SDR to AE Onboarding Mentorship Program - Manager Details

The transition from SDR to AE is a significant one, even for internal promotions. In an effort to ensure a seamless SDR to AE transition, we offer the new AE a Ramp Mentor. The mentor will be someone from the sales team who will act as a point of contact for role-related support during the new AE’s ramp period. As a peer, mentors will provide support and guidance while the new AEs are learning and practicing the sales pitch and sales process. They will also help AEs determine who to go to in the company for various Sales related tasks or partnerships.

You can read more about Onboarding Mentors here

Why We Have Onboarding Mentors

Mentors ensure new AEs are set up for success and have additional resources while they learn the sales motion and hone the skills that will make them successful AEs.

The Role of the Mentor

The role of the mentor is to support the first 30 days of a new AE’s ramp period. It’s essential to the learning and development of new AEs, critical for Sourcegraph to scale operations, and beneficial to the mentor because they are able to develop deeper selling skills by mentoring a peer.

Responsibilities of the mentor:

  • New AE shadows mentor on sales calls throughout the sales cycle
  • New AE shadows mentor through MEDDPICC and 3 Whys updating in SFDC to observe the importance and required attention to detail
  • Practice and roleplay sales pitch and demo to ensure new hire AE is prepared for the pitch/demo certification
  • Provide 30 min overview of the pricing model
  • Answer role-based questions a new AE might have
  • Point AE to resources and SMEs that can accelerate their ramp period

In order to accomplish this, mentors will:

  • Meet with assigned transitioning AE at least once a week for 45-60 minutes during their first 30 days to review and/or roleplay relevant topics outlined in the checklist below
  • Invite assigned AE new hire to shadow their discovery, product demo, pricing, etc. sales calls during this time period

Managers will assign a mentor to their transitioning AE, who will then set up the recurring invites for dates/times that work best for them and their mentor.

Mentor Selection

When selecting a mentor, managers should ensure that the mentor fits the following profile:

  • On the same team and in the same role
  • Been an AE for at least 3 months, with satisfactory sales performance and productivity
  • Ensure mentor has the bandwidth to support new AE through the mentor tasks and aim to follow the guideline of no more than one new hire mentee assigned to each mentor per quarter
  • Ideally, be in the same time zone (to aid in scheduling meetings between mentor/new hire)

Once a mentor is selected, managers should notify onboarding@sourcegraph.com with the choice.

Mentor Program Checklist

Day one:

  • Reach out to your mentee on their first day in the new role. Let them know you are their mentor and to reach out to you if they need anything.

Week 1

Focus:

  • New AE is getting aquatinting the aspects of the sales motion and focusing on the AE skills and processes for prospecting and discovery

Tasks:

  • Invite new AE to shadow at least two early-stage sales calls
  • Recommend early-stage Chorus calls for the new AE to review
  • Roleplay and practice sales pitch and demo
  • Check in to see if they have any outstanding questions from their trainings or calls they shadowed

Week 2

Focus:

New AE focuses on the following in the second week:

  • Learning the sales motion and processes
  • Attend 30 minute pricing model review presented by mentor
  • How to pitch and demo Sourcegraph
  • Working with other teams

Tasks:

  • Shadow at least two of the mentor’s late-stage sales calls
  • Roleplay and practice sales pitch and demo to help them prepare and feel ready for their sales pitch and demo certification
  • Invite assigned new hire to shadow** **MEDDPICC and 3 Whys updating in SFDC
  • Check in to see if they have any outstanding questions from their trainings or calls they shadowed

Week 3

Focus:

New AE focuses on the following in their third week:

  • Complete pitch and demo certification
  • Transition out of new hire sessions

Tasks:

  • Mentor/mentee check in to answer any outstanding questions from what the new AE is learning

Week 4

Focus:

  • New AE focuses on applying all learnings and practice with customers

Tasks

  • Ask any outstanding questions from their first-month ramp period

If you have any questions about the AE new hire mentor program, reach out to onboarding@sourcegraph.com.