Building Onboarding Ramp Plans

• Source: Report research library
• Frameworks applied: 30/60/90 Learn-Run-Own the Machine ramp model, 9-step sales competency program design, KSA proficiency scaling (1-4 and 5-point rubric), certification gating before outbound, leading/competency/lagging measurement frame

Certification gates carry a threshold, an assessor, a blocked activity and a retake rule, which is the enforcement half most ramp templates omit.

Known weakness, published as found: Weeks 1-4 sequencing and the pre-boarding checklist are near-generic onboarding knowledge — cut or offload them and keep the gate mechanics. Ramp benchmarks are pinned inline with no as-of date; label them and add committed eval prompts covering the enterprise-AE 'no closed-revenue target' case.

1. 1.Copy the SKILL.md text below, or download the raw file.
2. 2.Create a folder named exactly building-onboarding-ramp-plans in your agent's skills directory.
3. 3.Save the file inside that folder as SKILL.md.
4. 4.Ask the agent one of the trigger requests below.
5. 5.Check the output against what you already know before it leaves your desk.

• Build me a 30/60/90 onboarding plan for a new mid-market AE
• Our SDR ramp is 6 months and should be 3 — redesign the first 90 days with real certification gates
• Turn this new hire checklist into a competency model with proficiency levels and pass thresholds

• Score this recorded discovery call and tell me what the rep should work on
• Build a battlecard against Competitor X for our enterprise team

---
name: building-onboarding-ramp-plans
description: >-
  Designs a 30/60/90 seller onboarding ramp with role-mapped competencies,
  measurable behavioral milestones, and certification gates that block a rep
  from going live until they pass. Use when the user asks for a "30/60/90
  plan", "new hire ramp plan", "sales onboarding plan", "AE onboarding",
  "SDR ramp", "ramp time", "onboarding scorecard", "certification gate",
  "sales competency model", "proficiency levels", "time to productivity",
  or hands over a draft onboarding curriculum, week-by-week schedule, or new
  hire checklist to tighten. Use this skill whenever the task involves
  sequencing what a new seller must learn, do, and prove in their first
  quarter, even if the words "ramp" or "onboarding" are not used. Do NOT use
  for scoring individual recorded calls (see scoring-sales-calls), for
  building competitive battlecards (see building-competitive-battlecards),
  for territory or quota design, or for performance improvement plans on
  tenured reps.
metadata:
  version: "1.0"
---

# Building onboarding ramp plans

Produce one ramp plan for one role: phased competencies, observable behaviors, and certification gates that gate live buyer access. Curriculum authoring, LMS configuration, comp plan design, and territory assignment are out of scope.

## Inputs to collect before drafting

Ask for these only if missing; infer the rest and state the assumption in the plan.

- Role and segment (SDR, mid-market AE, enterprise AE), because ramp length and gate placement differ by role.
- Sales methodology in use (MEDDIC, Sandler, or in-house), because reps get certified on the methodology rather than shown it in a deck ([Prospeo](https://prospeo.io/s/sales-onboarding-training)).
- Average sales cycle length, because it determines whether lagging outcome targets fall inside 90 days.
- Existing certification assets, quota, and ICP definition.

## Anchor the ramp length before writing phases

Set the ramp window against these benchmarks, then justify any deviation ([Prospeo](https://prospeo.io/s/sales-onboarding-training)):

| Role | Typical ramp | Industry benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| SDR | 2–4 months | ~3.6 months |
| Mid-market AE | 4–7 months | ~5.3 months |
| Enterprise AE (six-figure deals) | 6–9+ months |  — |

Measure ramp as time to **consistent quota attainment**, not time to first deal, because a rep who closes one early deal then misses three months was lucky rather than ramped ([Prospeo](https://prospeo.io/s/sales-onboarding-training)). For an enterprise AE whose cycle exceeds 90 days, the day-90 milestone is pipeline and competency, never closed revenue — writing a bookings target inside the ramp window for that role guarantees a failed plan.

