SDR ---> AE *REAL ADVICE PLEASE*

Looking for genuine advice on how to get promoted at a large Tech company from SDR to AE. I have been at a SaaS company for 1.5 years and have been trying to get promoted the last few months. It's very political in my opinion and I would value any insight from VPs in what they look for or from AEs that have made the jump (other than just hitting your number). I know this is probably the most annoying question ever but would be super helpful for all of us bottom of the barrel SDRs.

Did you get promoted from SDR to AE

Attached poll
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๐ŸŽˆ Mentorship
22
fuzzy
Notable Contributor
24
CMO (Chief Meme Officer)
Honestly..if you've bugged the shit out of your managers and have a stellar PDP (Personal Development Plan) and still haven't been promoted to AE, leave. Apply for AE jobs across the board.ย 
GottaSellEmAll
Big Shot
8
Sales Manager
100% agree here. There are so many great tech companies, if you aren't getting promoted and legitimately deserve it you will be able to find a better gig elsewhere.
donkey_teeth
Valued Contributor
2
Account Executive
Awesome advice -- thank you both
fred
Valued Contributor
0
salesperson
Also, if they're accidentally missing you this will bring it to their attention and give you an opportunity to be heard - it's a scary thought because you will be going out of your comfort zone - but trust me the comfort zone is shit!ย 
ColdNorthHustle
5
Sr. Field Sales Manager
Yes hugely agree with this. Also I know I few SDR that got promoted to AE because they built great relationships with the AE's they were setting meetings for and the AE's recommended them into open roles.ย 
CuriousFox
WR Officer
1
๐ŸฆŠ
โฌ† THIS 100% THIS โฌ†

Don't stay where you are overlooked. Too many companies need you fam.ย 
salesnerd
WR Officer
11
Head of Growth
I ran a 45 person SDR organization at my last company. Grew it from 3 people to 45 while also promoting 50+ SDRs to AEs.

A company that cares about its SDRs will have a concrete, fair, and well-documented plan to get someone from an SDR role into an AE role, especially a large tech company. If your manager can't tell you how to get promoted from SDR to AE, then you're right it's probably political. The person who the manager likes the most is the one getting promoted. If your manager can't tell you and their boss can't tell you, it's time to look elsewhere.ย 

Some people are lifelong SDRs intentionally, but it's rare. It's designed to be a springboard position, not a lifestyle position. Work with your current employer to lay out exactly what you need to do for a promotion or find a company that will.
donkey_teeth
Valued Contributor
2
Account Executive
got it -- appreciate this responseย 
SPT
Valued Contributor
0
Director, Channel Sales & Partner Alliances
Yes, I was an SDR for 10 years. Enterprise, paid very well.ย 
iminameeting
Opinionated
0
Account Executive
I've had 2 miserable SDR roles, and I leveraged my experience to land a 6-figure (OTE, very reasonable quota) SDR position with great work-life balance. I still want to move into an AE position eventually, but I'm not in a hurry anymore, because I'm actually enjoying working in my current role.ย 

If you can find one of the rare companies that will pay you well and treat you well as an SDR, I don't see anything wrong with staying in the role for an extended period of time.ย 
swerve
WR Lieutenant
9
Account Executive
The SDR --> AE promotion game is arguably of the hardest to play.

Since you probably don't have an official mentorship program to get into a closing role, here are some tactical tips that WILL get you there:

1. Listen to recorded calls (via Gong or Chorus) of reps running deals at various stages, and take notes (1-3 hrs/week). Share your findings with your boss to show you're thinking in that direction.

2. Made a side deal with your rep(s) to let you run a discovery call. This works if you have a good rep who'll coach you and practice beforehand. I've done this several times for the BDRs I work with.

3. Read sales/business-related books (Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play, Challenger Sale, Never Split The Difference, etc.). Again, sharing findings with your boss.

4. Since you're in tech, get to know your space. Read the material your customers read. Join the subreddits. If I'm at Zscaler, I'm reading the Verizon DBIR report EVERY year and posting interesting findings on LinkedIn. You can re-package those findings in your cadences/sequences as well. This gives you a name in the industry and that's gold in a closing gig.

5. Controversially - go interview at 3-4 other companies and get AE/AM offers. This has a two-fold benefit. First, you put your boss's feet to the fire and they'll move you up. Secondly, if they don't do that, you have your closing role at 3-4 other companies.
Always have 2-3 companies on your list where you can make one phone call to the Director or VP of Sales and get a job within an hour. Period. When you're trapped at your existing company trying to move up, your employer always has leverage. If you have other options, you hold the leverage.ย 

6. Ask 5 reps for 20 minutes to share why they're successful. Reps love talking about themselves, and they'll immediately latch onto you as one of their own. They may end up going to bat for you behind the scenes to your boss (I have done this before).

