In this guide:
We'll explore how to measure a hybrid funnel that combines product-led growth (PLG) and sales-led motions. You'll learn to track each stage—Acquisition, Activation, Qualification, Sales Touch, Conversion, and Expansion—while integrating data from multiple systems to get a complete view of your customer journey.
Many mid-market SaaS companies today operate a hybrid funnel—combining the efficiency of product-led growth with the human touch of sales-assisted conversion. This approach lets you capture a broad audience through self-serve onboarding while leveraging sales teams to close higher-value deals and accelerate expansion.
However, measuring a hybrid funnel is complex. You need to track both product usage metrics (like activation and engagement) and traditional sales metrics (like lead qualification and deal velocity). More importantly, you need to understand how these two motions work together to drive overall business growth.
This guide provides a framework for RevOps teams, data analysts, and GTM leadership to measure every stage of the hybrid funnel with concrete SQL examples and best practices for data integration across CRM, product analytics, marketing automation, and billing systems.
A hybrid PLG + sales-led funnel recognizes that different customer segments require different go-to-market approaches. Small companies or individual users might prefer self-serve onboarding and quick value delivery. Enterprise prospects often need education, customization, and relationship building that only humans can provide.
Multi-channel lead generation combining inbound marketing, product-led signups, and outbound sales efforts.
Users experience initial product value through key onboarding actions or milestone achievements.
Lead scoring and segmentation to identify sales-ready prospects based on usage and firmographic data.
Human-assisted conversion through sales outreach, demos, and relationship building for qualified leads.
Transition from free/trial to paid customer through both self-serve and sales-assisted paths.
Revenue growth within existing accounts through upsells, cross-sells, and usage-based expansion.
Pro Tip: The power of a hybrid approach lies in the ability to optimize each stage independently while maintaining visibility into how they work together. Some users might convert purely through self-serve, others through sales-assist, and many through a combination of both touchpoints.
The biggest challenge in measuring a hybrid funnel is data fragmentation. Your product analytics platform tracks user behavior, your CRM holds lead and opportunity data, your marketing automation tracks campaign performance, and your billing system contains revenue information. Without integration, you're flying blind.
User events, feature usage, onboarding completion, engagement scores
Lead information, contact details, opportunity stages, sales activities, deal values
Campaign attribution, email engagement, content interactions, lead scoring
Subscription data, payment history, plan changes, churn events
The goal is to create a unified customer record that combines product usage patterns with sales funnel progression. This enables you to answer critical questions like: "Which product features drive the highest sales-qualified leads?" or "How does sales engagement impact trial-to-paid conversion rates?"
Implementation Tip: Most teams achieve this integration through a data warehouse (like Snowflake or BigQuery) or a customer data platform. The key is establishing reliable ETL processes to keep your unified data fresh and accurate.
What it is:
Acquisition in a hybrid funnel involves multiple channels working together—inbound marketing drives product signups, content marketing generates MQLs, and outbound sales creates SQLs. The goal is to cast a wide net while tracking attribution across all touchpoints.
Start by creating a unified leads table that combines product signups with CRM leads:
-- Unified lead acquisition analysis
WITH unified_leads AS (
SELECT
user_id,
email,
signup_date AS created_date,
'Product Signup' AS lead_type,
utm_source,
utm_medium,
utm_campaign
FROM product_signups
UNION ALL
SELECT
NULL AS user_id,
email,
created_date,
lead_source AS lead_type,
utm_source,
utm_medium,
utm_campaign
FROM crm_leads
WHERE created_date >= CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '30' DAY
)
SELECT
COALESCE(utm_source, 'Direct') AS source,
lead_type,
COUNT(*) AS lead_count,
COUNT(*) * 100.0 / SUM(COUNT(*)) OVER() AS percentage_of_total
FROM unified_leads
WHERE created_date >= CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '30' DAY
GROUP BY utm_source, lead_type
ORDER BY lead_count DESC;
This query gives you a comprehensive view of lead volume by source and type. You can extend it by joining with conversion data to calculate quality scores and CAC by channel.
Key Insight: In a hybrid funnel, acquisition success isn't just about volume—it's about generating the right mix of self-serve users and sales-qualified prospects. Track both total leads and the quality metrics for each channel.
What it is:
Activation represents the moment when users first experience meaningful value from your product. In a hybrid funnel, this becomes a key signal for both self-serve conversion and sales qualification. Activated users are more likely to convert and represent higher-quality sales prospects.