## Workflow

Copy this checklist into your reply and tick items as you complete them:

```
- [ ] 1. Map competencies to the role and set proficiency targets
- [ ] 2. Write the three phases with one dominant metric each
- [ ] 3. Convert every milestone to an observable behavior
- [ ] 4. Place certification gates and define pass thresholds
- [ ] 5. Sequence pre-boarding and weeks 1-4
- [ ] 6. Build the measurement frame (leading / competency / lagging)
- [ ] 7. Validate against the gate checks, fix, re-validate
- [ ] 8. Emit the plan in the output template
```

**1. Map competencies to the role.** Use the three sales competency areas — product expertise; sales tools, processes, and systems; professional selling skills — plus any org-level competencies ([Sales Enablement Collective](https://www.salesenablementcollective.com/designing-a-sales-competency-program/)). Set a required proficiency level per competency **and per role** on a 1–4 scale (1 = little understanding, 4 = exceptional performance); most organizations use a 5-point rubric scale instead, so match whichever scale the org already runs (same source). Judgment step: you choose which competencies matter for this role. Decision criterion — a competency earns a row only if you can name the behavior that proves it and the person who observes it. Differentiate by role rather than copying one list everywhere; a pre-sales role may need expert proficiency in value-based selling where a post-sales role needs only medium (same source).

**2. Write the three phases.** Use one dominant metric per phase, because measuring activity in month one produces reps who dial before they can speak ([Prospeo](https://prospeo.io/s/sales-onboarding-training)):

| Phase | Days | Measured on | Representative target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learn the Machine | 1–30 | Competency, not activity | Pass product certification with 85%+ by day 25 |
| Run the Machine | 31–60 | Activity | Book 15 qualified meetings by day 55 |
| Own the Machine | 61–90 | Outcomes | Generate $150K pipeline by day 85 |

Those targets are the source example, not a default — rescale meeting and pipeline numbers to the role's actual quota and ACV, and keep the certification threshold. In days 1–30 there is no cold outreach; the phase is product modules, shadowing 5–10 live calls, first internal certification, and target account list build (same source).

**3. Convert milestones to observable behaviors.** Every milestone must name what someone watches the rep do. Rewrite "understands the product" as "delivers the 12-minute core demo to a certified reviewer with zero factual corrections". For each rating point on the scale, qualify the behavioral and performance indicator that earns it ([Sales Enablement Collective](https://www.salesenablementcollective.com/designing-a-sales-competency-program/)). Assess proficiency before and after each competency, because without a baseline you cannot attribute the gain to onboarding (same source).

**4. Place certification gates.** This step is non-negotiable in structure: every gate needs a threshold, an assessor, a date, and a consequence for failing. Certification gates must occur **before the rep goes live on outbound**, because an uncertified rep burns accounts that cannot be re-approached ([Prospeo](https://prospeo.io/s/sales-onboarding-training)). Minimum gate set:

- **Gate 1, day 25** — product certification, 85%+ pass mark. Blocks: any live buyer contact.
- **Gate 2, end of week 4** — first internal certification exam plus a recorded discovery role-play. Score the role-play on two behaviors with published benchmarks: 11–14 targeted questions distributed evenly through the call, the range with the greatest chance of success across 519,000 analyzed B2B calls ([Gong](https://www.gong.io/blog/nailing-your-sales-discovery-calls)), and seller talk time at or below 57%, the closed-won average across 326,000 calls ([Gong](https://www.gong.io/blog/talk-to-listen-conversion-ratio)). Blocks: independent outreach.
- **Gate 3, day 60** — methodology certification on the org's framework, assessed on a real recorded call rather than a quiz. Blocks: solo pipeline ownership.

Define the retake rule explicitly (one retake within five business days, second failure escalates to the manager), because gates without a stated failure path get silently waived.

**5. Sequence pre-boarding and weeks 1–4.** Pre-boarding: provision CRM, email, and prospecting tools; assign an onboarding buddy who is a high-performing peer rather than a manager; ship hardware and the welcome package; send the 30/60/90 plan, company overview video, ICP primer, and product one-pager. Week 1: mission and org chart, CRM navigation, product and market modules, methodology introduction, shadow 2–3 live calls or demos, end-of-week manager check-in. Week 2: ICP deep dive, competitive battlecard review, first discovery role-play, contact-list verification. Weeks 3–4: live calls with the manager listening and debriefing, then the first certification exam ([Prospeo](https://prospeo.io/s/sales-onboarding-training)).

Sequence delivery by role. Front-load product and ICP for high-volume SDRs and drip competitive and objection content as scenarios arise; for enterprise AEs drip everything across the ramp, because a week of intensive training will not survive until a first deal six months out (same source). Supplement with one-page cheat sheets, 60-second videos, and recorded, indexed customer conversations (same source).

**6. Build the measurement frame.** Three tiers ([Prospeo](https://prospeo.io/s/sales-onboarding-training)):

- Leading: pre-boarding completion, day-one kit readiness, on-time module completion. Target training completion 90%+, where training completion rate = (new hires completing training ÷ total new hires) × 100.
- Competency: certification pass rates, simulated-call scores, coaching-cadence compliance.
- Lagging: time to first qualified opportunity, ramp time to consistent quota, early attrition within six months, onboarding eNPS, pipeline generated.

