Dear SaaStr: We Have A 30 Day Sales Cycle. How Long Should We Give Reps to Scale Up?
With a sales cycle of less than 30 days, you should expect a new sales rep to ramp up **within 1-2 sales cycles**—so about 30-60 days.
Here’s why:
1. First Sales Cycle (30 Days):
A good rep should be closing *something* within the first sales cycle. Even if they’re not hitting quota yet, they should be able to close smaller deals or at least show they’re learning the process, handling objections, and moving deals forward. If they’re not closing anything by the end of the first cycle, that’s a red flag.
2. Second Sales Cycle (60 Days):
By the end of two sales cycles, they should be fully ramped and hitting quota—or at least close to it. This assumes you’ve provided solid onboarding, training, and a steady lead flow. If they’re still struggling after 60 days, it’s unlikely they’ll turn it around, especially with a short sales cycle like yours.
Short sales cycles make it easier to evaluate reps quickly. You’ll know early on if they’re learning, adapting, and closing deals. If they’re not, don’t hesitate to make a change. Hanging onto underperformers too long not only wastes time but also burns valuable leads that could’ve gone to someone who can close.
Having said that, once you have a strong VP of Sales in place, let them run with it. They may want to give folks more time. That likely won’t work in the founder-led phase. But if your VP of Sales is hitting plan, let them make the call.
They’ll often have more time to nurture potential.
