When Should You Combine Product-Led and Sales-Led Growth?

👋 Welcome to Inspired Momentum!

Product-Led Growth (PLG) puts the product at the center of acquisition, activation, and expansion—but that doesn’t mean sales should be ignored. Many successful companies blend PLG with a Sales-Led Growth (SLG) approach to maximize revenue and serve different customer segments.

The challenge? Knowing when and how to introduce a sales team without losing the efficiency of PLG.

In this issue, we’ll cover:

1. The differences between PLG and SLG.

2. When it makes sense to add a sales motion.

3. How to combine both for maximum impact.

Let’s dive in!

🔍 PLG vs. SLG: The Key Differences

🚀 PLG works best for:

• Self-serve products with a low barrier to entry.

• Products that have clear “aha!” moments without human assistance.

• Freemium models where users can upgrade organically.

🎯 SLG is better for:

• High-ticket, complex products that require demos and negotiation.

• Enterprise clients with procurement processes and multiple decision-makers.

• Products that require deep customization or integrations before users see value.

📌 When Should You Introduce a Sales Team in PLG?

Many successful companies start with PLG-first, then layer in a sales motion when:

✅ Users Need Help to Realize Value

• If your product requires setup, integration, or onboarding assistance.

• Example: HubSpot offers a free CRM but uses sales teams for enterprise plans.

✅ Large Accounts Have Different Needs

• High-value customers expect personalized support.

• Example: Slack started as PLG but introduced sales for enterprise accounts.

✅ Your Data Shows PLG Alone Isn’t Enough

• If free-to-paid conversion rates are low despite strong engagement.

• If high-intent users drop off without upgrading.

✅ Expansion Revenue Needs a Boost

• Sales teams can proactively upsell premium features.

• Example: Zoom used PLG for SMBs but a sales team for large company deals.

🔄 The Hybrid Approach: How to Blend PLG and SLG

1. Identify Product-Qualified Leads (PQLs) 📊

   • Instead of traditional Marketing-Qualified Leads (MQLs), focus on users already engaged with your product.

   • Example: A PQL could invite 5+ teammates to your platform.

   💡 Your Move: Use analytics tools like Amplitude or Mixpanel to track in-product behaviors that signal upgrade readiness.

2. Align Sales & Product Teams 🤝

   • Sales teams should focus on guiding users with intent, not cold outreach.

   • Ensure sales reps understand how users interact with the product before reaching out.

   💡 Example: Dropbox tracks when teams reach storage limits, and then sales steps in to assist with enterprise plans.

3. Automate the First Steps Before Involving Sales 🤖

   • Allow users to self-serve as much as possible before introducing human touchpoints.

   • Example: Calendly lets users start with free scheduling, then sales helps with team & enterprise upgrades.

   💡 Your Move: Implement automated in-app messaging & personalized emails to drive conversions before involving sales.

4. Use Sales for High-Touch Expansion 🌱

   • If a company is actively using your product but not on an enterprise plan, sales can offer custom pricing, premium support, or add-ons.

   • Example: Notion’s sales team reaches out when a company has 50+ users on the free plan.

   💡 Your Move: Identify key account growth triggers and proactively engage them.

🚀 Case Study: How Figma Mastered PLG + SLG

Figma started as 100% PLG, allowing designers to collaborate without downloads or barriers.

🔹 PLG Focus:

• Free-tier with viral, multiplayer collaboration.

• Self-serve onboarding & growth through word of mouth.

🔹 When They Introduced Sales:

• Once large teams & enterprises wanted advanced features like SSO, security, and custom workflows.

• Sales teams engaged only when usage indicated strong intent.

🎯 The Result: A seamless mix of self-serve adoption + targeted sales for enterprise growth.

Your Takeaway: Let PLG drive organic growth, then layer in sales when customer complexity increases.

💡 Actionable Takeaways for Your Business

✅ Define your Product-Qualified Lead (PQL) – Track high-intent users before reaching out.

✅ Don’t force sales into PLG too early – Allow users to self-serve before adding human touchpoints.

✅ Use AI & automation to bridge the gap – Chatbots & automated outreach can soften the transition between self-serve and sales.

✅ Align sales with product engagement – Equip sales teams with user behavior insights instead of cold leads.

📣 Let’s Discuss!

Is your company using PLG, SLG, or a mix of both? Reply to this email—I’d love to feature your insights in a future issue!

Until next time,
Filippo

P.S. Know someone struggling to balance PLG and sales? Forward this issue to them! 🚀