As a new sales manager, your first 90 days will either set you up for success—or create challenges that you will need to fix down the road. Whether you're stepping into a brand-new role or taking over from someone else, the pressure is on from day one.
In those first three months, your focus is clear: protect your time and elevate your team. This guide will walk you through exactly how to do that, giving you a step-by-step plan to navigate the transition, avoid common mistakes, and get your sales team on track for long-term success.
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Why the First 90 Days Matter
The first 90 days as a new sales manager can be make-or-break. Whether you’re stepping into a newly created role or replacing a previous manager, the expectations are high—and how you navigate these first few months will set the tone for your leadership and determine the future success of your team.
If you’re the company’s first sales manager, chances are you’re inheriting a team that’s been self-managing or overseen by the CEO. That means your early days will be all about setting boundaries and managing expectations, not just for your team but for leadership too. There’s likely a learning curve here, as the company adjusts to having a dedicated sales manager for the first time.
On the other hand, if you’re replacing a previous manager, especially one who was let go, the stakes are different. There’s often an urgency to show immediate results, and you may be stepping into an environment with high expectations and unresolved challenges.
In either case, your main goals are the same:
- Set boundaries and define clear expectations for yourself and your team.
- Protect your time to focus on high-value, revenue-generating activities.
- Elevate your team through coaching and support—resist the urge to jump in and do their work for them.
Phase 1: The First 30 Days — Observation and Alignment
The first 30 days are all about listening, observing, and aligning with both your team and the leadership. Although it may be tempting to jump in and start making changes, this period is about gathering insights and laying the groundwork for the actions you’ll take later.
New Sales Manager Do’s
Know Your Players (KYP)
In your first 30 days, focus on getting to know each member of your team. Learn their strengths, weaknesses, and individual goals. Schedule one-on-one meetings to understand their performance so far and where they might need your support.
Action Step: Meet with each rep individually. Discuss their personal and professional goals, and ask them where they feel you can best support their success.
Dig Into the Data
This is the time to dive into your sales pipeline. Look at trends, conversion rates, and the current focus of the team’s efforts. A fresh look at the data will help you prioritize changes down the line.
Action Step: Begin planning your CRM dashboard to track key performance indicators (KPIs) like pipeline activity, conversion rates, and deal progression. This will help you prioritize data analysis without making any immediate changes.
Key Sales Metrics to TrackWhen setting up your CRM dashboard, consider tracking these KPIs to ensure you’re driving both individual and team growth:
By tracking the right data, you can quickly identify bottlenecks. For example, if deals are stalling, ask yourself: “Are we calling the right accounts? Are we having the right conversations?” Use this data to guide your coaching and help the team make the necessary adjustments. Tracking these metrics will help you focus on the inputs that drive outputs, giving you insight into where your team excels and where additional coaching or adjustments may be needed. |
Align with Leadership
Your goals need to align with the company’s broader objectives. Regular check-ins with leadership will ensure you stay on the same page and have their support.
Action Step: Schedule weekly or bi-weekly check-ins with your CEO or senior leadership to align on your sales priorities and progress.
New Sales Manager Don’ts
Don’t Forget to Ask Questions
Don’t assume you have all the answers—remember to ask questions. This process will help you better understand your team’s strengths and the challenges they face before making big decisions. Asking "What’s your sales superpower?" not only encourages self-reflection but also gives you deeper insight into how each rep contributes to the team.
Action Step: Develop a list of key questions to ask during your initial meetings with reps. Focus on gathering insights, not jumping to conclusions.
Don’t Make Changes Too Quickly
Avoid rushing to overhaul processes in your first month. Making changes without fully understanding the team dynamic can backfire and create resistance.
Action Step: Use this first phase to gather data, reflect, and prioritize areas for improvement.
Don’t Take Over Every Deal
It can be tempting to step in and take control of deals, especially if you're used to being in the trenches as an individual contributor. But doing so undermines your team’s confidence and growth.
Action Step: Stay in the coaching role—give guidance and advice, but let your reps handle their deals.
Phase 2: Days 31 to 60 — Taking Action
Now that you’ve spent the first 30 days observing and gathering insights, it’s time to start taking action. This phase is all about using the data and observations you’ve collected to implement targeted changes that drive impact.
Data-Driven Decisions
Start Implementing Changes Based on Data Insights
Use the insights from your first 30 days to start making targeted improvements. This could mean redirecting efforts toward high-value prospects or refining parts of the sales process to eliminate inefficiencies.
Action Step: Prioritize high-impact areas based on your findings, such as refining the discovery process or improving lead qualification.
Adjust the Sales Process
Focus on optimizing key areas like lead qualification, discovery calls, and how resources are allocated. The goal here is to streamline the workflow and increase productivity.
Action Step: Use a phased approach for improvements. Make small, incremental changes rather than overhauling everything at once.
Strategic Shifts
Focus on High-Value Activities
Now that you have a clearer picture of what’s working, shift your team’s focus to the high-value activities that yield the greatest returns. This could mean targeting more profitable accounts or engaging with decision-makers higher up the chain.
Action Step: Identify the top 10% of accounts and work with your team to direct their efforts toward these clients.
Ensure Alignment with Leadership
As you make these strategic shifts, it’s crucial to keep leadership informed. Your changes should always align with broader business objectives, and frequent communication ensures everyone is on the same page.
Action Step: Provide regular progress updates to leadership, backed by data to support your decisions and adjustments.
