Hello my fellow Sales Savages,
I've been thinking a lot about career development and would like to become a VP of Sales or CRO down the line. I'm currently on a track to becoming an Account Manager and will eventually be cross selling and up-selling into existing client accounts.
One thing I've quickly noticed is that many of my organizations VP's and C Suites have developed their careers at other companies and then made a lateral move into the organization after decades of experience.
I don't see many examples of someone who started off as a BDR or even an AE who was steadily promoted to the VP level or C Suite level.
What are your thoughts on the path to becoming a VP or C Suite exec? It seems like often it is not a linear progression and may involve changing organizations a number of times. What are your thoughts? I'd love to hear your all of your perspectives.
-DuckDuckgos
I myself moved a few orgs, changed career tracks, and even tried to get out of sales (product management is alluring) before I landed my first sales leadership position. In that process, I learned a lot about what makes a sales org tick from SDRs to Ops, to Marketing, etc...and it's given me a well-rounded perspective.
There is no one way to get into the hot-seat, but. you do need to bust your ass and learn as much as you can along the way.
PS, I have never met a VP or CRO that was an AM. Just my experience, but it doesn't seem like a common thread I've picked up on.