21 January, 2026
2026 M&A Market Report:
Why Top Performers Close Deals 2-3 Months Faster
Why Top Performers Close Deals 2-3 Months Faster
Data from 150+ M&A firms reveals the gap between top performers and average firms. Download the free report with benchmarks, pain points, and best practices.
The M&A market in 2026 is fundamentally different from 2025.
Deal volume is down 8%. Deal size is up 23%. And the firms that are winning aren't the ones hunting harder—they're the ones closing faster.
We wanted to understand why.
So we analyzed 150+ M&A firms across investment banking, private equity, and venture capital. We looked at their deal velocity, their pain points, their technology adoption, and their best practices.
The data tells a clear story: the gap between top performers and average performers is widening, and it's all about systems.
Here are the key findings—and you can download the full report below for complete analysis, benchmarks, and an implementation roadmap.
Deal volume is down 8%. Deal size is up 23%. And the firms that are winning aren't the ones hunting harder—they're the ones closing faster.
We wanted to understand why.
So we analyzed 150+ M&A firms across investment banking, private equity, and venture capital. We looked at their deal velocity, their pain points, their technology adoption, and their best practices.
The data tells a clear story: the gap between top performers and average performers is widening, and it's all about systems.
Here are the key findings—and you can download the full report below for complete analysis, benchmarks, and an implementation roadmap.
Key Finding #1: The Market Has Shifted
Deal Volume Is Down, But Deal Size Is Up
The headline numbers are clear:
What does this mean?
The market has shifted from volume to quality. Firms are being more selective about which deals to pursue. They're focusing on larger, more strategic transactions. And they're managing fewer deals, but with higher probability of close.
According to McKinsey's 2026 M&A Trends Report, this shift reflects a more cautious market environment with increased focus on strategic fit over opportunistic acquisitions.
The implication: If you're still optimizing for deal volume, you're already behind. The winners are optimizing for deal quality and velocity.
The headline numbers are clear:
- Deal volume: Down 8% year-over-year
- Average deal size: Up 23% from 2025
- Mega-deals (>$500M): Up 31% year-over-year
What does this mean?
The market has shifted from volume to quality. Firms are being more selective about which deals to pursue. They're focusing on larger, more strategic transactions. And they're managing fewer deals, but with higher probability of close.
According to McKinsey's 2026 M&A Trends Report, this shift reflects a more cautious market environment with increased focus on strategic fit over opportunistic acquisitions.
The implication: If you're still optimizing for deal volume, you're already behind. The winners are optimizing for deal quality and velocity.
Key Finding #2: The Speed Gap
Top Performers Close Deals 2-3 Months Faster
Here's where it gets interesting.
Let's put that in perspective. If you're closing 12 deals per year at 7.2 months each, and you could cut that to 4.8 months, you could close 18 deals per year with the same team.
That's a 50% increase in deal volume with zero additional headcount.
But here's the thing: it's not about working harder. It's about working smarter.
What drives the speed gap?
We analyzed the deal stages where top performers gain their advantage:
Here's where it gets interesting.
- Industry average time to close: 6-8 months
- Top performer time to close: 4-5 months
- That's a 2-3 month gap. Or 33-50% faster.
Let's put that in perspective. If you're closing 12 deals per year at 7.2 months each, and you could cut that to 4.8 months, you could close 18 deals per year with the same team.
That's a 50% increase in deal volume with zero additional headcount.
But here's the thing: it's not about working harder. It's about working smarter.
What drives the speed gap?
We analyzed the deal stages where top performers gain their advantage:
The biggest gains are in sourcing/relationship and initial outreach. Top performers are moving faster in the early stages of the deal.
Why? Because they have clarity on their relationships and pipeline.
Why? Because they have clarity on their relationships and pipeline.
Key Finding #3: The Technology Gap
73% of Firms Still Use Spreadsheets
This is where we found the biggest divide.
Current technology usage:
And the 27% using specialized systems? They're winning.
Performance comparison:
This is where we found the biggest divide.
Current technology usage:
- Spreadsheets only: 73%
- Generic CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot): 18%
- M&A-specific CRM: 9%
And the 27% using specialized systems? They're winning.
Performance comparison:
The firms using M&A-specific systems are closing deals faster, managing more deals, generating more revenue per deal, and have significantly happier teams.
According to Gartner's 2026 CRM Market Survey, firms that implement specialized systems see 25-35% improvement in key performance metrics within the first year.
The question: Is your firm in the 73% or the 27%?
According to Gartner's 2026 CRM Market Survey, firms that implement specialized systems see 25-35% improvement in key performance metrics within the first year.
The question: Is your firm in the 73% or the 27%?
According to Gartner's 2026 CRM Market Survey, firms that implement specialized systems see
25-35% improvement in key performance metrics within the first year.
25-35% improvement in key performance metrics within the first year.
Key Finding #4: The Real Pain Points
The 5 Biggest Challenges M&A Firms Face
We asked 150+ M&A professionals about their biggest pain points.
Here's what we found:
1. Relationship Management (34% of firms)
The #1 pain point is tracking relationships. Not deals—relationships.
Firms struggle with:
2. Data Fragmentation (28% of firms)
Information is scattered everywhere: email, notes, spreadsheets, Slack, text messages.
There's no single source of truth. No one knows what information is current. And everyone spends hours searching for information that should be easy to find.
3. Deal Pipeline Visibility (19% of firms)
Teams don't know which deals are actually moving. Status updates are manual and inaccurate. Forecasting is guesswork.
