Unpopular opinion: SDRs, it's not your God-given right to be promoted just because you've been hitting your number for 10+ months...
"Andy, you're sounding like a real d*ck, why are you suggesting my career-progression should be stunted - I'm READY!"
But are you...?
Firstly, kudos if you're reading this from a position of hitting your quota consistently for a few months - you're tracking in an exciting direction.
And hey, if you're not, don't sweat it, you'll get there, dig in and keep working.
So why am I writing an article downplaying your work in pursuit of that coveted pay hike and shiny new title? Well because I want to make sure you're set up for the best success you possibly can be when you do make the step up.
How should you approach your promotion campaign?
Well, firstly, treat it as a campaign. Or more applicably, treat it like a sales cycle (The majority of you want to be AE's right? Here's a way to practice ahead of time...)
Who are the critical stakeholders you're likely to need to engage in order for people to 'buy' your promotion?
- Financial Signatory: CRO? CFO? CXO?
- Ultimate Decision-Maker: CRO? VP Sales? Hiring Manager?
- Champion/s: Current Manager? AE Mentors?
- Influencers: HR/People Team? AE Mentors?
Think about who are the applicable people in your organisation and on what cadence should you be connecting with them to mobilise the conversation toward interview and in turn promotion.
What risks are associated with your promotion?
- Lack of headcount?
- Lack of readiness?
- Competition with other candidates (internal & external)?
- Change of Manager, Change of Plans?
How do you manage and appease these risks in your collaboration with stakeholders?
How should you measure your progression and readiness?
Firstly, understand that your perceived readiness should not be one-dimensional, it should be multi-faceted.
Let me explain.
Yes, the consistency of exceeding your quota is important. Heck, without it, this promotion conversation is a non-starter.
But there are 2 other pivotal areas you need to have consideration for:
- Personal Brand: How does the organisation view you? Are you visible? Do you contribute towards the betterment of the culture and performance of teams? Are you well-liked or do people think you're an a$$hole? (I hope not..)
No reputable manager is going to hire you if you're smashing your number but you're a complete wrecking ball to handle...
2. Operation Excellence: Are you organised? Do you work in a structured, strategic way? Are you on top of your CRM hygiene? Do you have a solid knowledge of how to build and use data views (Dashboards/Reports)? Can you forecast accurately?
You aren't going to flourish without being structured and organised in a more complex role than the one you're already in...
So in summary, there are 3 areas you need to give a sh*t about and work on:
- Performance
- Personal Brand
- Operational Excellence
How do you think you're stacking up now on that readiness scale...?
How should you evidence your progression & readiness?
Great, you're ticking all 3 of the boxes outlined before. Well, so you say... Where's your evidence or is it just your word?
Don't leave it to verbal articulation, take no chances!
My Advice: Work with your manager to build out a Personal Development Plan
As part of my available SDR Playbook, you'll find a structured personal development plan that you can use straight off the bat, but if you're thinking of building your own, be sure to include elements such as:
- Personal SWOT Analysis
- Current experience against Job Ad/Role Description
- Courses/Education Completed
- Evidence of Quota Attainment
- Stretch Development Areas: e.g. running demos, sitting in on negotiation calls, etc
- Key Stakeholder meetings, including outcomes and learnings (be sure to timestamp)
The idea of the PDP is for you to build an evidence-based repository of all the work you're putting into just how seriously you're taking your path to promotion.
It also provides you with a fantastic resource to refer back to when you do make the jump to your next role.
So allow me to refer back to my original question...
Are you REALLY ready...?
Found this article helpful? Perhaps consider the 3 ways I can help you:
- The SDR Playbook: Bring more structure to how you or your team operate, with a view to saving time, boosting internal collaboration, and ultimately allowing reps to execute critical tasks that will push the needle, such as outreach! Book more meetings with less time and effort!
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Interested?
Send an email to: arlawscoaching@gmail.com