When it comes to onboarding new sales professionals, Meridith Elliott Powell and Mark Hunter know what works—and what doesn’t. In their recent conversation, they unpacked practical strategies that can help sales leaders bring new hires up to speed quickly, effectively, and with long-term success in mind. Here are the key takeaways:
1. Understand: Desire to Sell Beats Book of Business
One of the biggest mistakes companies make is hiring based on past contacts or a so-called “book of business.”
As Meridith points out, “I can’t tell you how many times we’ve hired people with a set of contacts… and it’s not very valuable, it’s not very helpful.” Instead, focus on attitude and hunger. “You’ve got to hire somebody with the desire to sell.”
2. Start with the Bullseye: Define Your Target Market
Both Meridith and Mark emphasize that onboarding must begin with clarity on who the customer is.
“If you don’t discuss your ‘bullseye,’ they’re going to be out looking for the business that was the bullseye at the last company,” Meridith warns. Mark agrees, saying, “That’s really key—getting zeroed in on who the customer is, because from that, then you can set up everything else.”
3. Product Knowledge Isn’t Enough
Mark makes it clear: product training alone won’t get your new reps producing.
“Companies throw all this product knowledge at them… and that’s like 80% of the onboarding. It doesn’t cut it.” Instead, reps need training on communication, the value proposition, and how to engage the ideal customer.
4. Establish Milestone-Based Onboarding
Successful onboarding is structured, not casual. Mark recommends a week-by-week roadmap.
“Week one is acclimation. Week two, understand the customer. Week three, start prospecting. By week six, they’re flying on their own.” The goal isn’t necessarily closed deals but “repetitive activities” and visible traction.
5. Track Behaviors, Not Just Results
When it comes to performance tracking, Meridith is clear: behavior beats lagging indicators.
“Onboarding is a micromanagement process. I want to track their behaviors. If they’re not closing deals, I need to know—is it a skill issue or a discipline issue? A discipline issue, I fire. A skill issue is coachable.”
6. Define the Sales Recipe
New hires need a recipe for success. Meridith lays it out: “How many calls per week, how many should turn into second calls, how many proposals you expect to write, close, and lose. You’ve got to hand them that.”
7. Easy Wins Build Confidence
Don’t throw your toughest prospects at new hires right away.
“I want to see success early,” Mark says. “Momentum creates momentum. Give them some low-hanging fruit to help them believe they can succeed.”
8. Micromanage Early, Release Later
There’s a right time to hover—and a right time to let go.
“You can’t hire them and just let them go, but you also can’t hover over them for months,” Mark explains. Start with close coaching, then gradually release control as competence grows.
9. Tailor for Remote vs. In-Person Onboarding
Virtual onboarding requires a different playbook.
“If they’re remote, I need someone who can self-motivate,” Mark notes. Still, he recommends bringing them into the office early if possible: “It creates culture. It helps them understand what the company is about.”
10. Connect New Hires with Leadership
Helping new reps understand the company’s broader mission pays dividends.
“There’s something powerful about connecting with the CEO,” says Mark. “Even five or ten minutes can create ownership.”
Meridith adds, “Salespeople need to be bought into the mission and vision. That alignment is often more powerful than money.”
11. Integrate Sales and Marketing
Sales performance issues often trace back to outdated or misaligned systems.
Mark advises: “You’ve got to be integrating marketing and sales. Too often, marketing is over here and sales is over there. You’ve got to understand the current market and adapt.”
12. Use Accountability Partners
Want to ramp reps faster? Don’t let them onboard in isolation.
Pair new hires with seasoned reps. “It gives them someone to mirror, ask questions, and learn the real-world flow,” Mark suggests. It also reveals if the new hire is truly engaged.
13. Diagnose the Root Cause of Underperformance
Meridith sums it up perfectly: “The only two reasons salespeople don’t perform—discipline or skill. If they follow the process and fail, it’s a skill issue. If they don’t follow it, it’s discipline.”
Final Thought: It’s All About Attitude
At the end of the day, one key trait determines whether onboarding will succeed.
“You said it right at the beginning,” Mark reminds us. “Do they have the attitude to do the job? If they do, you’ll know within the first 30 days.”
Lightning Round: Top 10 Qualities of a Successful Sales Professional
Question: Steve from Atlanta GA asks, “I am a senior executive in a large manufacturing corporation, I handle the Eastern Region. We are struggling with our sales people, more than 40% are not hitting quota. We just redid our sales training, but wondering if you have any thoughts.”
Book: Hire Right, Fire Less by Kelly Riggs