The Answer
Front-load buyer and message training, follow with structured practice, then live deals with a co-pilot. Day 90 the rep is independent with weekly inspection, not dropped.
Overview
Ramp is the most expensive period in a rep’s tenure. Every week of slow ramp is a week of negative ROI.
Effective ramp is structured, role-specific, and front-loaded with practice.
Steps
- Define the ramp outcome. ‘Fully ramped’ should mean a measurable, observable thing.
- Build a 30/60/90 plan with weekly goals. Each week has 2-3 milestones, not 30.
- Days 1-15: Buyer, message, product. Spend more time on the buyer than on the product.
- Days 15-30: Process and tools. Walk the CRM, the engagement platform, the demo environment.
- Days 30-60: Practice in low-stakes settings. Role-plays, mock discoveries, mock demos.
- Days 60-90: Live deals with a co-pilot. Manager or buddy on every call.
- Day 90+: Independent, with weekly inspection.
Pro Tip
Pair every new AE with a ‘ramp buddy’ — a tenured rep, not a manager.
Watch Out
Don’t put a new AE on a real opportunity in week 1. A botched first deal sets a confidence ceiling for months.
Want help implementing this in your org?
Talk to Nate →