The First 30-60-90 Days: New SDR Onboarding Playbook That Gets Reps to Quota in 60 Days

You hire a new SDR.

Week 1: "Here's the product. Here's the CRM. Start calling."

Week 4: They've booked 2 meetings. Quota is 15/month.

Week 8: Still at 5 meetings/month. Frustrated, considering quitting.

Week 12: They quit. You're back to hiring.

Cost: ₹3-5L in salary + recruiting costs + opportunity cost

The problem: No structured onboarding.

Compare to structured ramp:

Day 1-30: Product training, shadowing, practice Day 31-60: Assisted calling, feedback loops, hitting 80% quota Day 61-90: Full quota, independent, confident

Result: Rep at 100%+ quota by day 90, stays 18+ months

At SalesUp, we've onboarded 50+ SDRs using this playbook. Average time to quota: 45-60 days (vs industry average 4-6 months).

Here's the complete 30-60-90 day plan.

The Onboarding Framework

Success Metrics by Phase

Phase	Timeframe	Key Milestone	Quota Target
Phase 1: Learn	Days 1-30	Product certified, 50 practice calls	0-20%
Phase 2: Practice	Days 31-60	First deals booked, consistent process	60-80%
Phase 3: Perform	Days 61-90	Hitting quota, independent	90-110%

Weekly Time Allocation

Weeks 1-4 (Learn Phase):

Training: 50%
Shadowing: 20%
Practice: 20%
Live calls: 10%

Weeks 5-8 (Practice Phase):

Training: 20%
Shadowing: 10%
Practice: 10%
Live calls: 60%

Weeks 9-12 (Perform Phase):

Training: 5%
Live calls: 85%
Coaching: 10%

Days 1-30: Learn Phase

Week 1: Foundation (Product + Market + Process)

Day 1: Welcome & Setup

Morning (9 AM - 12 PM):

☐ Welcome breakfast with team
☐ HR paperwork
☐ IT setup (laptop, accounts, tools)
☐ Office tour, introductions
☐ Assign buddy/mentor

Afternoon (1 PM - 5 PM):

☐ Company overview presentation
  - Mission, vision, values
  - Company history
  - Org chart, key people

☐ Sales team overview
  - Team structure (SDRs, AEs, CSMs)
  - Quota expectations
  - Career path

☐ First assignment: Watch 5 customer testimonial videos

Day 2: Product Deep Dive (Part 1)

Morning:

☐ Product demo (delivered by Product team)
  - What we build
  - Core features
  - Key differentiators

☐ Customer pain points
  - Top 5 problems we solve
  - Industry-specific challenges
  - Competitive landscape

Afternoon:

☐ Get sandbox access
☐ Self-guided product exploration (2 hours)
☐ Complete product training modules
☐ Quiz: Product basics (must score 80%+)

Day 3: Product Deep Dive (Part 2)

Morning:

☐ Use cases workshop
  - Vertical 1: [Industry] use cases
  - Vertical 2: [Industry] use cases
  - Vertical 3: [Industry] use cases

☐ ROI framework training
  - How to calculate value
  - Case studies with numbers

Afternoon:

☐ Competitive analysis
  - Top 3 competitors
  - How we compare
  - Handling objections

☐ Shadow 2 customer demos (watch senior AE)

Day 4-5: ICP & Messaging

Day 4 Morning:

☐ ICP deep dive
  - Ideal company profile
  - Buyer personas (by role)
  - Qualification criteria (BANT/MEDDIC)

☐ Value propositions by persona
  - What VP Sales cares about
  - What Director Ops cares about
  - What CEO cares about

Day 4 Afternoon:

☐ Email templates training
  - Cold email structure
  - Follow-up sequences
  - Personalization tactics

☐ Assignment: Write 10 cold emails (buddy reviews)

Day 5 Full Day:

☐ Call script training
  - Cold call framework
  - Voicemail scripts
  - Objection handling

☐ Listen to 10 recorded calls (best performers)
☐ Document learnings
☐ Practice calls with buddy (5 mock calls)
☐ Product certification test (must pass 85%+)

Week 2: Shadow & Practice

Day 6-7: Shadow Senior SDR (100% observation)

☐ Sit with top performer
☐ Listen to all their calls (20-30/day)
☐ Take notes on:
  - How they open calls
  - Questions they ask
  - How they handle objections
  - How they book meetings
☐ Debrief: What did you learn?

