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
Inside Sales / Sales Development Representative (SDR)
2-3 yearsSkills to master
- Prospecting, lead qualification, initial client outreach, understanding sales cadences, basic CRM use, resilience in the face of rejection.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently hitting or exceeding lead generation targets.
- Strong understanding of our product's value proposition and ideal customer profile.
- Demonstrated ability to build rapport quickly with new contacts.
- Proactive in learning about client industries and challenges.
- 2
Customer Success Associate / Junior Customer Success Manager
2-4 yearsSkills to master
- Client onboarding, product adoption, issue resolution, customer advocacy, basic QBRs, understanding customer health scores, proactive client engagement.
You're ready to move on when
- High customer satisfaction scores on your managed accounts.
- Proven ability to drive product adoption and usage.
- Skilled at identifying and escalating potential churn risks.
- Comfortable presenting to clients and demonstrating value.
- 3
Account Executive (SMB/Mid-Market)
2-3 yearsSkills to master
- Full sales cycle management (prospecting to close), negotiation, pipeline forecasting, understanding deal economics, managing sales quotas, value-based selling.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently achieving new business revenue targets.
- Strong negotiation and closing skills.
- Excellent pipeline management and forecasting accuracy.
- Ability to build and maintain relationships throughout a sales cycle.