Define your activation criteria and track completion across different user segments:
-- Activation analysis with segmentation
WITH activation_events AS (
SELECT
u.user_id,
u.signup_date,
u.company_size,
u.utm_source,
MIN(e.event_timestamp) AS first_activation_date,
COUNT(DISTINCT e.event_name) AS activation_events_completed
FROM users u
LEFT JOIN product_events e ON u.user_id = e.user_id
AND e.event_name IN ('project_created', 'data_connected', 'first_query_run', 'dashboard_created')
AND e.event_timestamp BETWEEN u.signup_date AND u.signup_date + INTERVAL '7' DAY
WHERE u.signup_date >= CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '30' DAY
GROUP BY u.user_id, u.signup_date, u.company_size, u.utm_source
)
SELECT
company_size,
utm_source,
COUNT(*) AS total_signups,
COUNT(first_activation_date) AS activated_users,
COUNT(first_activation_date) * 100.0 / COUNT(*) AS activation_rate,
AVG(EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM (first_activation_date - signup_date))/3600) AS avg_hours_to_activate
FROM activation_events
GROUP BY company_size, utm_source
ORDER BY activation_rate DESC;
This analysis reveals which user segments and acquisition channels drive the highest activation rates, helping you optimize both product onboarding and marketing targeting.
Hybrid Funnel Tip: Activation becomes a crucial handoff point between product and sales teams. Activated users from enterprise segments often warrant immediate sales outreach, while SMB activated users might continue on the self-serve path.
What it is:
Qualification is where the hybrid approach really shines. You combine product usage signals with traditional firmographic and behavioral data to identify which leads warrant sales attention. This prevents sales teams from chasing unqualified leads while ensuring high-potential prospects get proper attention.
Build a lead scoring model that combines product engagement with company characteristics:
-- Comprehensive lead scoring for hybrid funnel
WITH lead_scoring AS (
SELECT
u.user_id,
u.email,
u.company_name,
u.company_size,
u.industry,
u.signup_date,
-- Product engagement score (0-40 points)
CASE
WHEN activation_events.activation_count >= 3 THEN 40
WHEN activation_events.activation_count >= 2 THEN 30
WHEN activation_events.activation_count >= 1 THEN 20
ELSE 0
END AS product_engagement_score,
-- Company fit score (0-40 points)
CASE
WHEN u.company_size = 'Enterprise' THEN 40
WHEN u.company_size = 'Mid-Market' THEN 30
WHEN u.company_size = 'SMB' THEN 20
ELSE 10
END AS company_fit_score,
-- Behavioral score (0-20 points)
CASE
WHEN recent_activity.days_active >= 5 THEN 20
WHEN recent_activity.days_active >= 3 THEN 15
WHEN recent_activity.days_active >= 1 THEN 10
ELSE 0
END AS behavioral_score
FROM users u
LEFT JOIN (
SELECT
user_id,
COUNT(DISTINCT event_name) as activation_count
FROM product_events
WHERE event_name IN ('project_created', 'data_connected', 'first_query_run')
GROUP BY user_id
) activation_events ON u.user_id = activation_events.user_id
LEFT JOIN (
SELECT
user_id,
COUNT(DISTINCT DATE(event_timestamp)) as days_active
FROM product_events
WHERE event_timestamp >= CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '7' DAY
GROUP BY user_id
) recent_activity ON u.user_id = recent_activity.user_id
WHERE u.signup_date >= CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '30' DAY
)
SELECT
user_id,
email,
company_name,
company_size,
(product_engagement_score + company_fit_score + behavioral_score) AS total_score,
CASE
WHEN (product_engagement_score + company_fit_score + behavioral_score) >= 80 THEN 'Hot PQL'
WHEN (product_engagement_score + company_fit_score + behavioral_score) >= 60 THEN 'Warm PQL'
WHEN (product_engagement_score + company_fit_score + behavioral_score) >= 40 THEN 'Cold Lead'
ELSE 'Nurture'
END AS lead_grade
FROM lead_scoring
ORDER BY total_score DESC;
This scoring model helps sales teams prioritize their outreach while ensuring product-engaged users don't fall through the cracks.
Important: Lead scoring models need regular calibration. Monitor conversion rates by score tier and adjust your criteria based on what actually drives closed-won deals.
