Sales-Led Growth (SLG)
A go-to-market strategy where dedicated sales teams drive customer acquisition and revenue growth.
What it means
Sales-Led Growth relies on a sales team to qualify leads, run demos, negotiate contracts, and close deals. It's the traditional B2B software model and remains the best approach for high-ACV products with complex buying processes. Sales-led companies invest heavily in SDRs, AEs, and sales enablement - and their marketing focuses on generating qualified leads rather than self-serve signups.
Why it matters
SLG is necessary when your product requires explanation, customization, or multi-stakeholder buy-in. Enterprise deals worth $50k+ rarely close without a salesperson. The trade-off is higher CAC and longer sales cycles, but also higher ACV and potentially lower churn. Many successful companies use a hybrid PLG + SLG approach.
What is sales-led growth?
Sales-led growth is a go-to-market strategy where dedicated sales teams drive acquisition - qualifying leads, running demos, and closing deals.
When should you use sales-led vs product-led growth?
Use SLG for complex, high-ACV products with multiple decision-makers. Use PLG for simpler, lower-ACV products where users can self-serve. Many companies combine both.
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