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 Partnership Development Manager (L3)
3-5 yearsSkills to master
- Mastering complex partner negotiations, leading cross-functional projects (e.g., new partner type launch), consistently exceeding individual revenue targets, and informally mentoring junior team members.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently hitting individual partner-sourced revenue targets for 2+ years.
- Successfully leading significant partnership initiatives from design to execution.
- Demonstrating strong leadership potential through informal mentorship and project leadership.
- Proactively identifying and resolving complex channel conflicts independently.
- 2
Sales Manager / Regional Sales Manager
3-6 yearsSkills to master
- Leading a direct sales team to hit revenue targets, developing sales strategies for a specific region, performance coaching, and managing a sales pipeline end-to-end.
You're ready to move on when
- Proven track record of exceeding direct sales team quotas.
- Strong capabilities in sales forecasting, pipeline management, and performance coaching.
- Deep understanding of the sales cycle and customer acquisition strategies.
- Demonstrated ability to motivate and develop a sales team.
- 3
Business Development Manager (BDM) / Strategic Accounts Manager
4-7 yearsSkills to master
- Identifying and closing large, complex strategic deals, developing long-term account strategies, and building strong relationships with C-level executives.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistent success in closing high-value, complex deals.
- Excellent relationship-building skills at the executive level.
- Strong strategic thinking and ability to identify new business opportunities.
- Proven ability to manage a long sales cycle for strategic accounts.