With all the buzz and momentum in the SaaS world of product-led growth, there’s been an enormous amount of emphasis placed on the PQL or product-qualified sales process
. Here are some things to pay attention to
-An ICP match
is a prerequisite for any self-serve process, having a clear match here enables you to build a qualified set of trial users. Qualified
doesn’t mean interest.
-Trial usage of a product means only interest in exploring the product and it doesn’t always translate to sales
. PQLs are the new awareness.
- PQLs are not made equal ≠, some users are easily satisfied with a free tier or limited features. Go deeper into the usage analytics
and identify activated users vs engaged users. Activated users are the key to conversions.
- The upgrade cycle
in your user base is contextual. If your product is a seat-based license, then the upgrade is purely on their growth. If it’s usage-based then usage of high-value features. Calibrate your up-sell/cross-sell approach based on these criteria. Have the telemetry to differentiate intent clearly.
- If your SaaS product is a high ticket item a sales approach
is a must for signing up high-value clients
. A self-serve funnel needs to reconcile with a sales funnel.
I repeat PQLs are indicators of interest and not intent to buy. You have to invest your marketing and sales dollars to translate interest into intent.