Hiring a salesperson is easy. Scaling that hire from zero to quota in their first 30 days is where most teams stumble. I’ve seen it dozens of times: new reps arrive with energy, a handful of meetings are booked, and then momentum stalls because onboarding wasn’t structured, the playbook wasn’t clear, or the manager didn’t have a realistic early ramp plan.
Below is the playbook I use when I’m asked to get a new sales hire productive fast. It’s practical, tactical and built for early wins — not theory. Read it as a checklist, a daily action plan and a set of KPIs you can track. If you implement it, you’ll avoid the most common pitfalls and give your rep a real shot at hitting quota.
What I expect from a 30-day scaled ramp
My baseline expectation for a successful 30-day ramp depends on role and cycle length, but for a typical B2B SDR/AE with a 60–90 day sales cycle I look for:
Full familiarity with product, ICP and pricingAbility to run the core demo or discovery script confidentlyFirst pipeline created: 5–10 qualified opportunities (or equivalent in pipeline value)Consistent activity baseline: outbound touches, discovery calls and follow-upsClear tracking of activity → outcome KPIs so we can iterateIf you miss one of these, you haven’t failed — but the next 30–60 days must focus on conversion and pipeline expansion. The checklist and plan below get you to that first milestone.
30-point training checklist (core)
Use this as your onboarding checklist. I tick items off with the rep during week 1 and revisit them in coaching sessions.
Company mission and positioning: Why do we exist? Who do we serve? One-liner and 3 supporting points.Product fundamentals: Key features, top 3 use cases, what we don’t do.Pricing and packaging: Tiers, addons, discount policy, common objections on price.Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): Verticals, company size, job titles, common signals.Buyer personas and motivations: Economic, technical and user buyers; typical pains.Sales process map: Stages, exit criteria for each stage, average time in stage.Demo/discovery playbook: Scripts, question bank, demo checklist.Sales collateral: One-pagers, case studies, ROI calculator, deck templates.CRM setup: Pipeline stages, mandatory fields, activity logging rules.Tech stack training: CRM, cadence tool (e.g., Outreach), calendar booking (e.g., Calendly), analytics (e.g., Google Analytics), product sandbox.Internal stakeholders: Who to ask for pricing exceptions, product clarifications, legal, customer success handover.Objection handling bank: Top 10 objections and suggested responses.Competitive landscape: Top 5 competitors, differentiators and battle cards.Inbound lead process: SLA, qualification criteria, immediate follow-up script.Outbound playbook: ICP list build steps, messaging templates, sequence rules.Call recording and review process: Tools, expectations and feedback cadence.Shadow sessions: Number of demos/discovery calls to shadow (recommend 5–8).Live practice sessions: Role-plays against objections (recommend 6–10 with manager/peers).First 30-day metrics: Activity targets (dials, emails, meetings), pipeline targets, demo-to-opportunity conversion target.Success plan: Personal goals for 30/60/90 days and KPIs listed in writing.Operational checklist (systems & governance)
CRM cleanliness: Import leads, ensure duplicate rules and validation set.Cadence templates added: Create 3 outbound sequences aligned to ICP.Reporting set up: Daily activity dashboard, weekly pipeline report.Handoff process: Clear next-step workflow to CS and AE including templated notes.Access provisioned: Product accounts, demo environment, billing sandbox.30-day action plan — day-by-day playbook
This is a realistic daily plan I give a new hire. Adjust timing for your timezone, product complexity and role. I assume a 5-day workweek.
| Week 1 — Foundations |
| Day 1: Company orientation, HR, tech setup, CRM account and basic product intro. Agree 30/60/90 goals. |
| Day 2: Deep product training, sandbox access. Shadow 1 demo or recorded demo reviews. |
| Day 3: ICP and personas session. Review past closed-won deals and one lost deal analysis. |
| Day 4: Sales process walkthrough, pricing, objection handling. Role-play discovery script. |
| Day 5: CRM hygiene, add 50 test leads, practice logging activities. End-of-week review with manager. |
| Week 2 — Practice & First Outreach |
| Day 6: Shadow 2–3 live calls. Start outbound list build (100 target prospects). |
| Day 7: Live role-plays (3) with manager; refine messaging. Send first outbound sequence to a test batch (10 prospects). |
| Day 8: Run first discovery calls (booked from inbound or test outreach). Call recording enabled. |
| Day 9: Review call recordings, update objection bank. Adjust cadence messaging. |
| Day 10: Goal review — ensure 5 meaningful conversations in the pipeline. Manager provides targeted coaching. |
| Week 3 — Scale Activity & Convert |
| Day 11: Ramp outbound volume (aim +30% touches). Continue daily call reviews. |
| Day 12: Run full demo for the first time with a real prospect, manager quietly supports (hand-off if needed). |
| Day 13: Start pipeline qualification sessions: convert demos to qualified opps, set clear next steps. |
| Day 14: Focus on follow-up sequences and personalized value emails to past no-shows. |
| Day 15: Mid-month KPI review: activity, conversion and pipeline value vs target. Calibrate next two weeks. |
| Week 4 — Close Momentum & Handoffs |
| Day 16: Push for demo-to-proposal conversions; rehearse negotiation scenarios. |
| Day 17: Create 2 case-study driven outreach variations for higher-touch accounts. |
| Day 18: Ensure CRM pipeline hygiene — every opportunity has next steps and expected close date. |
| Day 19: Practice handoff meeting with Customer Success for any closed-won or upcoming pilots. |
| Day 20: Final 30-day review: record wins, gaps, and a prioritized plan for 60 days. |
Weekly coaching agenda (for managers)
Start with wins — ask the rep to present two wins and one challenge.Listen to 2 recorded calls together and give 10 minutes of focused feedback each.Review top 5 pipeline opportunities and agree on next steps and owner actions.Update activity targets and address any blockers (tech, decision-making, collateral).KPIs to track the first 30 days
| Activity | Target (example) |
| Outbound touches (emails/calls/LinkedIn) | 300–500/month (scale to 50–100/week) |
| Conversations (meaningful calls) | 10–20 |
| Demos/Discovery | 5–10 |
| Qualified opportunities | 5–10 |
| Pipeline value | 30–50% of monthly quota (or defined $) |
Fast tips I always share
Run a 30/60/90 written plan on day 1 — it aligns expectations.Record every call and listen to them with your rep. Specific examples beat abstract feedback.Start with a narrow ICP for outbound. Breadth kills velocity.Give the rep templates but require personalization — test 3 variants and iterate.Align with CS and Product early; early wins require smooth handoffs.Scaling a sales hire quickly is as much about process and feedback as it is about talent. With a tight checklist, a daily plan and clear KPIs, you’ll remove ambiguity and create repeatable progress. If you want, I can share editable templates for the 30/60/90 plan, call review rubric and the outbound sequence I use — drop a note and I’ll send them over.
