How challe...

Question

How challenging is the transition from SDR to AE role at Genesys, and what opportunities are available for growth within the sales department?

Former Employee · Accepted Answer

I was never a SDR.  it really depends on your manager, where you are starting as a SDR, and the path they have laid out for your success.

Former Employee · Answer

Genesys has never had a formal transition plan for SDRs and little track record with internal promotion.  If they are promising a formal process "soon," then take it with a grain of salt.  The PE ownership's main focus is to either go IPO or get acquired ASAP as part of their exit strategy.  An external candidate with a lengthy track record for successfully closing new sales opportunities is going to weigh heavily on their decision making for open AE positions to help them get to that IPO or acquisition.

The key to transitioning is having a mentor or mentors to guide you while you continuously go above and beyond as an SDR.  Have those 1-on-1 conversations with your DSM and top performing AEs on what they consider the key skill sets to bridge that gap between an SDR role and an AE role.  Ask them how they transitioned in an Account Exec role early on in their career (eg. recommended Sales books, internal product training, attending tradeshows, leading discovery calls once in a while, learning how to use the quoting tool, etc.).

The other key, of course, is timing and location.  Is there an opening potentially available in the geographic area you are located?  And are you aligned to that territory currently as an SDR.  It's really hard to get promoted if you're an SDR based out West that's supporting a region in the East coast or vice versa.  You may need to ask to be reassigned territories closer towards your geographical location at some point if you are a consistent top SDR performer looking to get promoted.  It's much easier to get promoted under a DSM you closely work with versus a DSM you have very little interaction.

Networking and building relationships with the right mentor(s) will help you get promoted at some point, but be prepared to take control of your professional goals and have the gumption to look elsewhere if those needs aren't going to be met here.

Current Employee · Answer

Over the past year, there have been a lot of SDRs that have gotten hired into the sales org - you just need to be willing to put in the effort to get there. There's not a "formal" transition program but there will be soon. I would highly suggest looking at Genesys if you're looking for a place that cares about upward mobility into sales from the SDR role.

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Anonymous Q&A

How challenging is the transition from SDR to AE role at Genesys, and what opportunities are available for growth within the sales department?