Day 8-10: Practice Calls (Role Play)

Daily structure:

Morning (3 hours):
☐ Role play with buddy (10 scenarios)
  - Scenario 1: Gatekeeper blocks
  - Scenario 2: Prospect says "not interested"
  - Scenario 3: Prospect asks "what's this about?"
  - Scenario 4: Prospect says "send me info"
  - Scenario 5: Qualified prospect, book meeting
  - [5 more scenarios]

Afternoon (3 hours):
☐ Record yourself doing mock calls
☐ Review recordings with manager
☐ Refine approach
☐ Repeat

Target: Complete 50 practice calls by end of week 2

Certification: Pass role-play test (manager evaluates)

Week 3-4: Assisted Live Calling

Day 11-20: Call with Manager Listening

Daily structure:

Morning (9 AM - 12 PM):
☐ Prep 20 prospects (research)
☐ Make 20 calls (manager listens on mute)
☐ Manager provides real-time feedback via Slack

Afternoon (1 PM - 5 PM):
☐ Prep 20 more prospects
☐ Make 20 more calls
☐ Daily debrief with manager (30 min)
  - What went well?
  - What to improve?
  - Practice one thing tomorrow

Targets:

Calls per day: 40
Contact rate: 15-20%
Conversations: 6-8/day
Meetings booked: 1-2/week (weeks 3-4)

Day 21-30: Independent Calling (Quota 20%)

Transition to independence:

☐ Manager listens to 10 calls/day (not all)
☐ Daily 15-min check-in
☐ Weekly 1-on-1 coaching session

Week 3-4 targets:

Calls/day: 60
Meetings booked: 4-6 for the 2 weeks
Target: 20% of monthly quota

Days 31-60: Practice Phase

Week 5-6: Build Consistency

Goal: Develop repeatable process

Daily routine:

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM: Email outreach (send 20 emails)
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Calling block (60 calls)
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: LinkedIn outreach (20 connections/messages)
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Calling block (40 calls)
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Follow-ups, CRM updates
5:00 PM - 5:30 PM: Plan tomorrow (research prospects)

Weekly metrics:

Calls: 500/week
Emails: 100/week
LinkedIn: 100/week
Meetings booked: 6-8/week
Target: 60-70% of monthly quota

Manager coaching (weekly):

Monday: Review last week's numbers, set this week's goals
Wednesday: Mid-week check-in, call review session
Friday: Week wrap-up, celebrate wins, plan next week

Week 7-8: Refine & Optimize

Goal: Hit 80% of quota consistently

Focus areas:

1. Improve conversion rates:

☐ Analyze call recordings
  - Identify patterns in successful calls
  - Fix mistakes in unsuccessful calls

☐ A/B test messaging
  - Try 2 different email subject lines
  - Try 2 different cold call openers
  - Measure what works

2. Time management:

☐ Reduce research time (15 min → 10 min per batch)
☐ Batch similar activities (all calls together, all emails together)
☐ Use templates more effectively

3. Quality over quantity:

☐ Target Tier 1 prospects (best fit)
☐ Deep personalization (not spray and pray)
☐ Focus on high-value activities

Targets by end of week 8:

Meetings booked: 10-12/week
Target: 80% of monthly quota
Close rate on booked meetings: 20-25%

Days 61-90: Perform Phase

Week 9-12: Full Performance

Goal: Hit 100%+ of quota independently

Daily metrics to track:

☐ Calls: 100/day
☐ Contacts: 20-25/day
☐ Conversations: 10-12/day
☐ Meetings booked: 2-3/day

Weekly targets:

Meetings: 12-15/week
Show rate: 85%+
Qualified rate: 70%+

Monthly targets:

Meetings: 50-60/month
Pipeline generated: ₹20-40L
Deals influenced: 10-15

Coaching focus shifts:

Weeks 9-10: Independence

☐ Fewer check-ins (2x/week instead of daily)
☐ Self-review call recordings
☐ Identify own improvement areas

Weeks 11-12: Mastery

☐ Start mentoring newer SDRs
☐ Share best practices with team
☐ Experiment with new techniques
☐ Prepare for promotion conversation

The Onboarding Checklist

Week 1 Checklist

☐ Complete HR/IT setup
☐ Pass product certification test (85%+)
☐ Shadow 10 demos
☐ Write 10 practice emails (buddy-reviewed)
☐ Complete 20 role-play calls
☐ Can explain ICP in 2 minutes
☐ Can deliver value prop in 30 seconds
☐ Knows top 5 competitors

Week 2-4 Checklist

☐ Complete 50 total practice calls
☐ Pass role-play certification (manager eval)
☐ Make 100+ live calls
☐ Book first meeting
☐ Shadow 5 discovery calls
☐ Can handle top 5 objections
☐ CRM proficiency (logs everything)

Week 5-8 Checklist

☐ Hitting 60-80% of quota
☐ 500+ calls per week
☐ 100+ emails per week
☐ 85%+ meeting show rate
☐ Consistent daily routine
☐ Can run full discovery call
☐ Receiving fewer coaching corrections

Week 9-12 Checklist

☐ Hitting 90-110% of quota
☐ Independent (minimal manager intervention)
☐ Mentoring newer SDRs
☐ Contributing to team knowledge base
☐ Tracking personal metrics
☐ Ready for growth/promotion discussion

Training Resources

Tools & Materials

Week 1:

