Top 10% of sellers generate 65% of enterprise revenue

A recent study by Clari Labs reveals that only 10% of top-performing sellers account for 65% of revenue generation, highlighting significant inefficiencies within enterprise sales sectors.

Through analysis of 10 million anonymous opportunities from Fortune 500 companies, Clari Labs has provided insights into revenue division, emphasising the effect of operational practices in sales processes. The comprehensive dataset used for this study spanned customer relationship management systems, emails, meetings, and other platforms, allowing for in-depth conclusions about current selling methods.

The "State of Enterprise Revenue Report, 2025: Insights from 10 Million Opportunities" by Clari Labs reflects a growing divide in sales performance. It finds that while successful sales organisations are harnessing advanced tools like AI and automating workflows, a gap persists among sellers. The top 2% of sellers alone drive 37% of total revenue, while the bottom half contributes just 7.6%.

Andy Byrne, Clari's CEO and Co-Founder, underscores the necessity for sales teams to integrate AI-ready data, stating, "Will your team be part of the 2% that dominates revenue - or the 98% playing catch-up? Sales leaders need AI-ready data, visibility, and accurate predictions to take action. Enterprises with revenue cadences and repeatable processes are systematically converting opportunities into closed deals - faster, and at enterprise scale."

Another finding from Clari Labs indicates that corporations employing AI-assisted selling have advanced deal closure speed and predictability. Notably, companies using AI tools report a 20% reduction in the time taken to close new logo deals compared to two years ago.

Data from the study also shows that expansion deals, though minimal in pipeline share, are more efficient in driving growth. Such deals account for 13% of won revenue per quarter despite making up only 5% of total pipeline, and they conclude 20% faster than new deals.

The report highlights seller inefficiency, with only 25% of sales tasks being completed and a vast 98% of companies failing to track closed/lost reasons consistently. Addressing these inefficiencies could potentially unlock revenue that is within reach yet currently missed.

Larger deals, interestingly, do not significantly delay closure times compared to smaller deals. Transactions valued at $500,000 take merely 15 days longer to conclude than those worth $50,000 to $100,000. Successful companies prioritise high-value transactions, thereby optimising seller efficiency.

Clari Labs found that leading enterprises are not only changing their approach to sales but reevaluating how they manage revenue throughout the customer lifecycle. They leverage AI for prioritising deals, predicting buyer intent, and automating workflows, even though fewer than half do so effectively in their roles.

Transitioning from traditional CRM systems to full-funnel Revenue Orchestration helps these companies achieve consistency, orchestrate revenue processes, and improve forecasting accuracy.

The report underscores a critical shift in enterprise sales, where renewal, upsell, and improved customer relationships are central to revenue growth, especially as average contract values have recent declines.

Clari's platform integrates internal and external-facing AI-powered workflows into a unified system, providing actionable insights and directions for revenue-critical employees across the quarter. This approach is built on a decade of AI evolution, aiming for consistency and repeatability in revenue processes.