The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
High-Performing Sales Representative (AE/SDR)
2-4 years of quota attainmentSkills to master
- Deep understanding of the sales process, objection handling, discovery, closing. Informal mentoring of peers, strong product knowledge.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently hitting 100%+ of quota for 12+ months.
- Often asked by peers for advice or help on deals.
- Demonstrates a natural ability to explain complex concepts simply.
- Enjoys helping others succeed as much as their own wins.
- 2
Customer Success Manager with Sales Aptitude
3-5 years in CSM roleSkills to master
- Deep customer empathy, understanding customer pain points, strong communication, ability to influence without authority, product expertise.
You're ready to move on when
- Excellent client retention and expansion numbers.
- Frequently involved in upselling or cross-selling conversations.
- Skilled at diagnosing customer problems and guiding them to solutions.
- Has a good grasp of the sales cycle from the customer's perspective.
- 3
Sales Operations Analyst with Coaching Interest
3-5 years in Sales OpsSkills to master
- Strong data analysis, understanding of sales KPIs, CRM expertise, process optimisation, ability to identify performance trends.
You're ready to move on when
- Can clearly articulate the 'why' behind sales numbers.
- Has built reports that highlight rep performance gaps.
- Enjoys presenting data and explaining insights to sales teams.
- A keen interest in the human element of sales performance, not just the numbers.