**7. Validate, fix, re-validate.** Run every check below against the draft. If any fails, fix that item and re-run the whole list; only deliver the plan once all seven pass, because a ramp plan with one unmeasurable gate is the version managers stop enforcing in week three.

```
- [ ] Every milestone names an observable behavior, an assessor, and a date
- [ ] At least one certification gate precedes first live buyer contact
- [ ] Every gate has a numeric threshold, a retake rule, and a blocked activity
- [ ] Phase 1 contains no activity-volume target
- [ ] The day-90 outcome target is reachable inside the role's sales cycle
- [ ] Each competency row has a required proficiency level for this role
- [ ] Leading, competency, and lagging metrics are all populated
```

**8. Emit the plan.** Use the output template below.

## Output format

Use this exact section order — managers and enablement teams diff successive versions of the plan, and reordering breaks the comparison. Wording inside sections is yours.

```markdown
# 30/60/90 Ramp Plan — <Role>, <Segment>
**Ramp target:** consistent quota attainment by <month> | **Benchmark:** <role benchmark>
**Assumptions:** <inferred inputs>

## Competency map
| Competency | Area | Required proficiency (1-4) | Proving behavior | Assessor |

## Phase 1 — Learn the Machine (days 1-30) — measured on competency
Milestones: <behavior, date, assessor>
Not permitted this phase: <e.g. cold outreach>

## Phase 2 — Run the Machine (days 31-60) — measured on activity
## Phase 3 — Own the Machine (days 61-90) — measured on outcomes

## Certification gates
| Gate | Day | Assessment | Pass threshold | Blocks until passed | Retake rule |

## Week-by-week (pre-boarding through week 4)

## Measurement
Leading: | Competency: | Lagging:

## Owners and cadence
```

## Gotchas

- A rep who "passes" a multiple-choice product quiz has proven recall, not capability. Gate 2 and Gate 3 must be scored on a recorded role-play or live call, because the failure mode this catches — fluent product knowledge with no discovery discipline — is invisible to a quiz.
- Do not set the day-90 target as closed revenue for enterprise AEs. With a 6–9+ month benchmark ramp ([Prospeo](https://prospeo.io/s/sales-onboarding-training)), a closed-won target inside 90 days pushes reps to chase the smallest available deal and distorts the pipeline you are trying to build.
- Assign the onboarding buddy from the high-performing peer bench, not the manager ([Prospeo](https://prospeo.io/s/sales-onboarding-training)). Reps will not admit confusion to the person who writes their review, so a manager-buddy produces a silent ramp with no early signal.
- Quality beats volume in phase 2: eight qualified meetings beat twenty that go nowhere (same source). If the phase-2 target is raw meeting count with no qualification definition attached, reps book unqualified meetings and phase 3 pipeline collapses.
- Certification thresholds without a stated blocked activity are decorative. Write "blocks live outbound" next to the number, because the enforcement mechanism, not the score, is what changes behavior.
- Only 12% of employees strongly agree their organization does a great job of onboarding (Gallup, cited in [Prospeo](https://prospeo.io/s/sales-onboarding-training)) and 51% of sales organizations have no defined sales process (RAIN Group, same page). When no documented sales process exists, do not write a ramp against an imagined one — flag it as a prerequisite and scope phase 1 to the process that actually operates.
- Several onboarding statistics circulating in vendor guides carry no named source. Cite only Gallup's 12% and RAIN Group's 51% from this material; presenting unsourced multipliers to a leadership audience is the fastest way to lose the plan's credibility.

What does the Building Onboarding Ramp Plans skill do?

Designs a phased seller ramp with role-mapped competencies, observable milestones, and certification gates blocking live selling

Where does the Building Onboarding Ramp Plans skill come from?

Report research library. It was written by The Revenue AI Report against a 12 criterion quality rubric and graded in an independent scoring pass.

Why was the Building Onboarding Ramp Plans skill chosen for this library?

Certification gates carry a threshold, an assessor, a blocked activity and a retake rule, which is the enforcement half most ramp templates omit.

When should the Building Onboarding Ramp Plans skill not be used?

Do not use it for: Score this recorded discovery call and tell me what the rep should work on Or: Build a battlecard against Competitor X for our enterprise team

How do I install the Building Onboarding Ramp Plans SKILL.md file?

Download the file, create a folder named exactly building-onboarding-ramp-plans inside your agent's skills directory, and save the file inside it as SKILL.md. The agent loads it when a request matches the description.