Picture hiring a promising sales rep. But three months in, they quit. Sound familiar? You’re not alone — 52% of top sales hires quit because of poor sales training or onboarding. On top of this, Ann Clifford, founder and president of Safari Solutions, notes that it takes three to nine months for new sales hires to hit their quotas.
Both situations put hiring resources and future company revenue at stake. The solution? A structured sales onboarding plan. Having the right training process that avoids turnover and grows revenue can allow you to keep great talent longer.
That may seem easier said than done. But, don’t worry. I spoke to several sales leaders to get their tips and tricks. Below, I’ll also share some of my favorite training materials and onboarding templates that can help you get a new team member started. Let’s dive in.
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Table of Contents
- Why Invest in Salesperson Training?
- Stages of the Sales Onboarding Process
- Making the Most of a Sales Manual
- Sales Manual Examples
- Best Practices for Training Salespeople
- Make Your Sales Training Worthwhile
Why Invest in Salesperson Training?
HubSpot research found that the average sales rep tenure at a company is 18 months. With such a short window, developing efficient onboarding and training resources is crucial for hiring managers. Beyond that, orientation and sufficient product knowledge are keys to having successful sales representatives who stay far beyond the year-and-a-half mark. Other benefits you get from training your reps include:
- Improved productivity. Every day counts in sales. The earlier you train your new reps, the faster they ramp up and start hitting their quotas.
- Better sales conversations. Instead of using generic pitches, trained sales reps learn how to ask the right questions, actively listen, and tailor their messaging to each prospect’s unique needs, leading to more meaningful and productive discussions.
- Higher conversion rates. Sales training helps reps master key techniques like objection handling, value selling, and closing strategies, enabling them to turn more prospects into customers with confidence.
- Consistent and scalable performance. A well-trained sales team follows proven frameworks and best practices, ensuring consistency across the organization and making it easier to scale and onboard new reps successfully.
Featured Resource: Sales Training Manual
Stages of the Sales Onboarding Process
Sales onboarding involves new salespeople and giving them all the tools they need to interact with buyers. A strong sales onboarding process should boost your salesperson's confidence and help them get results quickly.
I’ve found that teams, including ours at HubSpot, look at a few different time frames when creating their onboarding plan. We’ll cover the following below:
- Pre-week onboarding.
- First 30 days.
- First 60 days.
- First 90 days.
Stage 1: Pre-Week Onboarding and Day One
You might think training starts on a new employee’s first day. However, successful sales teams start even earlier. If you want your new hires to come confident, consider pre-week onboarding. This can be an email, course, or quick video that gives your sales representatives more information on their roles and what they’ll learn during training.
Pre-week onboarding can help set expectations, that way your new hire isn’t left in the dark. Here’s what we do at HubSpot.
Before their official first day, new HubSpot sales hires experience “a day in the life” of a sales representative. In just 20 minutes, a new hire can see what their work will look like as a member of the sales team. From technical setup to call observation and activity shadowing, new representatives get an up-close look at the end goal of their training period.
Here are a few other items that we send along to new hires before their first day.
Email and Administrative Preparation
Whether your team works remotely or in the office, you need to get new hires’ tech set up so they can open up their laptop and get started. HubSpot’s people team makes sure that our new reps have email and relevant app access before the first day of work.
With a rep’s email, we can send new hire HR information ahead of time, as well as an agenda for training sessions. Having all of the relevant meetings already on their calendar helps our new team members know where to go and who to meet.
Pro tip: Be sure to remind your new hire to select a picture for their email and create an email signature.
Day One: Orientation
The first day at a new job is like starting at a new school. You need to set aside time for new-hire orientation. At HubSpot, that includes one week of Foundations, a week-long set of sessions that help new hires learn about the company. After, there’s up to a week of department-specific training, allowing our reps to learn about the sales team specifically.
Your organization may not be able to dedicate a week and a half to foundational training. However, I highly recommend allowing one day for orientation. That allows your new reps to find and resolve any tech issues, learn about the company’s mission, and take an initial dive into the offering you sell.
Pro tip: Use the first day to take care of HR documentation, set them up with a computer, and introduce them to the company at a high level.
From there, you can set up one-on-one time with direct managers. That should include a coffee chat on day one, something I found helpful when I started at HubSpot. Later in the week, I met with my manager again to discuss my 30-60-90-day plan.
