But there are some subtle yet important differences in the sales process in a PLG model.

1. Customer discovery is more nuanced, because the customer is already using the product in some way. Their use-case is not hypothetical — it’s real.

So the salesperson needs to understand the pain points and opportunities of both the end user and how the department head perceives them. Since the product is already in use, that will all evolve in real-time.

2. The salesperson needs to be more capable of different kinds of storytelling. They need to be able to frame things in different ways for different audiences, and pivot from one frame of reference to another quickly.

When speaking with the end user, the story must focus on how the product makes the job easier. When speaking with the executive, the story must focus on the ROI they can expect.

3. The salesperson has to be more attuned to user behavior. Unlike a traditional sales model, where the salesperson has some education to do, a PLG model requires the salesperson to educate themselves on how the customer already uses the product.

They need to find moments that show users are getting value from the product, and identify where users run into limitations that might require more features.

4. Mapping the organization requires more detail. Since the product has already been adopted somewhat, the salesperson doesn’t get to control who gets to weigh in with objections, pain points, and benefits.

The buying committee can sprawl in a PLG model, so salespeople need to be even more nimble.

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