{"id":312310,"date":"2025-04-30T07:10:20","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T14:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/?p=312310"},"modified":"2025-04-29T17:22:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T00:22:11","slug":"plg-will-soon-become-plgai-plg-plus-ai-sales-reps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/plg-will-soon-become-plgai-plg-plus-ai-sales-reps\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Will Be a World of PLG+AI.  PLG plus AI Sales Reps.  We Have No Choice."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/saastr_do-you-think-you-will-need-as-many-sales-activity-7320111476587855873-hTxA?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;rcm=ACoAAAAsKtMBHQPJ9rgxpUs8M6pSxrAYCXIX8oY\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-312402 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-28-at-9.43.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?resize=600%2C433&#038;quality=70&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"433\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-28-at-9.43.05%E2%80%AFAM-scaled.png?resize=600%2C433&amp;quality=70&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-28-at-9.43.05%E2%80%AFAM-scaled.png?resize=768%2C554&amp;quality=70&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-28-at-9.43.05%E2%80%AFAM-scaled.png?resize=1080%2C779&amp;quality=70&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-28-at-9.43.05%E2%80%AFAM-scaled.png?resize=980%2C707&amp;quality=70&amp;ssl=1 980w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-28-at-9.43.05%E2%80%AFAM-scaled.png?resize=480%2C346&amp;quality=70&amp;ssl=1 480w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-28-at-9.43.05%E2%80%AFAM-scaled.png?w=1000&amp;quality=70&amp;ssl=1 1000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 600\/433;\" \/><noscript><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-312402\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-28-at-9.43.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?resize=600%2C433&#038;quality=70&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-28-at-9.43.05%E2%80%AFAM-scaled.png?resize=600%2C433&amp;quality=70&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-28-at-9.43.05%E2%80%AFAM-scaled.png?resize=768%2C554&amp;quality=70&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-28-at-9.43.05%E2%80%AFAM-scaled.png?resize=1080%2C779&amp;quality=70&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-28-at-9.43.05%E2%80%AFAM-scaled.png?resize=980%2C707&amp;quality=70&amp;ssl=1 980w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-28-at-9.43.05%E2%80%AFAM-scaled.png?resize=480%2C346&amp;quality=70&amp;ssl=1 480w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-28-at-9.43.05%E2%80%AFAM-scaled.png?w=1000&amp;quality=70&amp;ssl=1 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p>So for many years, so many B2B founders wanted to be \u201cmore PLG\u201d or \u201cadd a PLG motion\u201d. \u00a0What they really wanted though was to add a better self-serve product with a more viral element. \u00a0PLG was a great way to describe the next evolution of self-serve + viral:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>HubSpot added self-serve, it worked great<\/li>\n<li>Atlassian added self-serve, it worked<\/li>\n<li>Canva and Figma and other B2B leaders perfected PLG motions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For some, PLG was an expansion, adding new lower-end customers (HubSpot + Atlassian). \u00a0For others, it was the core, and just an evolution of freemium, done better (Canva + Notion), where later a sales team would be added.<\/p>\n<p>For many next-generation AI leaders, PLG is core. \u00a0ChatGPT, Windsurf, etc. all at their core have PLG motions, often with large enterprise teams backing up the bigger deals:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"How Windsurf Built A Billion-Dollar AI Leader and a Winning Sales Machine\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eB_ZISb4EWE?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.saastr.com\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>But PLG isn\u2019t just about adding editions or being cheaper. \u00a0 In fact, it\u2019s not necessarily cheaper in the end, as in many cases, dollars saved on sales went into marketing.<\/p>\n<h3>But with PLG you don\u2019t have to hire as many sales people. \u00a0That just makes it inherently more <em>scaleable<\/em>. \u00a0Because it\u2019s just harder and harder to find those humans.<\/h3>\n<p>As we head into the full AI age of B2B, we\u2019re just going to have fewer people that really want to do the grind, the real work in sales. \u00a0I know many will challenge me on this \u2026 but I also know most CROs agree with me. \u00a0Killing yourself in B2B sales isn\u2019t what it was. \u00a0Most folks don\u2019t want to do it.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-312311 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_7177-1.jpeg?resize=600%2C401&#038;quality=70&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"401\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 600\/401;\" \/><noscript><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-312311\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_7177-1.jpeg?resize=600%2C401&#038;quality=70&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"401\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve entered an age where folks don\u2019t want to work as hard and the way they used to. \u00a0It\u2019s not a gripe, it\u2019s a reality. \u00a0We\u2019ve all changed. \u00a0And we all have to adapt. \u00a0Including in sales.