Kosta_Konfucius

Sales Rep

Passed on Promotion

I am currently a SDR for 2.5 years. I am consistently at the top of my team with KPIs and I am looking to get promoted to an AE. Unfortunately my company just hired a good friend of mine to a AE. he is outside of company who has the exact same years of experience as a SDR with no AE experience. We graduated the same year and have the exact same KPIs/rank. in all of my 1 on 1s I have been give no negative feedback. I even ask for critical feedback directly and receive none. After learning of my friend getting hired I asked my manager and he said I still need another year of SDR before being promoted. obviously this is frustrating and getting "timing " as the only reason why I can't be promoted.I do like where I work and want to avoid looking outside the company for a AE role. any advice?

🧠 Advice

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poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

Ask for a clear path to promotion. Is it KPIs? Mock discovery/demo calls? Product knowledge certification?

Get a plan put together with your manager, in writing, and execute on it.

UrAssIsSaaS

Arsonist

SaaS Eater

It might not have anything to do with hard skills or KPIs, when he told you that you need another year did you ask what he is looking for growth wise from you in that year?

InQ5WeTrust

Arsonist

No marketing, mayo isn't an MQL

As our main man @UrAssIsSaaS touched upon it ain't all hard skills. Soft skills come into play as well. How well are you liked internally? its not always the best reps that get promoted first?

If they view you as hard to coach, then they may worry about you in an environment you're not familiar with.

RedLightning

Politicker

Mid-Market AE

Bingo!

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

Great perspective often overlooked.

RedLightning

Politicker

Mid-Market AE

1) ask your manager for a firm roadmap to transitioning to an AE
2) don't expect it to be given to you - you have to take initiative and take it if there is no clear roadmap in place
3) Be a bit cynical here for a second - from the companies POV, keeping top performers is a priority. They may not WANT to lose a top SDR.
4) Success in an SDR role does not automatically lead to success in an AE role. Opening deals is hard, closing them is difficult as well but in a different way. Maybe the don't see you as "being there yet" - that's the feedback you need
5) Take some external interviews and get some feedback on how other orgs who don't know you would guage you as an AE candidate. Use that feedback
6) Assuming your company works with you and creates a promotion roadmap, you have to hold them accountable (and get it in writing/email)
7) this one is big - if they don't hold their end of the bargain, be prepared to leave.

Also, don't discount an SDR career path. Sales Development is becoming more of a career path in itself - maybe there's an opportunity for a BDR manager role.

Overall, Orgs are skeptical when hiring first time managers and first time AE's. Try to get either EXP there and if they don't have that door open for you consider other opportunities

butwhy

Politicker

Solutions Engineer

>Be a bit cynical here for a second - from the companies POV, keeping top performers is a priority. They may not WANT to lose a top SDR.

That's what jumped out to me and was my guess on what was influencing them.

RedLightning

Politicker

Mid-Market AE

You need to consider the alternative as well. Look at this as a deal to be closed. Can you sell them on a roadmap to promote you, create it, and hold them accountable along the way?

It's essentially what you'll be doing as an AE

butwhy

Politicker

Solutions Engineer

I am not OP - just an incredibly cynical woman hardened in the lava of startup sales.

But I completely agree with that advice. @RollClones18 make sure you see it!

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Ask why another year? What aren't you doing now that you can change to get yourself promoted?

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Yeah, 2.5 years is a long time to be SDR (unless that's your career goal, then bless you). I'd be asking the same thing, a year sounds arbitrary.

BdubSE

Opinionated

Global Manager - Sales Enablement

A good friend of mine who I was an SDR with, then I managed as my SDR, now we're in separate companies and he's still and SDR.... will not be promoted- he's outperforming everyone by 200%+ for 5 years now and hasn't stopped to hold his value up and ask for a specific roadmap to AE.

I hope this isn't you, and if it is.. you're a rockstar, use that! Speaking as a previous SDR manager for 3 years.. I would MUCH RATHER have you promoted off my team to an AE position where you're still impacting the company and mentoring my SDRs than have you gone and being talented at another company.

WomenWantMeFishFearMe

Politicker

Leave. They don't respect you. It's a slap in the face, and you should take it as such. Continue grinding, and find someone else to hire you as an AE. Then walk in and give a two weeks notice with no warning. Respect yourself enough to move to a place that gives a shit about you.

AlecBaldwinsHairline

Valued Contributor

Head of Sales Development

These companies ain't loyal - time to look somewhere else friend.

FormerStartupJobHopper

Tycoon

I'm wondering what we're missing here. Have you asked your boss directly why he'd go with an outside hire when you have the exact same qualifications? That should get your the answer. If not... may not be the place to work long term

Diablo

Politicker

Sr. AE

Did you try to discuss about your career progression in your 1-1 meetings? Did you discuss what skills he feels you might need (that's missing) to succeed as an AE? What skills your friend had that made him more qualified for the job?

Many a times I saw that the company is hesitant to give promotion with the fear of performance getting affected ( of course relevant for small companies with very limited SDR).

cw95

Politicker

Sales Development Lead

You do you.

hancock

Good Citizen

Director Strategic Accounts

Can you interview for other roles at your company and get a promotion that way? From my limited perspective on your situation, its possible your boss doesn't think you have the soft skills for a promotion, or maybe doesn't like you.

LordBusiness

Politicker

Chief Revenue Officer

I can't think of anything to say other than, well this is bullshit....the market is on fire - go see what's out there, with two years of successful BDR experience, I bet you can increase your comp 20% and have a clear path to AE

Njanack

Good Citizen

SDR

could be good could be bad

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Kosta_Konfucius

Passed on Promotion

20 comments

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