Do SDRs get promoted regularly into AE type roles and if so how long does that usually take??

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Accepted Answer

Happens quite often in the EMEA team. Expect 12 - 16 months depending on performance.

Answer

Regularly? Yes and no.

On average it takes 18-24 months for SDRs to become promotion eligible. This is because of the quota that must be attained. However, many good SDRs find AE roles somewhere else before they reach it. SalesLoft SDRs frequently get job offers for closer roles elsewhere after 6-9 months.

Quite a few of the current AEs started as SDRs. There are entire "classes" of SDRs that come up together showing it is possible.

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Yes. 12-16 months depending on success and fit for the next role.

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Not for at least 18 months. During covid time, no one did.

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Most of our Emerging, SMB, and MM AEs started as SDRs at SalesLoft. Our Emerging team is almost entirely made up of previous SDRs -- SDRs regularly get promoted into AE roles (among others: renewals, CSM, Implementations, Sales Ops, Management).

Like any other SDR org though, you're not promoted unless you're successful. You've got too put in the time and the work to show you can be an AE. Typically you'll be in the SDR role around 18-20ish months. People often get job offers from our prospects and customers though so we do see SDRs leave for those.

The quickest promotion from SDR --> AE was about 9 months. The lengthiest I've seen is just over 2 years (just out of college and really struggled to get started).

Answer

Yes. However, be sure to clarify what the "AE" promotion is at all companies you are interviewing with. For example, at SalesLoft, most SDRs are promoted into their "Emerging" segment. That role will have no SDR support. Instead, you're basically doing the job of an SDR but closing the business instead of handing it off to an AE.

If you absolutely hate prospecting but are willing to do it until you get into an AE role, SalesLoft might not be for you as a bulk of your job will still be prospecting once you get promoted to AE. That being said, very few companies have pathways for new salespeople that eliminate the prospecting function. Additionally, even fewer have a Sales Enablement team of the caliber of SalesLoft's. You will have all the tools and resources that you need to become successful as an SDR (at SalesLoft), AE (at SalesLoft), and an AE (anywhere).

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Not often. At least 18-24 months.

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They do but it is a long process. They have to set like 150+ meetings to get the promotion. They could also use a little more coaching as they transition to AE roles for success.

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It is more common for a new sdr to either get fired, leave because they are about to be fired, leave because the pay stinks, or leave because they got tired of waiting to be promoted than it is to be promoted to an ae.

usual length of time it takes is about 16-18 months. Although I heard that just changed to be 20-24 months so that way they can keep good sdr's in seat longer because pipeline got to be so thin.

Answer

Rarely - many of my colleagues were forced to leave after hitting the requirements to be promoted MONTHS earlier. Instead of promoting SDRs with 2+ years of bringing in revenue for the company, SalesLoft has a bad habit of bringing in outside hires. If you are lucky enough to get promoted, it'll be no sooner than 24 months (of which you are pretty consistently exceeding quota).

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Anonymous Q&A

Do SDRs get promoted regularly into AE type roles and if so how long does that usually take??