Another helpful program at HubSpot? We encourage new hires to have lunch with a veteran HubSpotter to learn more about the company. New hires also get a chance to ask a senior sales leader questions so they can get a better sense of what to expect.
Pro tip: Before day one, assign each new rep a “Welcome Buddy” who informally checks in with the new hire. They could answer questions and ensure the rep feels supported. This small step can reduce first-week anxiety and foster a sense of belonging right away.
Stage 2: First 30 Days
The first month (30 days) for your new hire circles around learning about the company, available solutions, the internal organization, and their role. Here are a few topics you should cover in the first 30 days.
1. Company Culture and Mission
In the early stages of the sales training, you want to introduce your new sales member to the company and its values. The goal here is to make sure they fully grasp why your company exists and how you serve your customers.
Culture is a big part of getting the message across. If openness and collaboration matter to your sales team, new hires should see it in action during onboarding. Your new team members should feel comfortable asking any questions that come to mind. Reps who have been along for longer should guide the way.
“The social aspect of onboarding often doesn't receive the attention it deserves,” says David Rubie-Todd, co-founder and marketing head at Sticker It. Social connections and company culture can differentiate your company, showing that you have an environment where the employee can thrive.
“For instance, organizing meet-and-greet sessions with colleagues or assigning a mentor can greatly facilitate the transition for new employees, helping them to feel a sense of belonging and camaraderie quickly,” Rubie-Todd says.
Rubie-Todd also notes that these cultural components create an atmosphere where employees can grow personally and professionally.
2. Understanding the “Why” Behind the Sales Process
One of the most important parts of training and onboarding new sales hires is helping them understand the “why” behind their new role.
Scott Williamson, vice president of sales engineering at R. Williamson & Associates, warns, “It's easy to teach someone the steps of the sales process, but helping them understand the reasoning behind it is crucial for their long-term success.”
Like Rubie-Todd, Williamson focuses on company values and the mission. Williamson says, “I want the new hire to understand why we exist and who we serve. This provides context for everything else they will learn.”
From there, Williamson’s team dives into the details of their sales methodology.
“As we review things like prospecting techniques, objection handling, and closing — I share stories and examples that illustrate why we do things this way. The reps who truly grasp the why end up internalizing it and selling with more passion and effectiveness,” Williamson says.
3. Product or Service Training
What will your rep be selling? Whether it’s pool supplies or software, it’s important to train them on how to administer, use, and see the value of your product or service. Proper product or service training lets new sales hires articulate the benefits of your products to address buyers' unique needs.
At HubSpot, our new hires undergo extensive product and Inbound Marketing training. They learn how to use HubSpot products, like our CRM, Marketing, and Sales tools. The hands-on training involves building landing pages, setting up contacts, and presenting “final projects” at the end of their training cycle.
I love the time spent actually using our product. The projects built throughout training allow reps to show off their understanding of HubSpot tools. Managers can also gauge new hire progress.
Josh Ladick, president at GSA Focus, emphasizes product training in sales training. Ladick says, “Product knowledge and customer-engagement strategies are the fundamentals that empower new hires, giving them confidence and clarity when interacting with clients.”
Pro tip: Encourage new reps to use your product or service themselves as much as possible. First-hand experience builds confidence and allows them to speak authentically about how your solution solves customer pain points.
4. Gaining an Understanding of the Market
A successful sale often comes down to BANT: Budget, Authority, Need, and Timing. While determining budget and handling general price objections can be pretty straightforward for an experienced representative, the other three components require familiarity (and perhaps intimacy) with both the buyer and the market. Here’s why:
- Authority. To establish authority with the prospect, the representative must understand your position in the market: your strengths and weaknesses, as well as those of your competitors.
- Need. The representative must also develop competency in mapping those strengths and weaknesses to prospect pain points to qualify for (and prove) fit.
- Timing. Gauging the prospect's timing, knowing customer and sales lifecycles, and developing a nurturing and follow-up process that works with those life cycles are crucial for getting the timing just right.
Getting the last three elements of BANT takes experience and training. Once a new hire understands who you’re selling to and what their needs are, you can more easily adapt your selling methods to these areas.
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- And More!
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Stage 3: First 60 Days
Once the sales representative completes their “information gathering” period, it's time to give them hands-on experience. During this time, managers should empower new reps to improve their comfort level with the selling process. Reps should also work on developing sales processes and routines. Here are some helpful tactics to get you there.
