67: Laura Schaffer: Layering self-serve into a Sales-led gig at Amplitude

Why the fears of people from PLG are justified and how to deal with them

Summary

Laura Schaffer, VP Product Growth @ Amplitude shares her experience of launching a self-serve paid plan and a free plan at Amplitude, a sales-led organization.

The changing landscape of selling, the power of self-serve product experiences, and the expectations of users. The conversation also delves into the tensions between sales and self-serve motions, the importance of buy-in and clear decision-making frameworks, and the structure and purpose of trials and freemium offerings.

The disappearance of classical websites, questioning the need for a separate website and sign-up flow. What’s the role of Product, Growth and Marketing in that future?

Takeaways

• The digital landscape has changed, and users now expect self-serve product experiences that allow them to try and evaluate products themselves.

• Product-led growth (PLG) is a powerful approach that can drive pipeline and accelerate sales, but it requires buy-in and clear decision-making frameworks.

• Trials and freemium offerings are effective ways to lower the friction of pricing and onboard users, but they need to provide enough value to get users over the next hurdle.

• Digital web experiences and digital product experiences are becoming more similar, and the need for a separate website and sign-up flow is being questioned.
  

Sound Bites

• "Whenever you layer in a self-serve motion into a sales led company, it will shed spotlight on any issues that are there at the company."

• "Companies will start merging the website and product experience to avoid losing potential customers in the funnel."
  

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Challenges of Implementing Self-Serve Motion

06:42 The Changing Landscape of Selling and the Power of Self-Serve Experiences

13:54 Tensions Between Sales and Self-Serve Motions: Navigating Conflicts and Gaining Buy-In

21:02 Trials and Freemium: Lowering Friction and Onboarding Users

26:02 Balancing Self-Serve and Sales-Led Motions: Serving Lower-End and Enterprise Segments

29:09 The Blurring Line Between Digital Web Experiences and Digital Product Experiences

37:01 Merging Website and Product Experiences

44:30 Measuring Success in a Product-Led Growth Model

50:36 The Importance of Support in the Self-Serve Environment

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Connect!

Laura’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraschaffer/

Leah’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahtharin/

Season 4 of the Product Tea

We spill the tea on how to Go to Market through Product-led Sales and Product-led Growth in B2B and the realities of senior leadership.

Check out the other episodes