SaaSam

Account Executive

According to LinkedIn this may be an unpopular opinion but... An SDR's job is NOT harder than an AE's job.

In most cases an AE does everything an SDR does and more. To say that an SDR's job is harder is misleading. Most AE's got their start as SDR's.

SDR is often times a largely thankless job yes.

SDR is almost always less rewarding yes.

SDR harder than AE it is not.

AEs make more money because their job is more complicated, requires more skill, and holds more responsibilities. If being an SDR was harder it would probably pay better.

Disagree with me if you'd like.

💆‍♂ Mindset

👨‍🌾 SDR

36 comments

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CoorsKing

WR Officer

Retired King of the Coors Knights

The people that say it’s harder most often have never been AEs. I always click their profiles out of curiosity

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

Hell, a lot of them haven't been an any form of sales roles. I think it's just something enough people say that "influencers" know that they can say it to get a response.

Werkzeug

Politicker

Account Executive

I hate when people say that "SDR is the hardest job". They say that because they've never made a cold call and it scares them. Plus, it's so patronizing.

BmajoR

Arsonist

Account Executive

Could not agree more. SDR is just a monotonous grind but it is nowhere near as difficult as being an AE.

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

Exactly. 'Difficult' has a specific meaning and connotation.

Can SDR work be monotonous and challenging? Absolutely, but that doesn't make it more difficult by any means.

Gyro25

Notorious Answer

Account Executive

I have no pressure to close or deal with legal, finance and discounts, so I get what you mean. Definitely thankless, so I agree with you there, but my job is book demos through any means necessary and that's really it. AEs sound like they have a much more complex, albeit less rigorous role in terms of work load. The reason why I'm a BDR is so I can eventually get to AE role, make fuck you money and try and retire early and invest.

Wildcard

Opinionated

Account Executive

Buddy, you will never make true fu money as an employee. As an AE you can live an upper middle-class lifestyle.

hh456

Celebrated Contributor

sales

is your sdr being mean to you?

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

My SDR is like my childhood pet. We sent him to live on a farm with other SDRs where they can run around and play every day.

BmajoR

Arsonist

Account Executive

Gotta pop them in the mouth when they get bold.

hh456

Celebrated Contributor

sales

trip him after he gets his flax o's with soy milk from the company kitchen and remind him who's boss

LordBusiness

Politicker

Chief Revenue Officer

Disagree. Ive done every job under the sales sun, and prospecting in today’s “automation” driven landscape is the hardest. The completion for inbox space is 100x, and many prospects are so beat up by shitty sales emails they are jaded.

Wildcard

Opinionated

Account Executive

100% true.

someoneinsales

Tycoon

Director of Sales

ELE - Everybody love Everybody. All our jobs suck until the PO is signed

bamageorge

Celebrated Contributor

International Sales Director

LinkedIn? Is that thing still relevant?

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

About as relevant as a podcast run by marketing.

bamageorge

Celebrated Contributor

International Sales Director

Ditto!

DungeonsNDemos

Big Shot

Rolling 20's all day

I feel bad for the SDRs who get stuck at companies with timelimits before they're allowed a promotion. Many of us have been SDRs and then turn into AE's. But if you every truly stop doing cold outreach then is your day truly too packed to try to find new business?
Sales never sleeps. Never Ever Stop Selling. Keep the S.A.D.N.E.S.S.

lukeglanton19

Good Citizen

Sales Development Representative

I am at a company where you need a minimum of 18 months to apply for an AM/AE position. Currently at month 12 and just hoping I don't burn out before.

DungeonsNDemos

Big Shot

Rolling 20's all day

Sorry to hear. If you start to feel getting burnt out just do your best to focus on the daily/small wins that will lead up to your AE promotion. And worst case if you really don't think you can last another 6 months for that opportunity, it's a great market to go work somewhere else and many who might take a chance letting you come in as an AE.

