Hiring an AE is expensive. Ramping them slowly is more expensive. The average AE ramp is 5.3 months, and every month of sub-quota performance costs you $50K–80K in unrealized revenue.
This checklist compresses the AE ramp from 5+ months to 90 days by focusing on what actually matters: discovery skill, demo readiness, pricing confidence, and pipeline discipline. It's broken into phases with clear certification gates — no advancing to the next phase until the rep has proven competency.
The goal isn't time in seat. It's first qualified pipeline.
Phase 1: Foundation (Days 1–14)
The first two weeks are about building context. The AE needs to understand the product, market, buyer, and sales motion before they can run a competent deal cycle.
Week 1: Product + Market Immersion
| Day | Task | Owner | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | System setup: CRM, email, calendar, Slack, video conferencing | IT / RevOps | ☐ |
| 1 | ICP deep-dive: 60-min session on target personas, company profiles | Manager | ☐ |
| 1 | Competitive landscape overview: top 3 competitors, positioning | PM | ☐ |
| 2 | Product walkthrough: 90-min hands-on session with SE or product | SE / Product | ☐ |
| 2 | Review 3 closed-won deal recordings: note what worked | Self-directed | ☐ |
| 3 | Pricing and packaging overview: tiers, common discounting, approval thresholds | Manager / RevOps | ☐ |
| 3 | CRM workflow training: opportunity stages, required fields, forecasting | RevOps | ☐ |
| 4 | Shadow live discovery call with top performer | Self-directed | ☐ |
| 5 | Shadow live demo with SE | Self-directed | ☐ |
| 5 | Week 1 check-in: questions, gaps, initial impressions | Manager | ☐ |
Week 2: Sales Process + Initial Practice
| Day | Task | Owner | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Sales playbook review: discovery framework, qualification criteria | Self-directed | ☐ |
| 8 | Objection bank review: top 10 objections with recommended responses | Enablement | ☐ |
| 9 | First simulation: discovery scenario, scored feedback | Rep | ☐ |
| 9 | Meeting with key SE partner: establish working relationship | Rep + SE | ☐ |
| 10 | Shadow competitive deal: observe how positioning is handled | Self-directed | ☐ |
| 11 | Demo dry-run: present to manager or peer, get feedback | Rep + Manager | ☐ |
| 12 | Review 2 closed-lost deal recordings: note failure points | Self-directed | ☐ |
| 14 | Phase 1 assessment: basic product, ICP, and process quiz | Manager | ☐ |
Phase 1 Gate: Pass basic assessment (80%+) to advance.
Phase 2: Skill Building (Days 15–45)
Phase 2 is about building the core skills: discovery, demo, objection handling, and commercial conversation. The rep should be running live calls by week 3, with increasing independence by week 6.
Week 3–4: Discovery Certification
| Task | Owner | Done |
|---|---|---|
| First live discovery call: manager on the line | Rep + Manager | ☐ |
| Daily simulation: discovery scenarios (5 total this period) | Rep | ☐ |
| Discovery framework deep-dive: 60-min session | Enablement | ☐ |
| Discovery call review: manager reviews 5 live calls | Manager | ☐ |
| Discovery certification: role-play assessment, score 75+ to pass | Manager | ☐ |
| Run 3 live discovery calls independently | Rep | ☐ |
Discovery certification checklist:
| Dimension | Certified (Y/N) |
|---|---|
| Opens with clear agenda, gets buy-in | |
| Asks layered questions (not checklist-style) | |
| Uncovers business impact, not just features needed | |
| Confirms timeline and decision process | |
| Qualifies budget/authority appropriately | |
| Recaps and confirms next steps |
Week 5–6: Demo Readiness
| Task | Owner | Done |
|---|---|---|
| Demo structure training: tailoring demo to discovery findings | SE / Enablement | ☐ |
| First live demo: SE-supported, manager observes | Rep + SE + Manager | ☐ |
| Demo simulation: practice against AI buyer, scored | Rep | ☐ |
| Demo review: manager + SE feedback on 3 live demos | Manager + SE | ☐ |
| Solo demo certification: run demo independently, score 75+ | Manager | ☐ |
| Handle 2 competitive objections live in demo | Rep | ☐ |
Demo certification checklist:
| Dimension | Certified (Y/N) |
|---|---|
| Tailors demo to stated pain points | |
| Keeps demo under 30 min (focused, not feature dump) | |
| Handles questions without losing flow | |
| Connects features to business outcomes | |
| Closes with clear next step | |
| Manages competitive questions professionally |
Phase 2 Gate: Discovery certified + Demo certified to advance.
Phase 3: Deal Execution (Days 46–75)
Phase 3 is where the rep starts owning pipeline. They should be running deals from discovery to proposal, with manager support on commercial and negotiation stages.
