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
Senior Sales Development Manager / Regional SDR Lead
3-5 years in this role before DirectorSkills to master
- Mastering multi-team management, developing managers, strategic planning for a large region or segment, budget management, and cross-functional influence.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently exceeding regional/segment pipeline targets.
- Successfully developing and promoting multiple SDR Managers.
- Demonstrating strong collaboration with regional Sales and Marketing leadership.
- Leading significant process improvements or tech stack implementations.
- 2
Head of Sales Operations (with SDR focus)
4-6 years in this role before DirectorSkills to master
- Deep expertise in sales tech stack, data analytics, process automation, and operational efficiency, applied specifically to the sales development function.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully optimising sales development workflows and tech stack.
- Implementing advanced analytics for pipeline forecasting and SDR performance.
- Driving measurable improvements in SDR efficiency and conversion rates.
- Strong partnership with SDR leadership on strategic initiatives.
- 3
Director of Sales (with strong SDR background)
5-7 years in this role before Director of SDRSkills to master
- Full sales cycle management, closing deals, managing Account Executive teams, and a strong understanding of how SDR efforts translate into closed revenue.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently exceeding AE team revenue targets.
- Successfully coaching and developing Account Executives.
- Demonstrating a clear understanding of the entire sales funnel, from lead to close.
- Strong advocacy for the SDR function and its importance to revenue generation.