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 Telesales Coordinator / SDR Team Lead
3-5 years as a Senior SDRSkills to master
- Consistently exceeding individual targets, informal mentorship, leading team huddles, taking ownership of specific process improvements, and demonstrating strong analytical skills.
You're ready to move on when
- Your SDR Manager consistently relies on you to train new hires.
- You're the go-to person for complex objection handling or strategic account planning.
- You've successfully implemented a new process or sequence that improved team performance.
- You proactively analyse team data and present insights to management.
- 2
Account Executive (AE) with a passion for TOFU
5-8 years as an AE, then a pivotSkills to master
- Full sales cycle management, closing deals, deep product knowledge, but with a clear desire to return to and optimise the top-of-funnel. Strong coaching aptitude is key.
You're ready to move on when
- You consistently source a significant portion of your own pipeline as an AE.
- You enjoy coaching junior AEs or SDRs on prospecting techniques.
- You're passionate about optimising the initial stages of the sales process.
- You understand the full sales cycle but find the 'hunt' and development aspect particularly rewarding.