Progressing from a Sales Development Representative (SDR) to an Account Executive (AE) is a coveted leap in the sales profession. It's a journey that demands not only a proven sales record but also strategic preparation, personal development, and a keen understanding of the interpersonal dynamics within your organization. Here's how you can navigate this transition successfully.
Mastering Your Current Role
Nailing your job as an SDR is your foundation. Surpass your targets, perfect your lead generation skills, and become a reliable rep. Without hitting targets you’re making it impossible to promote you.
A note - A standard progression looks like SDR → Senior SDR → AE (Junior AE, associate AE, SMB AE etc.).
Alternative progressions may lead towards Customer Success/Account management, or possibly internal support roles such as Sales Ops.
A number of companies try and trap you into staying an SDR for 2+ years. Ent. SDR is a trap.
What you should do before accepting roles at a company is looking for people who have successfully managed to be promoted. Look at the AE team and see if any of them were previously SDRs. if not, move on.
Slightly different for startups who haven’t had that many, I would say if the startup life is for you, go for it, but there are other things to look for to decide if it is a good startup.
Expanding Your Skill Set
The AE role requires a broader skill set, including negotiation, pipeline management, and closing deals. Start by:
Understanding If an Opportunity is Good: Understand if you are sending your AEs crap or if the leads are going to buy. You will soon need to transition from booking anything that breaths to disqualifying as hard as you can. Start now.
Learning the Sales Cycle: Understand the nuances of each stage from prospecting to closing.
Enhancing Communication Skills: Sharpen your presentation and negotiation skills.
Understanding Larger Deals: Get involved with bigger accounts to grasp the complexities of larger sales cycles.
Setting Personal Goals
Define clear, measurable goals for your transition. You should start by looking for where your weak points are and work on fixing them
Documenting Achievements
Keep a record of your successes. Quantifiable results and testimonials can be powerful in making your case for promotion.
Learning from the Best
Connect with top AEs and learn from their experiences. Their insights can guide you in understanding what it takes to excel in the AE role.
You should be setting time in your calendar to regularly shadow AND watch demo recordings.
Engaging with Tools and Technology
Familiarize yourself with the CRM and other sales tools at a deeper level. Not often spoken about, but one of the most important aspects of the AE role is a much higher requirement of strong organisation and CRM hygiene. When you’re running multiple complex deals and need to explain exactly what is happening on each deal to your manager, you’ll thank me.
Communicating Your Aspirations
Let your intentions be known.
Discuss your career aspirations with your manager and seek their advice on how you can prepare for the next step.
They should be able to give direct answer on what the path is. If they cannot you should be asking yourself why - is there no plan on giving you a promotion path? Is it just too early? Do you need to start looking elsewhere?
There are two main reasons you need to have this conversation. It is to get your name in the hat and push internally for the promotion, but just as important, it lets you get insight into what your manager is thinking about on this topic.
Building Advocacy
Cultivate relationships with individuals who can vouch for your work and support your promotion. These advocates can be crucial in the decision-making process.
You will likely need to interview internally to get the role, and without support everything is much harder
Understanding Promotion Criteria
Get clarity on what's required for the promotion. Know the performance benchmarks and the competencies needed for the AE role.
These should be solid, specific metrics. Focus on hitting them.
Preparing for the Interview
When the opportunity arises, focus on your future contributions as an AE. Prepare to articulate not just past achievements but also how you plan to achieve future goals.
Showcasing Sales Process Acumen
Demonstrate your understanding of the entire sales process. Show how you can add value at each stage and contribute to the company's success.
Timing Your Promotion
Assess if your current organization offers a clear path to promotion. If progress seems hindered, consider looking for AE roles elsewhere.
Making Every Interaction a Learning Opportunity
Use every sales call and interaction to hone the skills you'll need as an AE. Each conversation is a chance to practice and perfect your approach.
Continuous Learning
Once promoted, the learning doesn't stop. Stay curious and continue to develop your skills and knowledge.
Seeking Feedback
Regular feedback is a tool for growth. Use it to refine your approach and improve your performance in the AE role.
Delivering Consistent Value
Focus on creating value for your clients. Your success as an AE will be measured by the solutions you provide and the relationships you build.
Conclusion
The path from SDR to AE is as challenging as it is rewarding. It requires a strategic approach that combines professional development with an understanding of the subtleties of organizational dynamics. By following this guide, you'll be well-equipped to make your case for a promotion and thrive in your new role as an Account Executive.
-Dingo