Most sales teams fail in the first 90 days of a new hire. Not because the person is wrong, but because the onboarding is weak. You can avoid this. A structured start gives you momentum, a faster pipeline, and fewer hiring regrets.
Here’s how you set your 2026 sales hires up to win.
Build clarity on day one
Remove guesswork. Give your new hire a short plan that tells them exactly what matters.
You want them to know:
- who to call
- what to sell
- how success is measured
- how fast they need to move
Share the top three priorities for their first month. Anything beyond that is noise.
What three priorities will move the needle for your sales team?
Give them the tools before they start
Don’t wait until week one to issue tools. You lose time and enthusiasm.
Have everything prepared:
- laptop and access
- CRM login
- sequences
- product knowledge
- territory list
- customer stories
- a call script that actually works
You want them selling, not waiting.
Teach the customer, not the product
Most onboarding focuses on product features. Customers don’t care. They want outcomes.
Show your new hire:
- why customers buy
- which problems matter
- what objections block deals
- which case studies prove ROI
Use real examples from your top performers. If you’re a founder-led sales team, record your own calls and let them study them.
Put them in front of customers early
Most managers hide new hires from customers for weeks. That stalls confidence and pipeline.
Instead:
- have them shadow live calls from day one
- get them to lead sections of the call by week two
- have them send outbound messages by the end of week one
They learn faster when stakes are real.
Set a 30-60-90 day plan
A simple plan gives structure and accountability.
30 days
- complete training
- build a target list
- begin prospecting
- run early discovery calls
60 days
- generate pipeline
- present solutions
- refine messaging
- show signs of consistency
90 days
- close early wins
- demonstrate full activity levels
- own the territory
- hit predictable performance
Ask yourself: what does “success at 90 days” look like in your business?
Coach every week
Even senior hires need coaching. Weekly sessions stop bad habits early and accelerate performance.
Focus your coaching on:
- call reviews
- deal strategy
- pipeline strength
- activity consistency
- message clarity
People improve when the feedback is timely and direct.
Measure the right numbers
Track leading indicators, not just revenue.
Use data such as:
- outbound activity
- conversation rates
- discovery calls held
- proposals delivered
- early-stage opportunities
These signals reveal whether the hire is on track long before revenue shows up.
Which numbers will you track weekly in 2026?
Remove blockers fast
Your new hire will hit bottlenecks. Processes, pricing, internal delays, unclear messaging. You fix these fast. It shows standards and keeps momentum.
Ask them every week:
- what slowed you down?
- what information did you need that wasn’t there?
- what tools are missing?
Then clear the path.
Set expectations early and stick to them
Clear expectations create confidence. Vague expectations create excuses.
If you want high performance, define it:
- “You need six new opportunities a week.”
- “Your pipeline must grow by £X per month.”
- “You need to hit X discovery calls.”
Direct expectations remove misunderstandings later.
Final thought
Your next sales hire can transform your revenue in 2026 — but only if you set them up properly. A strong first 90 days builds confidence, culture and measurable results.