What it is:
Sales Touch represents the human element of your hybrid funnel. This stage tracks how sales teams engage with qualified leads through demos, consultations, and relationship building. The goal is to accelerate conversion for high-value prospects while maintaining the efficiency of the product-led motion.
Track the sales engagement process and its impact on conversion:
-- Sales touch effectiveness analysis
WITH sales_engagement AS (
SELECT
l.user_id,
l.email,
l.pql_date,
l.lead_score,
MIN(s.activity_date) AS first_sales_touch,
COUNT(s.activity_id) AS total_sales_activities,
MAX(CASE WHEN s.activity_type = 'Demo Completed' THEN s.activity_date END) AS demo_date,
MAX(CASE WHEN s.activity_type = 'Proposal Sent' THEN s.activity_date END) AS proposal_date
FROM pql_leads l
LEFT JOIN sales_activities s ON l.email = s.contact_email
AND s.activity_date >= l.pql_date
WHERE l.pql_date >= CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '90' DAY
GROUP BY l.user_id, l.email, l.pql_date, l.lead_score
),
conversion_outcomes AS (
SELECT
se.*,
c.conversion_date,
c.plan_type,
c.mrr
FROM sales_engagement se
LEFT JOIN customers c ON se.email = c.email
AND c.conversion_date >= se.pql_date
)
SELECT
CASE
WHEN lead_score >= 80 THEN 'Hot PQL'
WHEN lead_score >= 60 THEN 'Warm PQL'
ELSE 'Cold PQL'
END AS pql_tier,
COUNT(*) AS total_pqls,
COUNT(first_sales_touch) AS sales_accepted,
COUNT(first_sales_touch) * 100.0 / COUNT(*) AS acceptance_rate,
COUNT(demo_date) AS demos_completed,
COUNT(demo_date) * 100.0 / COUNT(first_sales_touch) AS demo_rate,
COUNT(conversion_date) AS conversions,
COUNT(conversion_date) * 100.0 / COUNT(*) AS overall_conversion_rate,
AVG(EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM (conversion_date - pql_date))/86400) AS avg_sales_cycle_days
FROM conversion_outcomes
GROUP BY
CASE
WHEN lead_score >= 80 THEN 'Hot PQL'
WHEN lead_score >= 60 THEN 'Warm PQL'
ELSE 'Cold PQL'
END
ORDER BY avg_sales_cycle_days ASC;
This analysis helps you understand which PQL tiers warrant immediate sales attention and how sales engagement impacts conversion rates and cycle times.
Key Insight: The best hybrid funnels maintain clear SLAs between product and sales teams. Hot PQLs might warrant same-day outreach, while warm PQLs could be nurtured for a few days to increase engagement before sales contact.
What it is:
Conversion in a hybrid funnel happens through multiple paths: pure self-serve, sales-assisted, and hybrid journeys where users begin self-serve but complete conversion with sales help. Tracking all conversion paths is essential for understanding what drives revenue.
Analyze conversion paths and their relative effectiveness:
-- Conversion path analysis for hybrid funnel
WITH conversion_paths AS (
SELECT
u.user_id,
u.email,
u.signup_date,
u.company_size,
c.conversion_date,
c.plan_type,
c.mrr,
c.annual_contract_value,
-- Determine conversion path
CASE
WHEN sq.first_sales_touch IS NULL THEN 'Pure Self-Serve'
WHEN sq.first_sales_touch < c.conversion_date
AND u.signup_date < sq.first_sales_touch THEN 'Sales-Assisted'
WHEN sq.first_sales_touch >= c.conversion_date THEN 'Self-Serve (Post-Sale Touch)'
ELSE 'Hybrid'
END AS conversion_path,
EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM (c.conversion_date - u.signup_date))/86400 AS days_to_convert
FROM users u
JOIN customers c ON u.email = c.email
LEFT JOIN (
SELECT
email,
MIN(activity_date) as first_sales_touch
FROM sales_activities
GROUP BY email
) sq ON u.email = sq.email
WHERE u.signup_date >= CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '90' DAY
)
SELECT
conversion_path,
company_size,
COUNT(*) AS conversions,
COUNT(*) * 100.0 / SUM(COUNT(*)) OVER() AS percentage_of_conversions,
AVG(mrr) AS avg_mrr,
AVG(annual_contract_value) AS avg_acv,
AVG(days_to_convert) AS avg_days_to_convert,
PERCENTILE_CONT(0.5) WITHIN GROUP (ORDER BY days_to_convert) AS median_days_to_convert
FROM conversion_paths
GROUP BY conversion_path, company_size
ORDER BY avg_acv DESC;
This analysis reveals which conversion paths drive the highest value customers and optimal sales cycle lengths for different segments.