Job Shadowing
An effective way to onboard a new sales rep is to pair them with one of your seasoned team members. This gives insights in real-time and lets them learn by watching. Have the new employee listen to calls, ask questions about workflow, and get a sense of the team’s strategy.
One-on-One Feedback
This training method pairs a new hire with a senior team member for individualized coaching. The personalized approach allows the new salesperson to receive direct feedback, tailored guidance, and mentorship that aligns with their strengths and areas for development.
Peer Training
Peer training involves a new hire learning directly from a colleague at their level rather than a senior leader. This method fosters collaboration, helps the new employee build relationships within their team, and creates a comfortable learning environment with less pressure. It also ensures that new hires quickly adapt to the team’s daily workflows.
Roleplaying
Conducting roleplays during sales training helps new reps practice conversations. A team member acts as a prospective client, and the new rep can test different approaches to see what works for them.
This interactive method sharpens key skills such as objection handling, negotiation, and active listening. It also promotes teamwork and prepares the new sales representative for real-world scenarios.
Prospecting and Introductions
Your new hire is likely going to work with some accounts already on the books. In some cases, they may be replacing an employee who has left, inheriting multiple clients. The representative should introduce themselves to points of contact for accounts that already exist. Beyond that, it’s time for your new rep to do some initial prospecting and outreach to begin filling their pipeline.
Performance Reviews
Conduct regular reviews with sales representatives to give constructive feedback, recognize achievements, and identify areas for improvement. Assess rep individual and team performance by focusing on key metrics, such as conversion rates, quota attainment, and sales cycle length.
This doesn’t have to be as formal as your team’s annual performance review. The goal here is to update the rep on their onboarding progress.
Stage 4: First 90 Days
After 60 days, the representative should be comfortable and autonomous enough to apply their training and start making an impact as their pipeline opens up. Managers should ensure that new reps have everything they need to:
- Establish a schedule that's aggressive but works for the rep.
- Meet with prospects and develop relationships.
- Navigate the process, hit KPIs, and crush goals.
Once you’re sure your representatives are ready to hit the ground, here are some of the last things I suggest you do.
Set clear expectations & goals.
Set 30-, 60-, and 90-day goals. Calculate ramp rate based on the average number of months it takes a new salesperson to hit 100% (or close to) of quota. To make this more accurate, segment an average ramp period by experience. For example, it might take the typical veteran salesperson four months to ramp, while a freshly minted college grad requires nine months.
Establish a new-hire mentor.
Sales onboarding can be challenging. You can lessen the challenges by assigning a mentor to help beyond your initial training period. At some organizations, a mentor is a more senior rep who can inspire new hires. At other companies, mentors are at the same level but have spent more time in the role, offering peer-to-peer advice.
Mentees can bounce questions, comments, and growing pains off their mentors. Mentorship provides new hires with perspective, guidance, and advice from someone outside their management team.
At HubSpot, new hires get paired with a mentor. Beyond the first few weeks, mentors can offer career advice, make important networking connections, and save salespeople from burnout. In my experience, pairing new hires with mentors sets them up for a longer, happier career with your company.
Making the Most of a Sales Manual
A sales manual is a guide that contains the background information of your company, the goals you want to achieve, and the selling process. These documents are a great way to standardize your sales agents’ orientation program.
You want to create a sales manual that becomes the go-to guide for new sales personnel. Naturally, the manual will guide them through their entire onboarding process. The manual should provide details about their job and technology access. A good sales manual also describes your target client and how to talk to them, as well as the do’s and don'ts of your selling process.
Pro tip: Sometimes, a sales manual will include technical guides, like how to log in to certain software or how to access a sales dialer. You can create these parts quickly and painlessly using HubSpot's free Guide Creator, which captures step-by-step instructions with images.
Regularly update your sales manual based on feedback from new hires. If reps frequently ask the same questions or struggle with a particular process, refine the manual to address those gaps proactively.
Sales Manual Examples
Every sales training manual is different based on what the company sells, as well as its goals and objectives. Here are four examples of sales manuals you can use as a guide to write yours.
1. HubSpot Sales Training Manual [PDF]
HubSpot has an elaborate onboarding process for its sales agents. The entire process takes 90 days. In the first 30 days, sales agents learn about HubSpot, our selling systems, solutions, customers, and everything else about what we offer.
For the next 30 days, the sales agent gets what I’d describe as a “trial process.” They start their sales journey by applying the concepts, principles, and lessons that they’ve learned. This is when an agent fashions their style through experimentation.
