The first 60 days of a sales hire
The first 60 days give managers enough information to decide whether they hired the right person.
Most companies think the first 60 days are there to evaluate a new hire.
I think they are there to evaluate the hiring process.
People rarely become someone else after they join. You simply see more of who they already are.
The first month is mostly habits.
- They prepare.
- They take useful notes.
- They ask better questions each week.
- They practice without defending every mistake.
None of these produce revenue on day one.
Together they predict whether someone improves.
The next 30 days answer a different question.
What happens after feedback?
Most people enjoy receiving advice. Fewer change what they do the next day.
The strongest salespeople start finding their own mistakes before someone points them out. They arrive with specific questions because they already know where they are getting stuck.
By day 60, effort is no longer the signal.
Judgment is.
- Which opportunities do they spend time on?
- Do they know why they lost a conversation?
- Can they explain what they will do differently next time?
- Are they becoming more selective or simply busier?
By the end of 60 days, the decision is rarely difficult.
- Give them more responsibility.
- Find a role that fits them better.
- Or accept that the hiring process saw something that was never there.
The first 60 days do not change people.
They make them easier to see.