<\/p>\n<p>So what are you left with? \u00a0A low energy, more expensive sales team, maybe armed with a few AI tools to enhance them? \u00a0Maybe. \u00a0The Mech AE is and will be real. \u00a0We will all soon have digital AIs joining all our sales calls, and that will help:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"AI Sales Revolution: Digital Twins Close Deals Faster!\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/o6dLG_VBvPE?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.saastr.com\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>But even that doesn\u2019t address a general lack of top-tier, hungry, driven sales reps for B2B products.<\/p>\n<p>So what I think is going to quickly happen is as soon as AI AEs work really well for SMB and lower dollar sales, is that almost everyone will quickly adopt this motion. \u00a0<strong>PLG + AI AEs.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There will be some trade-offs, and humans will still be there for the more complex calls. \u00a0The AI AEs will still kick some interactions up to humans.<\/p>\n<h3>And importantly, products will have to adapt to this motion. \u00a0They\u2019ll have to be even easier to deploy, easier to integrate, easier to roll out.<\/h3>\n<p>Because while an AI AE will be smarter and more productive-savvy than 95%+ of humans, it also can only do what can be done \u2026 in the browser and on the server. \u00a0It can\u2019t fill as many gaps in the software, in onboarding, in integrations, etc. as a human can.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"AI Sales: Why Humans Can&#039;t Beat a Great AI\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vdQyxcTHzEY?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.saastr.com\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><strong>So that will lead to change. \u00a0But we have no choice. \u00a0More and more founders will optimize around a PLG + AI AE motion. <\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>You almost have to. Gartner for Sales says 61% of leaders can\u2019t source the team they need. \u00a0I think in tech, it\u2019s probably well over 85%.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/gartner-for-sales_talentmanagement-workforceoptimization-activity-7322260992065773568-kxud?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_ios&amp;rcm=ACoAAAAsKtMBHQPJ9rgxpUs8M6pSxrAYCXIX8oY\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-312318 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_7185.jpeg?resize=600%2C585&#038;quality=70&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"585\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 600\/585;\" \/><noscript><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-312318\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_7185.jpeg?resize=600%2C585&#038;quality=70&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"585\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"10 Ways AI Is Going to Change Sales. For Real: Live Workshop Wednesday\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yl6kT6Si03g?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.saastr.com\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>So for many years, so many B2B founders wanted to be \u201cmore PLG\u201d or \u201cadd a PLG motion\u201d. \u00a0What they really wanted though was to add a better self-serve product with a more viral element. \u00a0PLG was a great way to describe the next evolution of self-serve + viral: HubSpot added self-serve, it worked great&#8230; <br \/><a class=\"more-link fade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/plg-will-soon-become-plgai-plg-plus-ai-sales-reps\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":312311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpscp_schedule_draft_date":"","_wpscp_schedule_republish_date":"","_wpscppro_advance_schedule":false,"_wpscppro_advance_schedule_date":"","_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[]},"categories":[24898,31,24987],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-312310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ai","category-blog-posts","category-saastr-ai"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_7177-1-scaled.jpeg?fit=1000%2C668&quality=70&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5oib2-1jfg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-28-at-9.43.05\u202fAM-600x433.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=312310"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312310\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":312482,"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312310\/revisions\/312482"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/312311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=312310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=312310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saastr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=312310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}