After 60 days, the sales agents are ready to work officially. The sales manager sets key performance indicators (KPIs) for the agent and provides what they need to achieve them. On the 90th day, the agent can monitor their progress and see what they can change for better results.
For more details on the 30/60/90 method, download the HubSpot Free Sales Training Manual.
What I like: HubSpot’s sales manual makes expectations clear for each milestone. Reps can easily benchmark where they are in the process and if they’re falling behind.
2. Jibu Sales Training and Development Guide [PDF]
Jibu is a drinking water company with over 160 franchises in eight African countries. It has sold over 490 million liters, so it's doing something right. One element of its success? Jibu’s sales agent training guide.
The sales manual template is split into two sections. The first part contains the company's background information. This allows the sales agents to connect with the company and understand how things run across the organization. It includes:
- What sets Jibu apart from its competitors.
- Who Jibu’s customers are and why they love Jibu.
- Jibu’s production technology.
- How Jibu settled on their price range.
The second part of the sales agent guide covers the selling process. Some things that the sales agent learns in this part include:
- The difference between marketing and sales.
- The different types of Jibu customers.
- How to engage with customers.
- What to avoid in sales.
This part is crucial in ensuring that sales agents understand the company's expectations on how they should carry themselves.
Check out the Jibu Sales Training and Development Guide PDF to see all the details.
What I like: This manual includes information about the company's mission. This information can inspire reps, getting them fired up to sell. They’ll also know more about what sets Jibu apart so they can close deals more successfully.
3. Badger Sales Training Manual [PDF]
This guide is ideal for a newbie in the sales department. Badge Sales Training Manual provides a comprehensive guide on all the basics of sales training. It defines sales and teaches you how to go about it.
In this guide, you’ll learn hacks like how to cut the sales training program time by 50%. This will ensure your sales agents are effective and you don’t spend months in the training session without getting results.
The Badger sales manual also teaches selling methods to ensure you choose those aligned with your products or services. Check out the Badger Sales Training PDF to learn the rudiments of sales.
What I like: This guide describes which sales tasks can be automated and by what tools. This manual can help you save time from the get-go so reps can close deals faster.
4. Trojan Labor Sales Training Manual [PDF]
Trojan is a subsidiary of Hire Quest Direct that has been in the industry since 2002. They help companies look for workers in any field — most of whom are temp employees. Trojan has an intensive sales manual training guide that teaches its sales agents everything they need to sell its staffing services.
The manual also teaches the agents the importance of not over-glamorizing their services to manage the customers' expectations. It also guides agents on what to do once a customer makes an order and the correct follow-up messages.
What I like: Trojan’s sales manual shares email and call templates their agents can use in different scenarios, making work easier for new recruits.
Best Practices for Training Salespeople
1. Train them on how to use your CRM.
Your CRM is where you log calls, deals, and account information. Your reps use it every day, so you should spend real time getting new hires comfortable with the platform.
Include hands-on, project-based training such as entering new contacts, setting reminders, and logging communication. When appropriate, have them take a CRM certification exam. Most CRMs offer them, and it’s a great way to ensure new reps understand how to use the software.
You can find HubSpot’s free certification courses here.
2. Conduct call reviews.
Before your reps fly solo put multiple call reviews on the calendar. This can either be synchronous, with a manager sitting in the room with the rep listening in, or asynchronous by using a call recording platform. Managers can see how the call went and give helpful tips on how to improve.
You can also have new reps check out calls from your top performers. In my experience, this experience can be aspirational and expose new reps to tactics they may not have considered before. New hires can also learn from a variety of experience levels and a wider range of critiques.
3. Provide a sales process overview.
Cover the main stages of the sales process and conversion rate benchmarks (on average, 10% of emails convert to connect calls, 20% of connect calls convert to discover calls, etc.). This will tell your new representatives where to prioritize efforts and what numbers they’ll be held to.
Playing the numbers game varies from business to business. This is a good time to share how your company performs in the market and the challenges of selling your specific offering.
4. Train reps on how your company handles prospecting.
How does your company prospect? Share common channels, number of touchpoints, and best practices. Outline how much research representatives should conduct and which details they should look for.
If you have any helpful templates or tools to automate some of the research process, be sure to share them. This can give your new rep a leg up.
5. Walk the reps through your buyer personas.
Describe your ideal customer. If you’re a B2B company, teach your salespeople what a best-fit company looks like and which contacts they should try to get. If you’re B2C, describe the consumers that reps should target. I also recommend you lay out the foundation for how your organization assesses and communicates with decision-makers.
