Your First 90 Days as a New Sales Leader: A Week-by-Week Action Plan

Week 1 through Week 2: Stop, Look, and Listen

During your first two weeks, don't rush into fixing everything. Sit down with your team, one by one. Listen without interrupting. And then ask them how they would repair it. Write it all down, even if it seems wild. Most new sales leaders screw up early on by thinking they know better. Don't fall into that trap.

Now talk to your customers. Pick a few deals that closed and a few that didn't. Ask them why. Listen closely. You'll find patterns. Some will be about your people, others about pricing, follow-up, product gaps, or competition. Don't rush to react yet. Just gather.

If your business operates on platforms such as Salesforce, Gong, or HubSpot, check out the data. Listen to what your team is saying versus what the statistics are indicating. Trust the trends, not the noise.

Also, get to know your marketing, customer success, product, and finance peers. Learn what they need from sales. And ask them what gets on their nerves about your team. The first two weeks are not focused on proving your compatibility. They're about creating an actual map of the world you just entered.

Week 3 to Week 4: Find What Matters Most

You should have some idea of what's happening. Perhaps your reps don't know how to qualify leads. Perhaps reps are discounting too quickly. Perhaps the pipeline is filled with junk. Alternatively, individuals may be experiencing burnout and disengagement.

Pick one thing that, if solved, will make everything else work. Don't attempt to solve five things. You have only one early trust opportunity. Pick a problem that is significant and can be resolved in the short term.

Now you want an explicit message for your team. Share what you've learned. Be truthful. Then say what you're going to change first and why. Set one goal for the next 30 days. Make it measurable. Make it tangible. And connect it to how their lives improve.

Meanwhile, determine who on your team is a star, who you need to coach, and who won't make it. Do this discreetly. Observe how they sell. Pay attention to how they discuss buyers. Monitor how they do follow-up and rejection. Stars perform the basics exceptionally and are positive people. You require both. 

Week 5 to Week 8: Build, Train, Push

You've chosen your single critical fix. Make it stick. If the team is having issues with lead quality, craft a simple checklist for what an actual lead is. If you have a pricing issue, craft deal reviews with guidelines around discounts. It's got to be tight and simple. Train everybody, including the star reps. Say the same thing each week.

Now, begin to hold your managers or team leads accountable.If they are merely relaying numbers back and forth, put an end to it. Effective leaders provide guidance. They prevent the development of poor habits. They elevate their teams. Set a new benchmark for what it signifies to be a leader within your team.

Additionally, start evaluating your pipeline based on reality instead of optimism.

 Have a rule that no deal remains in the same stage for longer than a certain number of days. If anyone can't tell why a deal is stalled, it shouldn't be in the forecast.

Continue meeting with your colleagues. Bring news. Seek input. Share with them what's shifting. This establishes trust throughout the company, and it prevents you from working in a vacuum.

Week 9 to Week 12: Amplify What's Working and Eliminate What's Not

Your team, by now, should be more concentrated. You should begin noticing good deals, more precise projections, and less surprise. But don't let your guard down.

Return to your single key fix. Did it push the needle? If so, begin to build it into the system so it doesn't fade away. If not, ask the team why. Improve your fix, or select a better one.

Now, take a hard look at your people. You've had almost three months to watch. Determine who remains, who develops, and who departs.This is painful, but keeping the wrong people is worse. Be clear and kind, but don't delay.

You should have some feel for the rhythm of the team by now. Begin crafting next quarter's plan. Make goals connected to what you've learned. If marketing said they were going to produce leads and didn't, correct it now. If your comp plan incentivizes the wrong behavior, mark it so it doesn't poison the next cycle.

Conclusion

Your initial 90 days as a new sales leader are not about being loud, appearing bright, or getting all things corrected in one shot. They're about seeing, acting, and trust-building in tiny wins. Top sales leaders don't hurry. They make their next moves like a chess player, not a runner. Listen intensely. Talk with intention. One fix at a time. If you get that right, the next 90 days are yours to lead, not simply to endure.