When building a sales team, the first step that comes to mind is usually hiring: a job post goes out, interviews are held, a few people start. Three months later the question may come up: “why didn't the team deliver the result we wanted?” The problem is often not the people but three questions left unanswered before hiring.
Before the team: three questions
- What are we selling, and to whom? If you can't write in two sentences who the product or service is sold to and for which problem, the sales team can't explain it to the customer either.
- How does the sale progress? Put the steps from first contact to payment on paper: where do prospects come from, who calls, when does the offer go out, who closes?
- How do we define success? “Sell a lot” is not a goal. You need trackable numbers such as monthly meetings, number of offers, closing rate, and average basket.
Once the answers to these three questions are in writing, the job post and the interview questions become clear on their own.
Days 1-30: role, goal, process
- Define the role. Field sales, telephone sales, or account management? Each role needs different skills.
- Choose by the job and the need. Of two people selling the same product, one may be strong at building relationships and the other at follow-up. In the interview, play out a real sales scenario together.
- Write the goal. Everyone's goal for the first, second, and third month is different: learning first, then activity, then results.
- Set up a simple record-keeping routine. Whatever tool you use, every meeting and offer should be recorded in one place.
Days 31-60: training and first sales
At the center of the first two months are product training and coaching. Explaining the product to a new salesperson is not enough; rehearse real customer objections (“expensive”, “not now”, “cheaper at a competitor”) together and turn the answers into a written handbook.
- Hold a short weekly one-on-one: what was tried, what worked, where did they get stuck?
- Share one of the successful meetings with the team; discuss why it worked.
- Standardize offer templates; each salesperson should not write offers from scratch.
Days 61-90: measure and decide
You now have comparable data. Look at the following:
| Measure | What does it tell you? |
|---|---|
| Number of meetings | Is activity sufficient? |
| Meeting-to-offer conversion | Quality of the first meeting |
| Offer-to-close conversion | Offer and objection handling |
| Average sale amount | Right product/package recommendation |
| Sales cycle length | Where the process waits |
With this table you can see which person needs support, which process needs fixing, and which goal needs rewriting. It is also healthier to set up the commission system after this data, because what should be rewarded is now clear.
Common mistakes
- Hiring before the process is written.
- Imposing goals and a commission system together, intensively, from day one.
- Doing the training once and then dropping it; not coaching regularly.
- Not collecting numbers in a single tool; everyone keeping their own spreadsheet.
Building a sales team is not a one-time project but a system that is managed regularly. The first 90 days lay the foundation of that system.
Frequently asked questions
How many people should the sales team start with?
Process comes before headcount. When the process is written and measurable, starting with a small team is more instructive.
