Hiring the right sales reps is tough, but the real challenge is onboarding. Without a plan you risk wasted time, lost revenue, and high turnover. A strong onboarding plan helps new hires become valuable, long-term contributors.
This guide will walk you through creating a comprehensive 3-month onboarding plan broken down into clear phases:
- First 30 days: Focus on orientation, mastering sales tools, and learning company culture.
- Next 30 days: Reps start prospecting and shadowing. Begin setting performance goals.
- Final 30 days: Reps sell more independently, receive feedback, and set long-term goals.
What is a sales onboarding plan?
A sales onboarding plan is the roadmap to your reps’ success. It helps speed up ramp times and avoid costly mistakes. It includes everything from basic admin tasks to practicing sales with hands-on mentorship. Bute most importantly, an effective onboarding plan lays the foundation for long-term productivity.
Organisations that provide new sellers with an effective onboarding programme experience:
- Decreased time to productivity: New sellers ramp seven weeks faster than the industry average of 6-9 months.
- Improved employee satisfaction: Employees are 2-6 times more likely to be extremely satisfied with their workplace.
- Lower turnover: Nearly 58% of employees are likely to stay with a company for an average of three years.
Sales onboarding helps new reps learn your sales process, connect with prospects, and understand your products. Without it, they can feel lost or overwhelmed. This can lead to longer ramp times, poor performance, and even early turnover.
How to create a sales onboarding plan
An effective onboarding plan needs to be meticulously structured. Here’s how to structure sales onboarding so it getsnew hires up to speed quickly and efficiently.
1. Pre-boarding: before the first day
Pre-boarding sets the stage for early success, getting reps ready to engage with clients from day one.
- Welcome email: Get them excited before they start. Send an email welcoming them and introducing key team members. Give them an overview of what their first week will look like.
- New employee checklist: Provide a list of essential tools and resources they’ll have from day one. This could be sales scripts, CRM access, and product materials. This helps them get familiar early and reduces downtime.
- Set up the workspace and tools: Whether they’re working remotely or on-site, ensure their workspace is set up. Set up computers, CRM access, email, and other tools they’ll need. This helps them transition into training and prospecting without any delays.
2. The first day: setting the tone for success
The first day sets the tone for your new hire. It should create excitement, set clear expectations, and make them feel like a valued member of the team.
- Introduce the team and culture: Schedule time for new hires to meet the team and key players in other departments. Help them connect with the high-performance culture by sharing success stories and competitive wins.
- Clarify role expectations: Explainthe role and responsibilities, short-term goals, and how their performance will be measured so they know what’s expected of them from day one.
- Company mission and values: Have leadership or HR introduce the company’s mission and values andexplain how they’re linked to the sales team’s goals. This shows new hires how their role directly contributes to the company’s success.
3. The first week: building a strong foundation
The first week is about giving your new hires the knowledge and confidence to start contributing right away. Here’s what to focus on:
- Training and tools: Start with in-depth CRM and sales tools training, sales enablement tools, and email. Pair this with product training through demos and role playing so reps can confidently pitch the product.
- Set clear goals and assign a mentor: Define specific objectives like completing training modules or shadowing top reps to build early momentum. Assign a mentor to guide them through the learning process.
4. The first month: gaining momentum
By the end of the first month, your rep should be comfortable with the basics and building momentum toward achieving their goals.
- Ongoing training: Use the first month to help them understand your sales approach, product knowledge, and customer base better. Offer self-paced learning through recorded sessions and resources but keep the focus on ramping up.
- Regular check-ins: Schedule weekly one-on-ones to review their progress, provide feedback, and address any challenges. These touchpoints keep them on track and ensure ongoing improvement.
- Social integration: Encourage relationship-building with the team. Strong peer connections increase engagement, motivation, and job satisfaction.
5. The first three months: reviewing progress and setting long-term goals
By 90 days, your rep should have a clear understanding of their strengths, areas for improvement, and have a plan for continued growth.
- Performance reviews and feedback: Evaluate their understanding of the sales process, goal achievement, and areas for improvement. Provide feedback they can act on to keep improving.
- Set long-term goals: Set goals for the next quarter that align with team objectives. Focus on improving their sales skills for ongoing development.
- Maintain engagement: Keep your reps engaged with ongoing training and team activities. When reps feel supported and connected, they’re more likely to stay motivated, perform better, and stick around for the long haul.
Common onboarding challenges and how to overcome them
While a well-designed onboarding experience sets reps up for success, there are often challenges along the way. Here’s how to navigate some of the most common issues:
- Information overload: Break training into small, manageable modules with time for questions.
- Lack of engagement: Use team building activities to keep reps motivated and connected.
- Unclear expectations: Make sure to set clear performance goals and review them regularly during the first 90 days.
Additional tools and templates
Now that you understand the value of a strong onboarding process, let’s discuss the tools you’ll need to bring your plan to life:
- Onboarding plan template: A good onboarding template helps you smoothly guide new hires through their first months. It covers key milestones, from pre-boarding to ongoing training. Using this template improves ramp-up time, and provides consistent support for new reps.
- Onboarding checklist: A detailed checklist ensures you cover all important tasks, from setting up tools to scheduling performance reviews. Customise it to fit your team’s specific needs for the greatest efficiency.
The key to long-term sales success: invest in effective onboarding
A strong onboarding plan is essential. Without it, you risk losing valuable time, resources, and even top talent. With the right approach, you can speed up new hires’ productivity, reduce ramp times, and increase retention. Investing in a solid onboarding plan now will set your sales team—and your business—up for long-term success.
Ready to streamline your onboarding process? Now’s the time to take action—contact us to help set your new hires up for success from day one.