There are at least a few good threads on this and many make the argument to stay and get to AE and then jump if you truly cant stand being at the company.

lukeglanton19

Good Citizen

Sales Development Representative

I’ll take a look at those threads! I’d love to stay at company, I like the industry and product, so jumping ship would be my last option but can’t hurt to start exploring a few alternatives.

Wildcard

Opinionated

Account Executive

leave for an AE job. I was an SDR for 6 months, realized it's retarded and got an AE job.

MCP

Valued Contributor

Sales Director

Harder is relative and subjective. To me, grinding out and prospecting at that level is harder, because it’s something that would burn me out quickly. Some people like knocking on doors until somebody answers, if they answer, but I don’t and would find that to be more stressful than the rest of it. This is why I appreciate the work SDRs do. I think we can agree that manual labor is harder work than a cushy desk job. The cushy desk job pays more, because of impact, but the type of work could make it relatively easier. So let’s stop comparing dick sizes and realize both have their specific challenges and degree of hardness is subjective.

Justacoupleofbeers

Account Executive

If you were an SDR and promoted to AE, you're an SDR for life. Simple as that. Still dialin but have your micromanaging boss breathing down your neck right after you hit 170% last quarter. Work with partners and build your ecosystem

Dig

Valued Contributor

Head Prospector

$150k is where I've seen SDR roles capped. But it will grow overtime as it becomes a more specialized role. Smile-n-dial SDR role harder than AE? ..Nah Strategic net-new account magician SDR role harder than AE? ..They're both equally hard and require different skill sets. Yet it's easier to pay AEs more because their work is tied to actually getting checks signed, and they're less plentiful than SDRs.

Do.it.for.the.checks

Politicker

Account Executive

Wrong. I'll say the same thing I say to the marketing team.

I can succeed at your job you couldn't at mine.

cw95

Politicker

Sales Development Lead

Think it depends on the size of the company in all honest. a big company with a large BDr/SDR presence may be very different to a team of 5/6.

TheNegotiator

Arsonist

VP of Sales

If I ever get CC’d by a decent SDR i typically offer them a job. Good SDRs are a 1/1000 and should be valued. . No discussion, AE is much harder. Much more rounded skillset, and half the time an AE’s job is to undo the damage the SDR did, or discover the info an SDR didn’t. . When you combine a good SDR/AE combo though….It’s truly magical.

PhillySales

Opinionated

Director of Inside Sales

Everyone’s job is hard. Every level. It’s not a contest.

Trinity

WR Officer

BusDev

Saw that post. I don’t even understand why compare the two roles, 🍎 vs 🍊

ZeroGrit

Valued Contributor

VP of Hoping My Emails Find You Well

We can compare notes on how and why both jobs suck… we’ll have a great time talking shit, finding common ground, realizing we both struggle and then we’ll talk money and you’ll wipe your tears with 100k OTE check while the SDR wipes their tears off with dry carrot that’s dangled in front of them full of empty “you’ll be an AE soon”

spicy

Good Citizen

Account Executive

AE job can be harder if you actually work or are at a company that works. SDRs sometimes have a point, however. At lots of companies AEs can just coast and eat off the plates of their SDRs and inbound.

thewilde

Old School Bravo

Strategic Account Leader

SDR has one job. AE has 12.

Sniper

Valued Contributor

Enterprise Account Executive

Go home LinkedIn, you’re drunk

Wildcard

Opinionated

Account Executive

It depends on which company your are an SDR at. Being an SDR for a no name company is 10X harder that for Google.
The same is not always true for AEs as they can live off existing accounts. Something SDRs can't.

Do.it.for.the.checks

Politicker

-1

Account Executive

Its because SDR is an easy role to get and an easier role to get fired from. My guess is there's a larger number of failed SDRs then AEs.

But that doesn't make it harder. Maybe harder to hire?

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SaaSam

According to LinkedIn this may be an unpopular opinion but... An SDR's job is NOT harder than an AE's job.

36 comments

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