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 Development Representative (SDR)
1.5 - 3 yearsSkills to master
- Prospecting, cold outreach (email/phone), lead qualification, objection handling at the top of the funnel, CRM usage, understanding of sales tech stack.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently exceeding monthly meeting-booked or pipeline-generated targets.
- Strong understanding of our Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and value proposition.
- Demonstrated ability to handle initial objections and qualify leads effectively.
- Proactive in seeking coaching and improving sales skills.
- 2
Inside Sales Executive
2 - 4 yearsSkills to master
- Full sales cycle management for smaller deals, virtual presentations, negotiation, closing, managing a high volume of opportunities, customer relationship management.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently hitting or exceeding individual revenue targets for smaller accounts.
- Strong command of virtual selling techniques and tools.
- Excellent time management and ability to juggle multiple deals simultaneously.
- Positive customer feedback and strong retention rates for managed accounts.
- 3
Customer Success Manager (with sales aptitude)
3 - 5 yearsSkills to master
- Deep product knowledge, customer relationship management, identifying upsell/cross-sell opportunities, understanding customer pain points, driving adoption and value.
You're ready to move on when
- Proven ability to identify and close expansion opportunities within existing accounts.
- Exceptional customer empathy and problem-solving skills.
- Strong understanding of customer lifecycle and value realisation.
- Proactive in advocating for customer needs internally.