Hello War Room, I am a BDR who has been in the role for around 10 months. My manager recently told me that realistically a promotion into being an AE won't happen at my company as we pretty much only sell to the enterprise market. My manager claimed two potential routes: Become a senior BDR and eventually a BDR team manager. Spend 6 months shadowing the AE team deep into the sales cycle to learn from them and eventually join a partner company as an SMB AE. Does anyone have any advice on how to move forward? Ideally I want to be an AE but how realistic is the track to move to a partner company with no closing experience?

COsalesguy

Career Advice

Hello War Room,

I am a BDR who has been in the role for around 10 months. My manager recently told me that realistically a promotion into being an AE won't happen at my company as we pretty much only sell to the enterprise market. My manager claimed two potential routes:

Become a senior BDR and eventually a BDR team manager.
Spend 6 months shadowing the AE team deep into the sales cycle to learn from them and eventually join a partner company as an SMB AE.

Does anyone have any advice on how to move forward? Ideally I want to be an AE but how realistic is the track to move to a partner company with no closing experience?

🎈 Mentorship

12 comments

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SADNES5

Politicker

down voters are marketing spies

Dude... leave. No joke. If they aren't putting you in a growth pipeline when you WANT to grow they don't want you there.

ARRisLife

Politicker

Account Executive

Agreed. This is crazy if they're hiring a bdr team with zero upward mobility. I would say depending on the company yes that path may require additional time in the role if it's truly a complex sale but that being said if theres zero plans ever then you should be out of there.

Plenty of good companies use the BDR team as a pipeline for junior reps, committed loyal, coach able and groomed... the list goes on for the upside but you need to find an org that plans for this.

COsalesguy

Fire Starter

Is the idea of them getting me to a partner company just blowing smoke or do you think there could be some validity there?

ARRisLife

Politicker

Account Executive

@BigChapp I mean, without knowing more- I'd say it's not the most outlandish thing to happen. That being said- there's a lot of moving parts, uncontrollables that put you at a huge disadvantage. And based on your manager's response sounds like its a blow smoke- give the kid a hope and a dream and its off my plate- Im not responsible for making it happen. You have to think they also have a pipeline of talent to groom. I'd seriously consider looking at whats out there and make that a top priority.

softwaresails

Politicker

Sales Manager

GTFO.

southernfriedsales

Opinionated

Senior AE & Business Owner

This.

Chep

WR Officer

Bitcoin Adoption Specialist

This^

I_Sell_To_Play_Golf

Valued Contributor

Field Account Executive

yeah that is not a great situation. unless you want to be a career BDR, get into Enterprise BDR title, or lead BDR's, no point in staying for no growth.

You have 10mos of experience now, hopefully decent success to show for it, and the talk track for why you want to leave is easy to explain. "I want to have career growth and there is none."

Find either an SMB inside sales role to move to or a BDR/SDR role with real growth potential.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Everything he said to you was bullshit. Read between the lines--he doesn't care about you.

Why the hell would you want to stay somewhere that told you to your face to go get a job elsewhere?

southernfriedsales

Opinionated

Senior AE & Business Owner

That’s just a joke. Many companies don’t event utilize BDR’s...

Start looking for an AE role and ✌🏼. That sounds like they are just trapping you in an endless BDR loop.

Trinity

WR Officer

BusDev

I'll start looking somewhere else.

Coffeesforclosers

Notable Contributor

Director Sales and Market Development

Smb route all day. Or if you want to mentor and grow young talent go sdr management. Both huge resume boosters and can swing the next dream career.

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COsalesguy

Career Advice

12 comments

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