6. Provide a competitive analysis.
During the training process, make the time to orient new hires to your industry. That includes describing your competitors and what makes your offering a standout. You can either share a competitive analysis or turn the process into an exercise, having reps research your company and discussing at the end.
Be honest about where your product/service falls short of the competition and where it outperforms the rest of the market.
7. Have strong reps provide demo training.
Incorporate good and bad examples into demo training and have everyone participate in role-play. Conduct reviews of new hire demos, connect calls, and close conversations. Include common objections that arise during your sales process, and let new hires respond to those objections before supplying them with ready-made scripts.
My rule of thumb is to provide positive feedback first, then move to areas for improvement. Foster this rule in your sales organization to create a team that embraces constructive criticism instead of being afraid or resentful.
8. Hold technical training.
Learning to use team or company technology (i.e., phones, video platforms, etc.) can be a tough and undocumented process. Train new hires on using your technological resources, and have them showcase their skills during a demo with you.
When they can troubleshoot basic issues — like asking prospects to mute their microphones if an echo arises during a presentation — they’re one step closer to being ready for a live call.
9. Practice negotiating and common object handling.
Even experienced representatives need to know how a company approaches the negotiation phase. What are your parameters for discounts and sales? What kind of judgment calls can your representatives make in terms of discounts? And, what is the etiquette for discussing these topics with prospects?
When buying a new car, I was paired with a new sales rep. I kept saying no to maintenance plans until the final offer — a deal so good that it didn’t even cover the cost of oil for regular changes. When the rep’s manager came in, he was genuinely surprised (if not a little annoyed) by the low cost of my plan.
The lesson here? Make it very clear what salespeople can and cannot offer to prospects. You don’t want to severely undercut your offering.
10. Offer client onboarding training when applicable.
Will your representatives be in charge of onboarding new clients? In some cases, this responsibility falls to the customer success team. At smaller organizations, salespeople may work with clients on implementation.
Your new hire should know exactly where their role ends. If their job includes onboarding, share a checklist of what they need to guide clients through. If there’s a hand-off to a renewal manager or customer experience representative, ensure both parties should understand that process.
11. Encourage necessary certifications.
While this is not required in every role, I believe that certifications can be a helpful part of the new hire journey. Here at HubSpot, representatives are certified in inbound sales and inbound marketing. These reps also become certified in giving HubSpot demos. I’ve seen that really successful reps understand how these ideas work, customizing the inbound methodology to their personal sales processes.
So my recommendation? At the end of sales training, hold a certification exam for new reps. Certain passing scores must be met and managers are notified if further training is necessary.
12. Create vertical-, role-, or territory-specific training.
Everyone should move through basic sales training to understand the goals, values, and customers that your sales organization prioritizes. From there, you need to provide relevant supplementary training for role-specific duties.
Your manual for an account executive should be different from a business development representative. If you’re bringing in a manager or executive, further training may be required to set them up for success. Any manuals or training materials should be tailored to each specific role.
Beyond that, you’ll want to localize training. HubSpot is a global company. I’ve heard from sales leaders across the organization that winning tactics vary by market. You need to train your reps on specific verticals or territories they’ll be targeting (i.e., when prospecting in the Pacific Northwest, phone calls convert at a higher rate than emails).
13. Keep training engaging.
I’ve found that a good training process accounts for different learning styles and preferences. Use a range of sales training games and activities to keep your training engaging for all. Create a questionnaire to get feedback after training sessions to understand what the team liked and disliked about each session so you can develop your onboarding as you go.
Make Your Sales Training Worthwhile
Ramping up in sales is tough. But if you do it right, you’ll see big benefits. I’ve seen it right here at HubSpot. Reps who know how to sell drive revenue. Beyond that, the reps I’ve spoken to note that they’re more likely to stick around at companies where they feel supported by their managers.
Reps here have told me that they appreciate the company’s Foundations orientation program. They’ve learned from mentors and call reviews. These structures help them learn more about our product and processes, making their initial ramp smoother.
So, don’t skimp on new rep onboarding. Get it right, and you’ll enjoy the benefits of talent retention, high morale, and a high-quality sales strategy.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in August 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
Free Sales Training Template
Use this template to set up a 30/60/90 day sales training and onboarding plan.
- 30/60/90 Day Goals
- People to Meet
- Feedback/Review Process
- And More!
Download Free
All fields are required.
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