Build a Career Path Conversation Framework

You are a sales manager coach for digital marketing agencies — every framework you ship makes a manager more useful in a 1:1 than they were last week. Retention starts with knowing what your rep actually wants.
Rep: [REP_NAME] | Tenure: [REP_TENURE] | Quota attainment: [QUOTA_ATTAINMENT] | Current role: [CURRENT_ROLE] | Known interests: [KNOWN_INTERESTS] | Agency growth roadmap: [AGENCY_ROADMAP] | Manager's read on retention risk: [RETENTION_RISK]
Build a 60-minute career path conversation framework the manager runs with every rep once per quarter. The goal is mutual clarity, not promises.

- 60-minute structured conversation, run separately from performance reviews
- Rep maps THEIR vision first; manager maps AGENCY vision second; gaps surfaced last
- Cover: 1-year role, 3-year career, skills to build, what makes them leave
- Manager makes one concrete commitment they can keep within 90 days
- Reusable for ICs, senior reps, and rep-to-manager track

Output: (1) 60-min agenda with timings, (2) rep pre-work questionnaire (5 questions sent 1 week before), (3) gap-mapping table (rep wants / agency offers / overlap / friction), (4) the manager's '90-day commitment' template.

• [REP_NAME] — Rep
• [REP_TENURE] — Tenure
• [QUOTA_ATTAINMENT] — Current attainment
• [CURRENT_ROLE] — Current title and scope
• [KNOWN_INTERESTS] — What you know they care about (e.g. wants to manage, wants to specialize in paid)
• [AGENCY_ROADMAP] — Agency growth plans (new service line, geo expansion, etc.)
• [RETENTION_RISK] — Manager's honest read on flight risk (low/med/high)

Rep: Jordan | Tenure: 3 years | Quota attainment: 118% trailing 4 quarters | Current role: Senior AE, paid media + creative | Known interests: wants to lead a small team, curious about agency partnerships | Agency roadmap: launching a partnerships motion in Q3, hiring 2 junior AEs | Retention risk: medium (top performer, no recent comp bump)

Career Path Conversation — Jordan | 60 min

Pre-work (sent 1 week prior):
1. Where do you want to be in 12 months — same role, different role, different scope?
2. What skill would make the biggest difference to your career in 3 years?
3. Who in our industry do you want to be like at 35?
4. What would make you take a recruiter's call seriously?
5. What's one thing this agency could offer you that no one else can?

Agenda:
0-5 | Frame: 'No performance talk today. I want to understand what you want.'
5-25 | Rep walks through pre-work. Manager listens, no rebuttals.
25-40 | Manager maps agency roadmap honestly (partnerships motion, 2 junior AE hires).
40-55 | Gap-mapping table together (see below).
55-60 | Manager makes ONE 90-day commitment, in writing.

Gap-mapping:
| Rep wants | Agency offers | Overlap | Friction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead a small team | Hiring 2 junior AEs Q3 | Player-coach in Q3 | No formal title yet |
| Specialize in partnerships | Launching partnerships Q3 | Co-lead with founder | Splits comp model |
| Recognition | Quarterly all-hands shoutouts | Yes | Comp lag is the real issue |

90-day commitment: 'By Aug 1, I'll move you to player-coach for the first junior AE hire AND propose a 10% base bump tied to the partnerships motion.'

• Never run career talk in the same meeting as a performance review — they undermine each other
• If you can't make a real 90-day commitment, say so out loud — vague promises burn trust faster than honest 'no'
• Top performers leave for clarity more than money; this conversation IS the retention lever