Getting new sales reps up to speed is never as simple as handing them a laptop and pointing at the CRM. If you’re expected to onboard people quickly—and actually get them selling, not just shadowing forever—you need a plan that works in the real world, not just on paper. This guide is for sales managers, enablement leads, and anyone who’s sick of onboarding fluff and wants to use Pocus training workflows to actually move the needle.
Here’s what to do, what to watch out for, and how to keep it simple so you can get back to selling.
Step 1: Get Clear on What "Trained" Actually Means
Before you start setting up any tools or workflows, you need a real answer to “What does success look like for a new sales hire?” This isn’t about checking boxes—it’s about results.
What matters: - Can they run a discovery call without you listening in? - Do they know your ICP and how to qualify out? - Can they use your sales stack without getting lost? - Are they actually booking demos, not just sending emails?
What doesn’t matter: - Memorizing every product feature - Passing a quiz just to say they did - Watching endless videos with no real accountability
Pro tip: Write down the 3-5 outcomes you actually care about. If a new rep can do those, they’re ready. Everything else is just noise.
Step 2: Map Your Onboarding Milestones
Don’t try to cram everything into week one. The best onboarding has clear milestones—like “complete product demo,” “run a mock call,” “book your first meeting.” This keeps things moving and gives new reps small wins.
How to break it down: - Week 1: Company basics, tools walkthrough, intro to process. - Week 2: Product deep dive, messaging, mock calls. - Weeks 3-4: Live calls, shadowing, first pipeline entries.
Resist the urge to create a 50-step checklist. People forget most of what you throw at them in a firehose. Build in space for practice, mistakes, and questions.
Step 3: Build Your Pocus Training Workflow
Now that you know what matters and when it should happen, you can set up your training workflow in Pocus. Here’s how to make it work instead of just looking slick on a dashboard.
Set Up Tracks for Each Milestone
In Pocus, create separate training tracks for each onboarding milestone. Don’t lump everything into one giant “onboarding” task list—nobody wants to scroll for days.
- Example tracks: “Getting Started,” “Product Mastery,” “Sales Process,” “First Live Call.”
- Assign specific tasks, resources, and deadlines to each.
Make It Action-Oriented
Don’t just link to PDFs and call it a day. Use tasks that require doing: - Record a mock pitch and upload it - Complete 5 real calls (not just listen) - Submit a call review for feedback
Pocus lets you assign, track, and review these tasks without chasing people over Slack. That’s the real value—accountability and visibility, not just content delivery.
Assign Coaches or Buddies
Nobody learns in a vacuum. In Pocus, you can assign managers, team leads, or peer buddies to approve completed tasks or provide feedback. This keeps things from getting lost or just “marked done” without proof.
Use Automation (But Don’t Overdo It)
Pocus can trigger reminders, nudge reps on overdue tasks, and even send quick surveys. That’s useful, but don’t lean too hard on automation. If your new hire is stuck, a Slack bot won’t fix it—real support still matters.
What works: Automated reminders for recurring tasks, tracking completion, nudging when things stall.
What doesn’t: Expecting automation to replace real check-ins or coaching.
Step 4: Build in Feedback Loops
The fastest way to torpedo onboarding is to assume your process is perfect. New hires will always hit snags you didn’t predict.
How to get real feedback: - Add a quick checkpoint at the end of each training track for reps to share what was confusing or missing. - Ask coaches/buddies: Where did the new hire get stuck? Was the info clear? - Review completion rates and see where people slow down—those are your bottlenecks.
Don’t be afraid to cut or update steps that aren’t adding value. Onboarding is never “done.”
Step 5: Avoid Common Pitfalls
You’ll see a lot of onboarding “best practices” floating around. Here’s what you can safely ignore (and what to do instead):
- Endless content libraries: Most reps learn by doing, not by clicking through another LMS video.
- One-size-fits-all tracks: Tailor your workflow for SDRs vs. AEs vs. CSMs. Their jobs are different; their training should be too.
- Over-reliance on shadowing: Shadowing is fine for a week, but after that, it’s just hiding. Get people talking to real customers fast.
- No clear owner: Someone needs to own the onboarding workflow in Pocus. If it’s everyone’s job, it’s nobody’s job.
Step 6: Track What Actually Matters
It’s easy to get lost in vanity metrics (“X modules completed!”), but that doesn’t mean your reps are ready to sell.
Instead, track: - Time to first booked meeting - Time to first closed deal (for AEs) - Ramp time to quota - Where reps drop off or ask for help in the workflow
These numbers tell you if your onboarding is working—or where it’s broken. Pocus can surface this data, but you’ve got to pay attention and act on it.
Step 7: Keep It Simple and Iterate
The best onboarding programs are living documents. You’ll tweak, cut, and improve as you go. If you try to launch with a “perfect” process, you’ll just slow yourself down.
- Start small: Launch with your core workflow, then add polish.
- Get feedback: From new hires, managers, and even folks who failed to ramp.
- Iterate: Update your Pocus tracks based on what’s actually working.
Pro tip: If you’re spending more time updating onboarding materials than coaching reps, you’ve gone too far. Get back to basics.
Wrap Up: Don’t Overthink It
Onboarding with Pocus isn’t about building the world’s fanciest workflow. It’s about getting new sales hires from zero to selling—faster, with less handholding, and fewer things slipping through the cracks.
Focus on the handful of skills and habits that matter, build clear milestones, and use Pocus to keep everyone honest. Then, keep improving it, one rep at a time.
Nobody gets it perfect the first time. Just get started—and help your team start selling sooner.