Phase 3: Days 61 to 90 — Solidifying the Process
By this point, you’ve started to implement changes, and this phase is all about solidifying those adjustments. Focus on ensuring the new processes are fully integrated into your team’s day-to-day workflow.
Fine-Tuning and Refining the Changes
Monitor Progress of the Changes Implemented
Use KPIs and feedback from your team to track the effectiveness of the changes made in Phase 2. Pinpoint what’s working and where further adjustments are needed.
Action Step: Hold mid-quarter reviews with your team to gather feedback and adjust processes where necessary.
Refine Coaching Cadences and Sales Processes
Your coaching cadence and sales processes should start to feel natural by now. But consistency is key. Continue to fine-tune these processes to ensure they’re sustainable and helping your team grow.
Action Step: Adjust your coaching based on the quality of the challenges your reps bring to you. More complex challenges is a sign that your coaching is working.
Maintaining Momentum and Motivation
Celebrate Wins and Recognize Progress
To keep the momentum going, celebrate your team’s wins—big or small. Recognizing progress is a simple way to build morale and keep your team motivated.
Action Step: Publicly recognize team members during meetings for their achievements and improvements.
Set the Stage for Long-Term Success
By day 90, the processes you’ve implemented should be well on their way to becoming ingrained habits. It’s time to think beyond immediate wins and plan for your team’s continued growth.
Action Step: Create personal development plans for each rep, helping them identify areas for growth over the next six months.
Common Challenges for New Sales Managers
During your first 90 days as a sales manager, you’re bound to face a few challenges. Some of the most common hurdles include:
Managing Former Peers
Transitioning from peer to manager is one of the toughest moves you’ll make as a new sales manager. To establish authority without damaging relationships, a simple but effective tactic is to "put on your manager hat" during conversations. It’s a small gesture, but it signals a shift from your role as a friend to your new responsibilities as a leader.
Another way to keep things professional is by using structured coaching agreements. Instead of managing based on personal relationships, you’re managing based on clear commitments and performance. This keeps interactions focused on results, not emotions, and helps maintain respect on both sides.
Collaborating with Other Departments
Working with other departments isn’t just a “nice to have”—it’s a must if you want your sales process to run smoothly. Whether it’s marketing, finance, or legal, strong collaboration keeps things moving without bottlenecks. The key? Clear communication and alignment.
One tactic that works well is setting up informal service-level agreements (SLAs). This way, everyone knows what’s expected. For instance, marketing needs timely feedback on leads, and finance needs accurate sales forecasts to keep things on track. Setting these expectations upfront can save you a lot of headaches down the road.
It’s also important to check in regularly with leadership—whether weekly or bi-weekly—to make sure you’re aligned. Give them an update on your team’s progress, then ask, “Is there anything I’m missing? Anything you’d like to reprioritize?” This opens up the conversation and ensures everyone is working toward the same goals.
And when leadership throws ambitious targets your way? Use data to work backward. Ask how they came up with that number. Often, this leads to a more productive conversation about what’s realistic and achievable.
Coaching for Long-Term Development
As a sales manager, your coaching should strike a balance between short-term production-focused coaching and long-term development. Coaching for production is about being prescriptive and telling your reps exactly what to do to get immediate results. It’s useful for hitting short-term targets, but it doesn’t foster independent thinking. In contrast, coaching for long-term development is more Socratic—you ask questions that guide your reps to think critically and solve problems on their own.
For instance, instead of saying, “Here’s what to ask during discovery,” flip it around: “What questions could you ask that might uncover more compelling reasons for the customer to buy?” This approach helps them not only sharpen their skills but helps them develop their own strategies, build confidence, and become more self-sufficient over time.
At the same time, your coaching should foster accountability. One of the most effective ways to do that is to manage agreements, not people. When your reps know they’re being held accountable for the commitments they’ve made—not some arbitrary target—you shift the responsibility onto them. They take ownership, and suddenly, it’s not just you pushing them; they’re pushing themselves.
Integrate both short-term and long-term coaching to ensure well-rounded development. A great way to keep development on track is to set quarterly goals for each salesperson. Maybe one quarter you’re focusing on product knowledge, and the next, you’re honing their questioning techniques. This structured rhythm ensures you're constantly helping your team grow while still keeping an eye on immediate performance needs.
As you settle into your role, keep refining your strategies and reinforcing the structures you’ve put in place. With a clear focus on development, collaboration, and leadership, you’ll be well-positioned to take your team to the next level.
Growing Beyond Day 90
You’ve successfully navigated your first 90 days as a sales manager. You’ve analyzed the data, implemented coaching strategies, and seen progress in your team. But this is only the foundation.
What’s next?
Now is the time to shift your focus from daily activities to thinking more strategically. Managing your team and meeting short-term goals are important, but long-term success comes from aligning your team with the company’s broader objectives. It’s about seeing the bigger picture and positioning your team for sustained growth.
Stepping into higher leadership roles, such as a VP of Sales, requires more than just hitting targets. It involves stepping back from the tactical side of things and developing a more strategic mindset. You’ll need to focus on how the entire sales organization contributes to the company’s future and how to guide your team in that direction.
Emotional intelligence (EQ) also becomes more important as you advance. While technical skills got you this far, leadership at higher levels is about understanding and managing relationships. Building trust, aligning with leadership, and maintaining team motivation are essential for the next phase of your career.
As you move forward, continue refining your strategy, focus on relationship-building, and prepare for the broader responsibilities that come with leadership at the next level.
