How to Nail Your First 30 Days in a New Sales Role

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Reading time: 5 mins

Landing a new sales role is exciting!

But it can also feel overwhelming. How do you hit the ground running while avoiding rookie mistakes? Your first 30 days are critical for setting the stage for long-term success.

The last role I had at Vodafone made me think. What would I have done better?

If I were starting a new sales role today, here are the five things I’d focus on in my first five days. Plus, we’ll cover a few bonus tips about what not to do when starting out.

1. Identify Your Top Potential Accounts

Your time is invaluable, so don’t waste it chasing accounts unlikely to close. Instead, focus on identifying “low-hanging fruit”—the prospects most likely to buy based on historical data.

Here’s how I’d do it:

• Use your CRM to create a report of Closed Won deals from the past two years. Include data such as:

  • Industry

  • Location

  • Age of the company

  • Annual recurring revenue ($ARR)

  • Team size

  • Key decision-makers or personas involved in the purchase

• Compare this data to create a separate report of prospects in your current territory or account list that matches these profiles.

This process is like creating your roadmap. You’ll know where to focus your time and energy—and you’ll target accounts more likely to succeed.

If given a list of accounts, do the same exercise and focus on the “look-alikes”.

2. Learn from the Best

Why reinvent the wheel when you have top performers just a desk (or Zoom call) away? Successful sales reps leave a trail of wisdom that can fast-track your results.

Find three to five consistent top performers in your team and schedule quick coffee chats. Ask them these three essential questions:

1. Who are the best personas for us to target, and why?

2. What are the top 2–3 business problems we solve for prospects (and what specific phrases or vocabulary do they use)?

3. What’s the number one thing I must do—and the one thing I must avoid—when starting out?

Think of this as a shortcut to launching your sales career with a bang. Not only will you gain valuable insights, and you’ll also start building rapport with key people in your organisation.

3. Build Your Internal Network Early

Your success as a salesperson isn’t just about external deals—it’s about how well you work with internal teams. From Finance to Legal to Product and engineering teams, you’ll interact with several departments regularly, so make those connections now.

What I’d do:

• Schedule intro calls with key stakeholders like Finance, Legal, Product, and Support. Also Distributors and Channel Partners--think of anyone in the eco-system who you will regularly interact with on your deals.These are the key people in your deals.

• During these calls, ask them about their workflows and how you can collaborate effectively.

• Find out their “preferred currency”—in other words, what makes them feel appreciated. Make a note of it, whether it’s a Flat white coffee, a shoutout on Teams or Slack, or a handwritten "Post it" thank-you note.

• Set quarterly reminders to send out small tokens of appreciation (and schedule deliveries when it makes sense).

By giving before you take, you’ll create a “tribe” of internal allies who will support you when the stakes are high.

4. Master Customer Stories

Nothing builds credibility with prospects faster than a compelling story. Customer success stories send a clear message to your prospects—you understand their challenges, and you’ve solved similar problems before.

Here’s my plan for mastering client stories:

• Write 1-minute summaries of 5–8 customer success stories. Include details like:

  • Champion’s name and title

  • The pain they experienced before buying

  • How did your product solve their problem?

  • The measurable outcomes or impact created

When I was at Ruckus Wireless, my boss Carl was so good at story-telling. He walks into meetings with an access point that has a clear plastic case so you can see the microchips. Then he would explained how beam forming works and the outcome, which is excellent Wi-Fi on video and the ability to manage hundreds of devices, which was a unique feature then!

• Practice telling these stories out loud for 10 minutes each morning. Start with reference notes, but aim to say them fluently without cues. Once you’ve mastered one set of stories, move on to another batch.

This daily habit will strengthen your ability to confidently communicate value, even under pressure.

5. Understand Your Manager’s Goals

Managing up is an underrated skill in sales. Aligning your efforts with your manager’s priorities can make your workflow smoother—but it requires understanding their goals and expectations. If you make your manager’s life easy, you will make your work easy.

Your manager will influence your career. They will be a big part of your success.

During my first one-on-one with my manager, I’d ask these two key questions:

1. What are your top two career goals, and how can I best support them?

2. What does success in this role look like to you, both short-term and long-term?

These questions signal initiative and emotional intelligence, making a positive impression while also giving you clarity on how to prioritise your efforts.

🚫What Not to Do in a New Sales Role

Equally important as knowing what to do is knowing what not to do. Here are some common mistakes to avoid in your early days:

• Don’t overpromise and underdeliver: Be realistic about what you can achieve. It’s better to promise less and exceed expectations.

• Don’t try to reinvent the wheel: Follow proven processes before introducing your own methods. You’ll learn what works while building credibility with your team.

• Don’t neglect internal relationships: Focusing solely on external prospects is easy, but strong internal connections make closing deals effortless.

• Don’t wing it in meetings: Whether with internal teams or prospects, preparation is your best friend. Do your homework, research, or whatever you need to contribute. It will make a strong first impression.

🚀Set Yourself Up for Success

Starting a new sales role can feel overwhelming, but you can build momentum quickly with the right approach.

Here’s a TL:DR for your first 30 days:

• Identify top potential accounts by analysing past successful deals.

• Connect with top-performing colleagues to gain valuable insights.

• Build relationships with internal teams to create a supportive network.

• Learn and practice key customer success stories for impactful communication.

• Know what success looks like with your manager and align your efforts.

Remember, you don’t have to do it all at once. Use this roadmap to focus on what matters most in your early days; before long, you’ll be closing deals confidently.

If you found this topic helpful, check out Elite Sales: How to Win High-value Deals program. Let’s jump on a call if you have questions or need a 15-minute call to understand if this is for you. 📞Book here.

Which of these actions resonate with you? Can you apply these even if you are not new to the role?

Hit reply because I’d love to hear from you. Thanks for being here, and I’ll see you next week.

Ren

PS.

Next week's topic: "Overcoming the Fear of Selling." I just led a sales training for top marketers, they are ex-Unilever, Colgate and P&G etc.. at a leading Asian strategy consultancy, and something struck me—even experienced salespeople still struggle with this fear. So don’t miss next week’s newsletter!