Bonus: Don't ever call yourself a bottom of the barrel SDR. Get that straight out of your vocab.
StickToTheProcess
WR Officer
6
AE
Don't get stuck in the "we only promote from within" bullshit.ย  I've seen a lot of companies run that line so many times because their SDR/ADM/BDR turnover is SO HIGH that they have to do whatever it takes to get people in those seats.

If you're killing it and unable to be promoted there are a bunch of companies that would be willing to at least give you an interview and consider you for an AE role.
Chep
WR Officer
0
Bitcoin Adoption Specialist
Never thought about it like this, but what a great point. No wonder some companies only promote from within๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿ˜‚
exec
Acclaimed Answer
4
Account Executive
While it's cheaper to train an existing employee v. hiring externally, saas AE openings can't necessarily be created out of thin air (a lot of it is based on forecasts and approvals governed by the board).ย 

Leading up to making the jump from SDR to AE, I sought out the top performers, funneled them leads, funding announcements, shared thoughts/feedback about calls and above all made my goals clear to them + their manager... I wanted to be a sponge and have them take me under their wing as a mentee so I could earn a spot on the team. There's a lot of give/get needed with salespeople but if you sell yourself in a way that adds mutual value, you'll have an advantage when the interview opportunity presents itself.ย 

When the interview does come, put together a 30-60-90 day plan, leverage your mentors for mock calls/feedback sessions and imagine you're an external interviewee (send a thank you note after!!).ย 
ajbuttler
Executive
2
Account Manager
Do the job you want to do. Ask your AEs to let you do the job. Build their decks, help them prepare for the call, andย RUN THE CALL. Build trust with the AEs and they will tell the hiring manager you're ready.
DaveFromCollege
Notorious Answer
2
Account Executive
That's the best advice I could give as well! Just like doing sales itself - get someone to be your champion and go to bat for you. Doing what you said is the best way to gain that trust and hopefully show that you have the qualities they are looking for in an AE
donkey_teeth
Valued Contributor
3
Account Executive
thanks guys - it is difficult to get that responsibility sometimes however. AEs frequently are very protective over any legitimate cycle that gets started...
DaveFromCollege
Notorious Answer
2
Account Executive
I would express to the AEs that you are looking to be in their shoes. Sit in on demos and provide value in any way possible to them. Leverage that with senior management, and focus on wording it the best way possible. If that does not work, do the same to a competitor and there will be one out there that sees your value. Hope I helped
AcquaMan
2
Director of Sales Development
Most of the same answer here. The one addition (much like the PDP) is to start "doing" the job before you are ready. No one is going to make it happen for you. If you are pushing yourself and no one is getting promoted, move on. If it does happen, it will take longer than it should and you won't be happy anyway.ย 
donkey_teeth
Valued Contributor
1
Account Executive
appreciate the response!
Sales_Savage
Member
2
Sales Director
As someone who made the jump from SDR to AE at a different company the only downside that I've seen is that you run the risk of not making a commitment at an org. If you like where you work and want to see yourself grow there, ask your manager or VP what it will take for you to get to the next level. If leadership can't provide you with clear expectations, then it may be time to look elsewhere. There's always going to be a recruiter out there with a "hot" new company that looks enticing.
SlanginSaaS
Opinionated
2
Strategic Account Executive
Ask the reps you support to help you prepare. It may be they let you fully run discovery calls and evolve into you being able to do more than just introductions in a demo, but run through some of the slides. Your best chance aside from numbers is having other reps vouch for you that you will be a great addition to the team.
Kanyebut4sales
WR Lieutenant
2
Account Executive
1) hit your number and go above as much as humanly possible. 2) take the best opp notes 3)ask AEs to let you do mock discovery and start practicing the job you want 4) ask the AE manager what they are looking for in a new AE and make it known do you want the position 5) learn the actual product and see if someone will get you demo certified ย 6) none of this is guaranteed to work but it can help
ten7
WR Lieutenant
2
Enterprise AE
@donkey_teethย This may be something to consider...start networking and connecting with newer AEs who were recently promoted from a SDR at other companies.ย 

They may give you some helpful insight into:ย 

A) How they got promoted (perhaps give you some ammo in your own internal convos)

B) May lead to intel about their team hiringย 

If you're considering leaving, no better time than now to start networking with fellow SDRs and AEs who can accurately share their take on the role and help you uncover job opps that you wouldn't have insight to otherwise.ย 
SlanginSaaS
Opinionated
1
Strategic Account Executive
Don't be afraid to also let your manager know that you aren't being challenged and that you aren't growing anymore. Can mention that you don't want to become complacent and that you joined to be challenged and are ready for you next challenge as a closer. If they care about your growth and growth at the company they will take you seriously.
Zbo
OG Sales Savage
1
Account Executive
In all honesty, I got the bump from SDR to AE by switching companies. I recommend you start applying at a startup as they are more likely to hire a former SDR to be an AE. Good luck!
worldsgreatestvpsales
Member
1
VP/Director of Sales
The first piece of advice I would give you is first address this concern with your manager and make sure your desire is well known with the VP. You need to ask for the job you want and if that's not clear, you could get overlooked.

