Dear SaaStr: Do I Have to Provide a Promotion Path from SDR to AE?
Probably.
In the end, about 70% of SDRs move into account executive roles. Usually, within a year.
It’s very common for SDRs to move into sales roles, particularly Account Executive (AE) positions. In fact, this is often the natural career progression for many SDRs. It’s why they take these often entry-level roles.
And once you start to scale, you’ll make this work.
1. BDRs Are a Training Ground for AEs
The BDR role is designed to teach foundational sales skills—prospecting, cold outreach, qualification, and pipeline generation. These are critical building blocks for becoming an AE. At companies like Brex, for example, the top-performing AEs were often former BDRs who had mastered these skills before moving into closing roles.
2. BDRs Already Understand Your Sales Process
BDRs already know your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile), your messaging, and your sales process. They’ve been working closely with AEs, so they’re familiar with how deals are managed and closed. This makes them easier to ramp up as AEs compared to hiring externally.
3. It’s a Huge Motivator
Offering a clear path from BDR to AE is one of the best ways to retain top talent. The best BDRs often want to be promoted quickly—sometimes within 6-12 months. If they don’t see a path forward, they’ll start looking for AE roles elsewhere. Creating this progression keeps them engaged and motivated.
4. Internal Promotions Build a Stronger Culture
Promoting from within shows the team that hard work is rewarded. It also creates a culture of mentorship, where AEs are more likely to invest in helping BDRs succeed because they know those BDRs could be their future peers.
Companies that clearly communicate career paths—whether to AE, customer success, marketing, or operations—tend to retain BDRs longer. For example, some companies use a “buddy system” where BDRs shadow AEs to prepare for the transition to closing roles
That said, not every BDR will want to—or should—become an AE.
Some might prefer to stay in a senior BDR role, move into customer success, or even explore marketing or operations. It’s important to have conversations with your BDRs about their career goals and provide multiple paths for growth.
And if your best SDRs want to stay SDRs, carve out a lucrative path for them to stay Senior SDRs. They’ll often deliver 3x-10x what new SDRs will. So pay up 😉