☐ Product sandbox access
☐ CRM training account
☐ Call recording software
☐ Email tracking tool
☐ LinkedIn Sales Navigator
☐ Slack channels (sales, #wins, #questions)

Documentation:

☐ Product overview deck
☐ ICP definition doc
☐ Buyer persona sheets
☐ Email templates library
☐ Call scripts library
☐ Objection handling guide
☐ Competitive battle cards
☐ Case study library

Recorded content:

☐ 10 best cold calls
☐ 10 best discovery calls
☐ 5 customer testimonial videos
☐ Product demo recording
☐ Competitive overview presentation

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Throwing Them on Calls Too Soon

What happens: "Here's the phone, start calling"

Result: Bad habits form, low confidence, quick burnout

Fix: 2 weeks of training before first live call

Mistake 2: No Clear Milestones

What happens: Vague expectations, rep doesn't know if they're progressing

Result: Anxiety, lack of direction

Fix: Clear weekly targets and certification tests

Mistake 3: Not Enough Practice

What happens: Theory without reps

Result: Freeze on live calls, make basic mistakes

Fix: 50+ role-play calls before going live

Mistake 4: No Feedback Loop

What happens: Rep makes same mistakes repeatedly

Result: No improvement, quota miss

Fix: Daily/weekly call reviews with manager

Mistake 5: Unrealistic Quota Expectations

What happens: Full quota from day 1

Result: Rep feels overwhelmed, quits

Fix: Ramped quota (20% → 60% → 90% → 100%)

Manager's Role in Onboarding

Daily (Weeks 1-4)

☐ Listen to 10-20 calls per day
☐ Provide immediate feedback via Slack
☐ 15-min end-of-day debrief
☐ Answer questions (keep Slack DMs open)

Weekly (Weeks 5-8)

☐ 60-min 1-on-1 coaching session
☐ Review metrics dashboard together
☐ Call review session (listen to 5 calls)
☐ Role-play difficult scenarios
☐ Celebrate wins (even small ones)

Bi-weekly (Weeks 9-12)

☐ 30-min check-in
☐ Performance review (against targets)
☐ Career development discussion
☐ Address any concerns

Measuring Onboarding Success

Leading Indicators (Track Weekly)

Week	Calls	Contacts	Meetings	Quota %
1-2	0	0	0	0%
3-4	400	60-80	2-4	10-20%
5-6	500	100-125	6-8	50-70%
7-8	500	100-125	10-12	70-90%
9-10	500	100-125	12-15	90-110%
11-12	500	100-125	12-15	100-120%

Lagging Indicators (Track Monthly)

Metric	Month 1	Month 2	Month 3	Target
Quota attainment	20%	70%	100%	100%
Close rate (on booked meetings)	15%	20%	25%	25%
Pipeline generated	₹5L	₹20L	₹40L	₹40L
Confidence score (self-rated)	4/10	7/10	9/10	8+/10

Red Flags (When to Intervene)

Week 4:

❌ Hasn't completed product certification
❌ Uncomfortable on practice calls
❌ Can't explain value prop clearly

Week 8:

❌ <50% of quota
❌ <300 calls per week
❌ <70% meeting show rate

Week 12:

❌ <80% of quota
❌ Not improving despite coaching
❌ Cultural fit issues

Action: PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) or part ways

Case Study: Reduced Ramp Time from 6 Months to 60 Days

Company: B2B SaaS, inside sales team

Before (No structured onboarding):

"Here's the product, start calling"
No training plan
Sink or swim mentality
Average ramp: 5-6 months to quota
40% attrition in first 6 months

After (30-60-90 playbook):

Structured 2-week training
50 practice calls before going live
Daily coaching weeks 3-8
Clear milestones and targets
Average ramp: 60 days to quota
10% attrition in first 6 months

Results:

Metric	Before	After	Change
Time to quota	5-6 months	60 days	-67%
6-month attainment	65%	95%	+46%
6-month attrition	40%	10%	-75%
Manager time	5 hrs/week	10 hrs/week (front-loaded)	+100% upfront
ROI	Negative first 6 months	Positive by month 3	N/A

Key insight: More upfront training time = faster ramp, better retention, higher ROI

What SalesUp Does

We use this playbook to onboard all new SDRs on our team.

Our process:

Week 1: Intensive training (product, ICP, messaging)
Week 2: Shadow our top performers + practice
Week 3-4: Assisted calling (manager listens)
Week 5-8: Independent calling with coaching
Week 9+: Full performance, mentoring others

Our results:

Average ramp: 45 days to 80% quota
90% of new hires hit quota by day 60
<5% attrition in first year
New SDRs outperform industry benchmarks within 90 days

Book a demo to learn how we can train your SDR team.

Most SDRs take 4-6 months to ramp. Structure beats chaos. Days 1-30: Learn. Days 31-60: Practice. Days 61-90: Perform. Get reps to quota in 60 days with clear milestones, daily coaching, and deliberate practice.