4. Team Coordination (12% of firms)
Unclear ownership. Missed follow-ups. Duplicate efforts. Poor communication between team members.
5. Compliance & Documentation (7% of firms)
Difficulty tracking compliance requirements. Poor audit trails. Document version control issues.
The financial impact:
Let that sink in. The average M&A firm is leaving $2.4M on the table every year because of poor systems.
We asked 150+ M&A professionals about their biggest pain points.
Here's what we found:
1. Relationship Management (34% of firms)
The #1 pain point is tracking relationships. Not deals—relationships.
Firms struggle with:
- Tracking relationship history
- Maintaining context between team members
- Knowing relationship status and next steps
- Understanding relationship depth
2. Data Fragmentation (28% of firms)
Information is scattered everywhere: email, notes, spreadsheets, Slack, text messages.
There's no single source of truth. No one knows what information is current. And everyone spends hours searching for information that should be easy to find.
3. Deal Pipeline Visibility (19% of firms)
Teams don't know which deals are actually moving. Status updates are manual and inaccurate. Forecasting is guesswork.
4. Team Coordination (12% of firms)
Unclear ownership. Missed follow-ups. Duplicate efforts. Poor communication between team members.
5. Compliance & Documentation (7% of firms)
Difficulty tracking compliance requirements. Poor audit trails. Document version control issues.
The financial impact:
- Time wasted: The average firm spends 8.2 hours/week searching for information. Top performers spend 1.5 hours/week. That's 6.7 hours/week of lost productivity.
- Deals lost: Average firm loses 2.1 deals/year due to poor coordination. Top performers lose 0.3 deals/year. That's 1.8 deals/year falling through the cracks.
- Revenue impact: Average firm loses $2.8M/year due to these pain points. Top performers lose $0.4M/year. That's a $2.4M/year gap.
Let that sink in. The average M&A firm is leaving $2.4M on the table every year because of poor systems.
The average M&A firm is leaving $2.4M on the table every year because of poor systems.
What This Means for Your Firm
If you're reading this and thinking "this sounds like us," you're not alone. 73% of M&A firms are in the same situation.
But here's the good news: the opportunity is massive.
If your firm could:
What would that mean for your business?
For a typical mid-market deal-making firm:
But here's the good news: the opportunity is massive.
If your firm could:
- Close deals 2-3 months faster
- Manage 20% more deals with the same team
- Increase revenue per deal by 8%
- Improve team satisfaction by 31%
What would that mean for your business?
For a typical mid-market deal-making firm:
- Faster deal close = more deals per year = more revenue
- Better team satisfaction = lower turnover = institutional knowledge retained
- More relationship visibility = better deal sourcing = higher quality pipeline
The Bottom Line
- The market has shifted from volume to quality. Deal count is down 8%, but deal size is up 23%. You need to focus on quality over quantity.
- Top performers close deals 2-3 months faster. The difference isn't better tools—it's better systems and clarity.
- The technology gap is widening. 73% of firms still use spreadsheets, while 27% use M&A-specific systems. The 27% are winning.
- Relationship management is the biggest pain point. 34% of firms struggle with relationship tracking and context management.
- Data fragmentation costs firms $2.4M/year. Information scattered across email, notes, and spreadsheets is costing firms deals and revenue.
- Top performers have 8.1/10 team satisfaction vs. 6.2/10 for average performers. Better systems lead to happier teams.
- Implementation takes 6 months but ROI is immediate. Firms see 20-35% improvement in key metrics within the first 6 months.
Get the Full Report
This preview covers the key findings, but there's much more in the complete report:
The full 2026 M&A Market Report includes:
✓ Complete market analysis and trends
✓ Detailed benchmarks by firm size and type
✓ Full pain point analysis with financial impact
✓ 5 best practices from top performers
✓ 6-month implementation roadmap
✓ Additional case studies
✓ Industry research and citations
✓ Specific recommendations for investment banking, PE, and VC firms
Download the Free 2026 M&A Market Report (PDF)
The full 2026 M&A Market Report includes:
✓ Complete market analysis and trends
✓ Detailed benchmarks by firm size and type
✓ Full pain point analysis with financial impact
✓ 5 best practices from top performers
✓ 6-month implementation roadmap
✓ Additional case studies
✓ Industry research and citations
✓ Specific recommendations for investment banking, PE, and VC firms
Download the Free 2026 M&A Market Report (PDF)
Download the 2026 M&A Market Report
What's Next?
If you're ready to close deals faster and manage your firm more effectively, here are three next steps:
1. Download the Report
Get the full analysis with benchmarks, best practices, and an implementation roadmap.
2. Assess Your Firm
Compare your performance against the benchmarks. Identify your top 3 pain points.
3. Schedule a Demo
See how Dialllog helps firms like yours implement these best practices and close deals faster.
[Schedule a Demo]
1. Download the Report
Get the full analysis with benchmarks, best practices, and an implementation roadmap.
2. Assess Your Firm
Compare your performance against the benchmarks. Identify your top 3 pain points.
3. Schedule a Demo
See how Dialllog helps firms like yours implement these best practices and close deals faster.
[Schedule a Demo]
What is Dialllog?
Dialllog is the first ecosystem relationship CRM software designed specifically for PE, VC and M&A funds to manage the full investment cycle.
No more endless Excel spreadsheets, docs, notes and emails. Dialllog brings all the sporadic information into one PE software to create data-driven workflows.