September State of Sales: September came back strong – but not the way you’d expect.
After a quiet summer, sales activity roared back. Total sales climbed well above both short and long-term averages. But the comeback was driven by volume, not value. More deals, smaller size.
After a quiet summer, sales activity roared back. Total sales climbed well above both short and long-term averages. But the comeback was driven by volume, not value. More deals, smaller size.
This shift hints at teams working through pent-up demand while buyers remain cautious. Still, conversion rates improved and commissions stayed stable. A solid start to the fall, and a reminder that momentum can take new forms.
Total sales reached 125% of R3, 135% of R12. A solid turnaround after August’s dip. But dig deeper, and the story changes. The comeback wasn’t about bigger deals. It was about more of them.
A market driven by volume
Deal count surged to 170% of R3. That’s a major uptick in activity. Sales teams clearly came back from vacation ready to move – and pipelines that had been quiet through July and August suddenly came alive.
Smaller deals, same drive
At the same time, average deal size fell to 60% of R3. This tells us the recovery is driven by smaller, faster-moving transactions. Buyers may still be cautious, but decisions are being made again – just in tighter scopes.
Conversion rates up
Win ratios rose to 110% of R3, showing that sellers are converting more opportunities. The smaller deal sizes might even be helping here – simpler deals tend to close faster, and with fewer stakeholders involved.
Stable commission spend
Commission levels remained around 4.2%, which indicates a healthy balance between payouts and results. Incentive models appear to hold up well even when deal structure shifts.
Looking ahead
The takeaway for September is simple: momentum is back. It’s not yet a full-scale rally, but the market is clearly moving again. October will tell whether the trend toward smaller, faster deals continues – or if value starts to catch up.
Customer retention is the key
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What are the most relevant factors to consider?
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Don’t overspend on growth marketing without good retention rates
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What’s the ideal customer retention rate?
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Next steps to increase your customer retention
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Emil Wargelius
With over 10 years of experience in leading roles in product development and sales, he has designed and launched multiple commission models.
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