Many B2B software companies—Notion, Airtable and Zapier, to name a few—have used product-led growth (PLG) as an alternative or supplement to traditional sales channels.
Product-led growth, as described by McKinsey, is when a company gives "the product itself a critical role in acquiring, growing and retaining customers." A ProductLed survey found that the majority of B2B SaaS companies are already using this strategy, and 91% of those companies plan to invest more in PLG initiatives this year.
The most successful PLG B2B tools share two traits:
1.Ease Of Adoption: Minimal friction to onboard, such as no IT approval needed.
2.High Output Leverage: Produce significantly better results compared to legacy systems.
This mix creates a flywheel: Users experience value quickly and often share the product via templates, automations or recommendations—driving organic spread.
However, one thing that's generally not well understood about PLG for B2B software sales is how to achieve a self-sustaining adoption loop involving service providers and in-house teams at companies that would use the product.
How Service Providers Drive Early Adoption
Service providers are often the first to adopt new tools because their work depends on staying current. They test, validate and scale solutions across client accounts. Here are a few reasons why they can serve as the first-movers on the adoption of new B2B products:
1.Early Adoption And Experimentation: Freelancers and agencies adopt tools to increase efficiency.
2.Content Creation And Thought Leadership: Once confident in the solution, providers create content—tutorials, LinkedIn posts, YouTube guides—sharing their success and use cases.
3.Client Implementation And Validation: Validated tools are introduced to clients via consulting engagements, workflow builds and system replacements. Each implementation brings the product into a new business, often with long-term use and expansion.
4.Becoming Product Champions: Successful providers often brand themselves around the product, build services around it and earn referrals—transforming the product into a key part of their business model.
How In-House Teams Sustain And Expand Adoption
While service providers introduce products, in-house teams drive continued use and expansion. Here's how:
1.Exposure And Internal Adoption: In-house employees exposed to tools via freelancers often become proficient users. Teams working with Webflow agencies, for instance, might keep using the platform even after the agency’s role ended.
2.Employee Mobility and Cross-Company Seeding: Employees regularly switch jobs. If they found success with a tool, they often bring it to their next company—seeding growth across organizations. At Clay, we often see users reintroduce the product within 60 to 90 days of starting a new role.
3.The Side-Gig Acceleration Effect: Many full-time professionals also freelance. They adopt tools at work, then use them with personal clients—spreading the product across even more companies and audiences.
How To Leverage The Service Provider-In-House Loop
Growth teams at B2B software companies should treat service providers and in-house users as distinct but interconnected audiences. Here’s how to optimize their PLG strategy for both:
1.Prioritize service provider acquisition. Providers introduce tools to new companies. Focus acquisition here with:
-Targeted campaigns
-Partner directories
-Exclusive incentives (discounts, early access)
2.Turn providers into champions. Support providers with certification programs, white-label or client-facing features and affiliate or revenue-share programs. They’ll grow the tool if it helps them grow their business.
3.Streamline provider-to-client handoff. Make it easy for providers to transfer ownership or collaborate with clients through transferable workspaces, co-editing features and role-based access and dashboards.
4.Deepen in-house adoption. Once in-house users are active, help them expand internally with pre-built templates, cross-functional use cases and lightweight onboarding.
Conclusion: Best Practices For Sustainable PLG Growth
The service provider-to-in-house loop isn’t a side effect; it’s a proven growth mechanism. To unlock it fully:
-Track your loop. Use analytics or CRM to identify how users first heard about your product.
-Segment your messaging. Service providers want scale; in-house users want collaboration and simplicity.
-Invest in your champions. Build community, offer education and recognize the people growing your product for you.
This growth loop doesn’t require massive ad budgets or big sales teams. It just requires a product that works, a strategy that supports both segments and a willingness to let users lead.
The original content of the note was published on Forbes.com. To read the full note visit here
