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
Sales Enablement Manager (L4)
3-5 years in previous roleSkills to master
- Deep expertise in programme management, team leadership (informal or formal), strategic planning for a specific enablement pillar (e.g., onboarding, content), and strong stakeholder management.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully led 2-3 major enablement projects with measurable impact.
- Consistently received positive feedback from sales leaders on your strategic contributions.
- Demonstrated ability to coach and mentor junior team members effectively.
- Proactively identified and solved complex enablement challenges, not just executed requests.
- 2
Senior Sales Leader (e.g., Regional Sales Director, Sales VP)
Transition from 10+ years in sales leadershipSkills to master
- Translating front-line sales experience into scalable enablement strategies, understanding adult learning principles, mastering enablement tech stack, and shifting from direct sales management to influence-based leadership.
You're ready to move on when
- A strong desire to impact sales performance at a systemic level, rather than individual deals.
- Demonstrated ability to build and scale sales processes and methodologies.
- A natural aptitude for coaching and developing sales talent.
- A deep understanding of the 'day in the life' of a sales rep and manager, with empathy for their challenges.
- 3
Head of Learning & Development (from another function)
5-7 years in L&D leadershipSkills to master
- Deep understanding of sales processes and methodologies, sales tech stack, revenue operations, and the specific challenges of a sales organisation. You'll need to learn the 'language' of sales quickly.
You're ready to move on when
- Proven track record of designing and implementing impactful learning programmes for professional audiences.
- Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills.
- A keen interest in sales and revenue generation, with a willingness to immerse yourself in the sales world.
- Ability to quickly adapt instructional design principles to a high-performance, results-driven sales environment.