That being said, any good sales organization should have a clear, outlined path to AE. If your company sells in the enterprise space, its not uncommon to have to be an SDR for 18-24 months before making the jump as moving from SDR to enterprise sales is a MASSIVE jump. You also need to consider if the business needs another AE. If not, position yourself so you'll get called up when they do. If others are constantly getting promoted around you and you feel like you've made it clear with the leadership team, then now might be the time to find a new gig. Plenty of company's will value that 1.5 years and take a chance on you as an AE.ย 

Should you decide to stay, do what you can to do the job before you get the job. Ask to join the AEs calls, shadow an AE, run a training for your peers, ask for 1on1 time with the VP, whatever you can to make it abundantly clear you're ready and next in line to be promoted.ย 
MajorB
WR Lieutenant
1
AE
You need a few things:ย 

1) Someone internally who will agree to sponsor you as a candidate. For me, this was not my SDR manager because my SDR manager liked that I was the most consistent performer on the team and was actively trying to prevent me from being promoted. Instead, I aligned myself with two of the hiring managers to the AE team & got them to be my advocates. It's important for your internal sponsor to be someone who actually sits in the same room as the DM on hiring (the sales director, for example). An AE (unless they have a lot of clout) ain't gonna be it.ย 

2) Align yourself with a mentor. This *will* be an AE & even better if it's someone who was an SDR --> AE now from your company. Interview them about their path to promotion & strategize on how you can get in front of the right folks at the company so your name keeps coming up.ย 

3) Either the same mentor, or a different one --> get them to work with you on hard selling skills. When I was trying to get promoted, I put together an entire presentation for the CRO on why it's better for the company to promote internally & why I was the best candidate for the job to be promoted. I ran a ton of SFDC reports, highlighted the ROI, etc & emphasized that I was sales floor ready by showcasing how much time I'd spent practicing (demo flow, discovery call, closing, etc).ย 
chickenortheegg
Good Citizen
1
Head of Sales Development
As an Enterprise rep who went from BDR --> AE within my first tech company, I can definitely say it was very political. It had a lot to do with timing, and how VPs, Sales managers viewed you as a BDR.

I would get in front of as many managers/VPs as possible, and although it feels like brown nosing, you have to do it, and they have to know you really want it.

I had 2 good friends who were BDRs for much longer than I was, and most of it was political. If they aren't willing to be straight up with you (and you can ask them - I'd encourage you to be blunt) and tell you why these opportunities are passing you by, then I would look elsewhere and start fresh.
SalesPharaoh
Big Shot
0
Senior Account Executive
Look i went into this role. However plenty are struggling to make this transition especially from Presales to sales
Grignou
0
Account Executive
When you start doing the AE job as an SDR when nobody asked you to. This is actually when you can push things to happen. Come up to your manager with a nice deal ready to close and leave them no choice..?
EQSales
Opinionated
0
VP of Sales
agree with fuzzy about leaving if the path doesn't exist despite showing your value and growth.ย  In regards to your question specifically I and many other leaders I know look at 4 key areas for promotion.ย  Before I dive in, just remember: promotions are not a GIFT for past performance.ย  They are a BET on future performance.

1- have you consistently over achieved for at least 3 quarters
2-do you have internal champions that will support the move (peers and leaders)
3-will you leave behind a business that someone else can step into and you would be proud with what you are leaving behind (you start over with each promotion in many senses, so you need to leave behind a well developed franchise
4-extra credit*** - have you helped identify someone to backfill you?

hope this helps!
mrsexyspizza
Politicker
0
Account Executive
Patience. Performance. Politics.ย 

I was BDR of the year and consistently achieved 20% more than everybody else and it still took me two years. And a lot of times, it just boils down to availability and need. Geography used to play a big part of this (are you willing to relocate) but not so much any more. It literally took my AE's championing me to my director to make it happen, but it was worth the wait vs. starting over somewhere else.

I recommend give it 2yrs of top performance, and if you aren't promoted by then do whatever you can to get an entry level AE role somewhere else. Someone will give you a shot if you can prove to you know your shit. It really helps going on meetings/shadowing calls and proving you understand the 99% of sales that happens after the first meeting

Hope that helps
WomenWantMeFishFearMe
Politicker
0
AM
I would start looking elsewhere. Real sales talent is hard to find, and desirable. You can sell at one place, you can sell at them all.
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