S
S

Skyfrog

SDR

Contributor

When should I look for other opportunities?

I've been working as an SDR for 1.5 years in a SaaS Property Technology company.


Was able to learn a lot, had a demo of Gong, Zoominfo, and other cool sales tools to learn how their AE run their demo.


Not sure if I should stick it out until I become an AE in current company (have 3 AEs, 1 SDR <me>) or look for other opportunities in bigger companies.


At the rate of growth of current company, don't think there's enough space for me to go up to AE any time soon.


We're signing 10-15 deals each month, mostly small clients, I have a lot of autonomy, great manager, making decent money, but curious if I should look for better opportunities to learn in bigger companies or keep trying to improve current sales team?


Have been interviewing for Deel, Asana, Monday.com, Google Cloud, Paypal.


Think I'll get an offer soon from 1-2 companies as an SDR.


Any perspectives and thoughts appreciated.

☁️ Software Tech
🧠 Advice
✍️ Sales advice
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14 comments

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saaskicker
Celebrated Contributor
5
Enterprise AE
in my experience, SDRs who wait it out to become AEs at the company they were SDRs at are more successful out of the gate vs. external hires coming in. a lot of this comes from ICP knowledge and product knowledge you gain from prospecting as an SDR.

are you willing to move to a new company and be an SDR for another 1.5+ years?

lastly, as an SDR this is very hard to find: I have a lot of autonomy, great manager, making decent money
BTQ
Politicker
1
Account Manager
Make a lot of sense tbh
Skyfrog
Contributor
1
SDR
ICP, product, & technical debt sounds like a huge factor to consider when moving companies..

I'm willing to do it, trying to prioritize learning over anything else.

My manager is very kind and understanding, leaves me alone.. also he's a first time manager..

Gets me wondering if I should find a ball buster manager who can teach me what it takes to succeed..

Our deal size is around $1000-$2000, heard somewhere that it's easier to sell more expensive stuff, because the people are better..

So trying to be at a company with a better product to sell, better colleagues to learn from and stick there for the long-term, even if it means doing 1.5-2 years extra as an SDR..

Trying to swap the current, good situation for a potential better future, with calculated risk hahaha..
Diablo
Politicker
2
Sr. AE
If you are doing great in your current role, why do you want to switch companies for the same role? Gave any thoughts of applying for an SMB AE?
Skyfrog
Contributor
0
SDR
Great question, I guess I should research how to apply for SMB AE roles whilst still being an SDR...

Trying to prioritize learning, but I feel like the current lesson that I'm trying to learn is consistency in building pipeline..

Also, we're currently not recording our AE demos, so I can't listen to how they run their demos on a consistent basis.

I guess, I'll just keep my eyes open and stick to making cold calls & personalized emails for now..
Fenderbaum
Politicker
2
Retired Choirboy🪕
To answer your question... you already are.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
1
🦊
Exactly. Sounds like you're ready bb.
Pachacuti
Politicker
2
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
Nothing wrong with seeing what else is out there. It doesn't mean you're leaving, just seeing what other shades of green are out there.

Many times though (and you'll see this throughout your career), to move up, you need to move out.
FinanceEngineer
Politicker
1
Sr Director, sales and partnerships
If there is a path to AE where you are, that would be best. It’s a hard push for external, unless there is a junior AE or internal sales role. Otherwise, just keep grinding and learning.
Justatitle
Big Shot
1
Account Executive
Usually, my advice would be that if you have to come asking this question it is then time. However, in the SDR role your only going to be resetting the clock. Additionally the job market is wild right now so it might be worth it to ride it out for ~6 months and then look for junior AE roles. Also if you receive an offer it can then be worth it to go to management and say I received an offer for something better and don't see a clear path to AE here. Can you be transparent as to if there is a role that might be opening to me?
CPTAmerica
Opinionated
1
President/CRO
For most posts like this my advice is to move on. However, it sounds like you are at a pretty good company. I'd stick it out.

I know it seems like there's no room for you as an AE now but that can change fast. You never know when one of the current AE's is going to jump ship and you're there trained and ready to fill that role.

Try to avoid getting swept up in the perceived glamour of the big tech companies. All that glitters is not gold.
AnchorPoint
Politicker
1
Business Coach
It does amaze me how many people are constantly looking for "the next opportunity" rather than nailing the role they are in.
Maximas
Tycoon
1
Senior Sales Executive
I believe that companies barely hire for AE role externally.
And since you have that excellent working environment I would definitely recommend you to stay at least 6-12 months to see if any AE vacancy to open up,if not you could try moving forward to a new role if it provides a higher payout at that point!
1
Manager - Sales and Business Development
Patience. Looks like you have great working conditions. Stick with it for now. You never know if the next company will lay off people and you might be the first one to get axed. That being said, you should start learning more about how to transition from SDR to AE. Spend more time with AEs. Help them do their job better and I am sure your firm will realise your potential. Even if they don't, you will have acquired the required knowledge and can start applying when the market is a bit more stable. :)

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