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
Mid-Level Solution Sales Specialist (002)
2-3 yearsSkills to master
- Independently owning and delivering custom demos, managing standard PoCs, identifying client needs, and building strong internal relationships with Account Executives.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently hitting technical win rate targets on mid-market deals.
- Demonstrating strong product knowledge and ability to articulate value.
- Proactively identifying and solving technical challenges during the sales cycle.
- Receiving positive feedback from AEs and clients on your technical contributions.
- 2
Technical Account Manager / Customer Success Engineer
3-5 yearsSkills to master
- Deep post-sales technical relationship management, understanding customer adoption challenges, identifying expansion opportunities, and acting as a technical advocate for key accounts.
You're ready to move on when
- Strong client relationships with technical stakeholders.
- Ability to troubleshoot and solve complex technical issues post-sale.
- Identifying and influencing upsell/cross-sell opportunities within existing accounts.
- Excellent understanding of the full customer lifecycle and product adoption.
- 3
Product Specialist / Product Manager (with technical background)
4-6 yearsSkills to master
- Deep product domain expertise, understanding market needs, competitive landscape analysis, roadmap planning, and cross-functional collaboration with engineering and design.
You're ready to move on when
- Providing highly valuable and actionable product feedback.
- Demonstrating a keen eye for market gaps and new feature opportunities.
- Strong ability to articulate product vision and strategy.
- Excellent communication skills to bridge technical and business requirements.