Here’s a bold thought for you to chew on: most Product-Led Growth (PLG) strategies fail, not because of the product, but due to one major, often overlooked issue: misalignment across teams. Sales, marketing, product, and BI—these teams all have slightly different understandings of what PLG means, who should lead it, and how it fits within the broader growth strategy. The result? Confusion, disconnected processes, and missed opportunities.
But here’s the thing I’ve learned through years of driving sales-led to product-assisted growth in SaaS businesses: it doesn’t have to be this way. PLG, when executed effectively, can become a central growth engine that not only accelerates revenue but also builds more engaged, loyal customers. The key? Achieving alignment, clarifying roles, and having the right systems in place to nurture Product Acquired Leads (PALs) into Product Qualified Leads (PQLs) or full-fledged paying accounts.
Curious about how to transition from a sales-led motion to PLG without losing momentum? Here’s how you can turn your product into the driving force of your growth strategy.
Reframing PLG to Avoid Common Pitfalls
Before jumping into details, let's debunk a few persistent myths about PLG.
A free trial is not PLG. Companies sometimes slap on a free trial or freemium model, thinking they’ve become “product-led.” Newsflash—this is where many stumble. A free trial can drive signups, yes. But without a clear customer activation and retention strategy, all you’ve done is collect email addresses and dilute your brand.
A free trial is not a replacement for sales. PLG doesn’t mean waving goodbye to your sales team. Instead, it means creating a product pathway that works alongside your existing sales-led funnel. Think of them as complementary forces pulling in the same direction.
Not all free-trial users are PQLs. Signing up for a free trial doesn’t mean someone is high-intent or ready to buy. At this stage, you’ve likely captured a PAL—a Product Acquired Lead. Converting them to a PQL or even a Product Qualified Account (PQA) requires creating a tailored product experience that helps them see the value quickly and repeatedly.
Building a Dual-Funnel Approach
If there’s one lesson to take away here, it’s this: maintaining traditional sales-led funnels (MQL → SQL) while developing your PLG funnel (PAL → Subscriber) simultaneously is essential. Why? Because each works better with the other. This isn’t about “picking sides;” it’s about expanding opportunities.
Here’s a quick roadmap for success that starts with rethinking the customer experience:
1. Free Doesn’t Mean Intuitive
Too many assume their product can “sell itself.” But self-service isn’t magic. It requires clarity, simplicity, and value delivery at every interaction. If users don’t find value fast, they’ll leave faster. Ask yourself, What’s my product’s “aha moment” and how quickly do users experience it?
2. Define Your Metrics
The “set it and forget it” approach doesn’t fly in PLG. Your teams need shared definitions of success.
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PALs = Anyone trying or exploring your product.
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PQLs = Users actively engaging with key features that signal buying intent.
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PQAs = Aggregated activity across accounts that qualify based on usage data, ICP fit, and buying signals.
3. Don’t Neglect the Journey
Nurturing a PAL into a PQL or beyond requires intentional design, not just within the product but by integrating it with sales and marketing touchpoints. You need triggered, contextual nudges to move users forward. That could mean in-app popups, tailored emails, or even surfacing their usage metrics to incentivise decision-making.
Why Misalignment Sabotages PLG Initiatives
Imagine this scenario: Marketing is running lifecycle campaigns aimed at churned free-trial users; sales is calling PQLs into demos without knowing what value they’ve seen in your tool; BI is analysing usage data but can’t tie it to revenue, leaving marketing questioning ROI. Sound familiar?
Misalignment isn't new, but in PLG, it’s deadly. PLG relies entirely on data flowing seamlessly between teams. If you can’t track and measure key activation points, how do you even know what’s working?
To avoid becoming another PLG cautionary tale, prioritise organization-wide alignment. Here’s what that means in real terms:
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Sales stops chasing every high-usage user like they’re a hot lead.
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Product ensures features meet the needs of both individual users and broader accounts.
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Marketing shifts emphasis toward BOFU (bottom-of-funnel) content, guiding users through 50% of their decision-making process before they even meet a salesperson.
Think of it as moving from siloed operations to a true growth loop, where success in one team fuels success across the others.
How to Transition to PLG
Starting with PLG might seem overwhelming, especially if your organisation has relied on sales-led growth for years. But take heart—it’s rarely an overnight change.
Here’s the phased approach I’ve seen be most effective for SaaS teams moving to PLG:
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Phase 1: Free Trial Launch
Start simple. Test the waters with a small free trial programme supported by robust activation flows. The goal isn’t perfection but iteration. Experiment, measure, and refine.
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Phase 2: Self-Serve Implementation
Layer in self-serve features that allow users to find value independently. This includes creating intuitive onboarding experiences and providing easy access to upgrades, additional features, and content.
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Phase 3: Build Product Growth Loops
Dedicate resources to product growth loops—think virality, word of mouth, or hooks like content sharing—so your product can acquire new users on autopilot. Pro Tip: Start small with a single loop and scale it once it’s driving results.
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Phase 4: Empower Sales with PQA Data
Align your sales strategy for larger accounts by using a PQA model. For example, when individual users from the same account start signing up, aggregate their activity. Then hand these fully formed “teams in waiting” to your sales team with context and ready-made playbooks.
PLG Is an Investment, Not an Add-On
Moving to PLG isn’t just about slapping together a system to identify hand-raisers. It’s an organisation-wide transformation, and it takes time, resources, and alignment to get it right.
If you do it correctly, however, you’ll unlock growth loops that allow you to scale without doubling down on expensive sales efforts. Your product becomes your best marketer, salesperson, and growth driver, all in one.
Still wondering how to make PLG work for your business? Reach out! With experience launching multiple global products and steering companies toward PLG success, I’ve put together a comprehensive framework to remove the guesswork.
Together, we can rethink what growth means—and make it happen.
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