Optimization Tip: Often, the highest-value customers come from sales-assisted conversions, but self-serve converts faster and more efficiently. Use these insights to decide when to apply sales resources for maximum ROI.
What it is:
Expansion in a hybrid funnel combines product-led growth signals (usage-based expansion, feature adoption) with sales-led expansion (upsells, cross-sells). The best expansion motions use product usage data to identify expansion opportunities and sales teams to execute the expansion.
Identify expansion opportunities by combining usage patterns with account characteristics:
-- Expansion opportunity identification
WITH account_usage AS (
SELECT
c.account_id,
c.current_plan,
c.current_seats,
c.mrr,
COUNT(DISTINCT u.user_id) AS active_users,
COUNT(DISTINCT pe.event_name) AS features_used,
SUM(CASE WHEN pe.event_name = 'advanced_analytics_used' THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) AS advanced_feature_usage,
MAX(pe.event_timestamp) AS last_activity_date
FROM customers c
JOIN users u ON c.account_id = u.account_id
LEFT JOIN product_events pe ON u.user_id = pe.user_id
AND pe.event_timestamp >= CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '30' DAY
GROUP BY c.account_id, c.current_plan, c.current_seats, c.mrr
),
expansion_scores AS (
SELECT
*,
-- Seat expansion opportunity
CASE
WHEN active_users > current_seats * 0.8 THEN 'High'
WHEN active_users > current_seats * 0.6 THEN 'Medium'
ELSE 'Low'
END AS seat_expansion_opportunity,
-- Plan upgrade opportunity
CASE
WHEN current_plan = 'Basic' AND advanced_feature_usage > 10 THEN 'High'
WHEN current_plan = 'Basic' AND advanced_feature_usage > 5 THEN 'Medium'
WHEN current_plan = 'Pro' AND features_used > 15 THEN 'High'
ELSE 'Low'
END AS plan_upgrade_opportunity
FROM account_usage
WHERE last_activity_date >= CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '7' DAY -- Active accounts only
)
SELECT
current_plan,
seat_expansion_opportunity,
plan_upgrade_opportunity,
COUNT(*) AS account_count,
SUM(mrr) AS total_mrr,
AVG(active_users::FLOAT / current_seats) AS avg_seat_utilization,
AVG(features_used) AS avg_features_used
FROM expansion_scores
GROUP BY current_plan, seat_expansion_opportunity, plan_upgrade_opportunity
ORDER BY
CASE seat_expansion_opportunity WHEN 'High' THEN 1 WHEN 'Medium' THEN 2 ELSE 3 END,
CASE plan_upgrade_opportunity WHEN 'High' THEN 1 WHEN 'Medium' THEN 2 ELSE 3 END;
This analysis helps identify which accounts are ripe for expansion and what type of expansion (seats vs. plan upgrades) is most appropriate.
Revenue Impact: Companies with strong hybrid expansion motions often achieve NRR of 110-120% or higher. The key is using product data to identify opportunities and sales teams to execute the expansion conversation.
Measuring a hybrid PLG + sales-led funnel requires orchestrating multiple data sources, teams, and metrics. The goal isn't just to track each stage individually, but to understand how they work together to drive business growth.
Invest in data integration that combines product usage, sales activities, and revenue data into a single source of truth. This enables cross-stage analysis and attribution.
Establish clear criteria for when leads transition from product-led to sales-assisted paths. Define SLAs between teams and track handoff quality.
Regularly review and calibrate your scoring models, conversion thresholds, and qualification criteria based on actual outcomes and closed-won deals.
Ensure product, marketing, sales, and customer success teams all understand and buy into the hybrid funnel metrics. Regular cross-team reviews are essential.
Remember: The hybrid approach is about maximizing efficiency at each stage while maintaining visibility into the complete customer journey.
Success comes from leveraging the best of both worlds—product-led efficiency for broad market reach and sales-led effectiveness for high-value opportunities.
Start measuring your hybrid PLG + sales-led funnel with integrated data from all your systems. Get complete visibility into your customer journey and optimize every stage for maximum growth.
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