 quality conversations per day on 112 total daily activities. bridgegroupinc.com ↗
6. The Bridge GroupAE Models, Motions & Metrics: 2026 Research Report (10th ed.) · 2026 · n=158 B2B companies, survey Q1-Q2 2026, respondents VP Sales, CRO, RevOps, CFO 48% of reps at quota, down from 51% in 2024. Median AE OTE $200K. Median AE quota $960K at 4.6x quota-to-OTE. Average ramp 6.2 months, highest in study history. Required experience at hire 3.7 years, up from 2.7 in 2022. SaaS median quota $875K. bridgegroupinc.com ↗
7. OnlyCFO (analysis of ICONIQ State of GTM 2026)2026 State of GTM: GTM Benchmarks · 2026 · Commentary on ICONIQ 2026 GTM data Notes that higher quota attainment on an AI product carrying roughly 30% gross margin is a materially different efficiency outcome than lower attainment on 75% gross margin, and that cost per lead and per opportunity fell over the past year except in SMB. onlycfo.io ↗
8. Ebsta and Pavilion2025 GTM Benchmarks Report · 2025 · 655,000 opportunities worth $48B pipeline across 387 companies, 240,000 minutes of seller discovery calls, survey of 2,000+ CROs and sales leaders Average win rate 19%, down from 29% the prior year. 78% of sellers missed quota, up from 69%. Top performers close 11x faster than bottom performers, up from 8.9x in 2024 and 4x in 2022. Top 14% of sellers generate 80% of revenue. Engaging 6 or more stakeholders early moves win rate from 12% to above 40%. Channel velocity: partner and referral 1.3x, organic 1.2x, outbound 1.05x, events 0.78x, paid 0.68x. Expansion is 52% of new revenue. 46% of SaaS and tech companies moving to full-cycle sales. joinpavilion.com ↗