ChickenDinner

Account Executive

If you're not cut out for AE whats next?

Ok so I have this friend (I know when people say that they always mean themselves but I don't haha) that started as an SDR with easy inbound, then moved to BDR with more pay but a grind with cold calls. And it's starting to kill her soul! She was hoping to grind it out for 6 more months then move to AE but not she if she's cut out for it now.

She isn't sure if she can handle all the pressure of sales but loves the tech company she is at. So what are some good options? She is considering client success / account manager but wondering if that takes way too much product knowledge. What's next?

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18 comments

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CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Training and development?

youngsmoky

Celebrated Contributor

Senior Account Executive

This. Training SDRs is invaluable and getting someone who doesn't want to move up to AE? Any company would be glad to have her.

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

What about Customer Success? Or implementation?

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

Just realized you mentioned success but there's a concern about product knowledge. Unless she's got like an HR background pretty much anything will need product knowledge..

The good news is that can be learned

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

AE is a very different sales role than BDR, so she might be rejecting a role she hasn't even tried yet.

CS/AM may be a good fit if she's unsure about the overall pressure of sales, and product knowledge can be taught.

Has she spoken to any CS/AMs at her company? That's where I suggest she start. She can ask them about how much they needed to learn and what they do on a day to day basis.

bandabanda

Tycoon

Senior AE Mid Market

^ great advice finding current people at your company that you can talk to about their roles. That’s the best way to go take a next step.

I’ll say that sales engineers and architects at my company aren’t carrying a quota but still have a lot to do with sales. They’re compensated by whole the whole sales team does because that’s who they support. So still somewhat performance based.

BrianTracysLoveChild

Fire Starter

Account Manager

I agree. I believe it's the expectation to make the jump from BDR to AE but in view the skill set is different for every org I have worked for. Frankly, I have only seen the SDR>BDR>CS-AM>AE happen once. In my experience, an inside sales rep would need to move to outside with another company before being able to come back. I think it's kind of silly but it seems to be the norm for sales orgs I have been part of and observed

DungeonsNDemos

Big Shot

Rolling 20's all day

Sales isn't for everyone. But if they like technical stuff they can look at a Sales Engineer role.

TennisandSales

Politicker

Head Of Sales

for sure CS or AM roles are solid fits. it takes more product knowledge but that can all be taught. i would suggest that.

antiASKHOLE

Tycoon

Bravado's Resident Asshole

Yeah, Client Success or Account Management would be better for her. Or just moving over to product.

Diablo

Politicker

Sr. AE

Everywhere you have to learn something new or more. The options you mentioned could be a fit but she has to learn new things and if you are interested it will be a bit challenging initially but fun.

commishcapo

Opinionated

Commercial Account Exec

Customer success or AM as most mentioned. Could also go into SDR management and be a babysitter

LordOfWar

Tycoon

Blow it up

As everyone else pointed out there is training, AM, sales engineer if they have the mind for it, customer success, etc. Lots of sales roles in big orgs that don't rely on cold calling.

I prefer SMBs, I like doing a little of everything.

JustGonnaSendIt

Politicker

Burn Towns, Get Money

Sales Ops

CryptoPoor

Opinionated

Account Executive

Customer Success or Account Manager. Although you would still have some pressure as an account manager, if you land on a good territory you could simply farm your existing client to "easily" reach quota
Solution Architect or Pre-Sales engineer could be an option if she's technical

RTP23

Executive

Account Executive

Those who can’t sell, teach. So head on over to Sales Enablement. Other than that marketing or sales ops

GreenSide

Politicker

Sales manager

Good she knows. Too many BDRs decide they don’t like it but don’t try to move to another role and end up getting PIPed

Arzola

Valued Contributor

-1

Business administration

If she is considering those options, I would say go for her, knowledge of the product is learned with time and effort, it is not something that she cannot know or learn if she dedicates time to it.

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ChickenDinner

If you're not cut out for AE whats next?

18 comments

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