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 Support Coordinator (L2)
2-3 yearsSkills to master
- Independent handling of routine quotes, strong CRM data entry and hygiene, basic troubleshooting, clear communication with sales reps.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently delivers accurate work with minimal supervision.
- Proactively identifies and resolves minor issues before escalation.
- Is seen as a reliable resource for basic sales process questions.
- Shows initiative in learning more complex aspects of the sales cycle.
- 2
Junior Deal Desk Analyst
3-4 yearsSkills to master
- Understanding of deal profitability, contract review basics, navigating internal approval processes (Legal, Finance), basic CPQ usage.
You're ready to move on when
- Experience with non-standard deal terms and discount structures.
- Ability to articulate the business impact of various deal components.
- Strong attention to detail in contract review.
- Good collaboration skills with Finance and Legal teams.
- 3
Sales Operations Analyst (Entry)
3-4 yearsSkills to master
- Basic Salesforce reporting, data analysis in Excel, understanding of sales metrics (conversion rates, pipeline velocity), process mapping.
You're ready to move on when
- Proficiency in building custom reports and dashboards in Salesforce.
- Ability to extract insights from sales data.
- Strong logical and analytical thinking.
- Interest in optimising sales processes and systems.