What is Sales-Led Growth (SLG)?
Sales-led growth is a go-to-market strategy where revenue is primarily driven by a sales team engaging prospects, as opposed to product-led growth where the product itself drives adoption.
In a sales-led growth model, the sales team is the primary engine for acquiring and expanding customers. Prospects interact with sales reps throughout the buying journey, from initial qualification through contract negotiation. This model dominates enterprise software, complex B2B products, and high-ACV deals.
When Sales-Led Growth Works Best
SLG is most effective when: average deal size exceeds $25K-$50K, the buying process involves multiple stakeholders, the product requires configuration or customization, and the customer needs education about ROI. Most enterprise SaaS, cybersecurity, and infrastructure companies use SLG.
Sales-Led vs Product-Led Growth
Product-led growth (PLG) lets users try the product before talking to sales (think Slack, Notion, or Figma). SLG puts the sales team at the center of the customer journey. Many modern companies use a hybrid approach — PLG for initial adoption and SLG for expansion and enterprise deals.
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