Week 7–9: Pipeline Building
| Task | Owner | Done |
|---|---|---|
| Assigned territory or book of business | Manager | ☐ |
| Outbound motion training (if applicable): sequence, cadence, messaging | Enablement | ☐ |
| Run 10 live discovery calls independently | Rep | ☐ |
| Progress 3 opportunities to proposal stage | Rep | ☐ |
| Weekly pipeline review with manager | Manager | ☐ |
| Mutual action plan (MAP) training: building MAPs with champions | Enablement | ☐ |
| Create first mutual action plan with a real opportunity | Rep | ☐ |
Week 10–11: Pricing + Negotiation
| Task | Owner | Done |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing conversation training: when and how to discuss pricing | Manager | ☐ |
| First pricing conversation: manager observes | Rep + Manager | ☐ |
| Discount approval process review | RevOps | ☐ |
| Negotiation simulation: procurement pushback scenario | Rep | ☐ |
| Run 2 pricing conversations independently | Rep | ☐ |
| Negotiation review: manager feedback on live deal | Manager | ☐ |
Pricing conversation certification:
| Dimension | Certified (Y/N) |
|---|---|
| Introduces pricing confidently (not defensively) | |
| Ties price to value established in discovery | |
| Handles "too expensive" without immediately discounting | |
| Knows when to escalate for approval | |
| Trades concessions rather than giving them away |
Phase 3 Gate: 3+ opportunities at proposal stage, pricing certified.
Phase 4: Independence (Days 76–90)
The final phase is about proving the rep can run a full deal cycle independently and close business.
Week 12–13: Closing + Certification
| Task | Owner | Done |
|---|---|---|
| Close simulation: end-of-quarter deal scenario | Rep | ☐ |
| Close 1 deal (or progress 1 deal to final negotiation) | Rep | ☐ |
| Forecasting training: commit vs. best case vs. pipeline | Manager | ☐ |
| First forecast submission | Rep | ☐ |
| Full deal cycle review: walkthrough of 1 closed or near-closed deal | Manager | ☐ |
| Day 90 readiness assessment | Manager | ☐ |
Day 90 Readiness Criteria:
| Criterion | Met (Y/N) |
|---|---|
| Discovery certified | |
| Demo certified | |
| Pricing certified | |
| 1+ deal closed OR 3+ deals in late stage | |
| Pipeline ≥ 2x quota for next quarter | |
| Manager confident in independent deal management |
Certification Gates Summary
| Gate | Timing | Criteria | Certification Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: Foundation | Day 14 | Product, ICP, process understanding | Written quiz (80%+) |
| Discovery | Day 30 | Discovery call competency | Role-play or simulation (75+) |
| Demo | Day 45 | Demo delivery competency | Live demo review (75+) |
| Pricing | Day 75 | Commercial conversation competency | Role-play (pass/fail) |
| Full Readiness | Day 90 | Pipeline + closed revenue + manager confidence | Manager sign-off |
Milestones by Segment
AE onboarding varies by sales motion. Adjust milestones accordingly:
SMB Motion (shorter cycles, higher volume)
| Milestone | Target |
|---|---|
| First discovery call | Day 7 |
| First closed deal | Day 45 |
| Pipeline ≥ 2x monthly quota | Day 60 |
| Full independence | Day 60–75 |
Mid-Market Motion
| Milestone | Target |
|---|---|
| First discovery call | Day 14 |
| First proposal sent | Day 45 |
| First closed deal | Day 75 |
| Pipeline ≥ 2x quarterly quota | Day 90 |
| Full independence | Day 90 |
Enterprise Motion
| Milestone | Target |
|---|---|
| First discovery call | Day 21 |
| First proposal sent | Day 60 |
| First closed deal | Day 120+ |
| Pipeline ≥ 2x annual target | Day 120 |
| Full independence | Day 120+ |
Enterprise AEs typically need a 120-day ramp, not 90. The 90-day checkpoint should focus on pipeline and deal progression, not closed revenue.
Manager Responsibilities
The manager owns this onboarding — not enablement, not HR. Specific responsibilities:
| Week | Manager Time Investment |
|---|---|
| 1 | 3–4 hours (ICP session, shadowing, check-in) |
| 2–3 | 2–3 hours/week (call reviews, certifications) |
| 4–6 | 2 hours/week (deal reviews, coaching) |
| 7–12 | 1–2 hours/week (pipeline reviews, forecasting) |
Non-negotiable manager activities:
- Listen to at least 5 calls per week in first 30 days
- Personally deliver discovery and demo certification
- Weekly 1:1 focused on skill development (not just pipeline)
- Sign off on Day 90 readiness
Common AE Onboarding Failures
Failure 1: Discovery skipped because rep has "experience." Even experienced AEs need to learn your discovery framework. A rep who ran BANT at their last company needs to learn MEDDIC if that's your qualification method.
Failure 2: Demo practice without discovery context. If the rep practices demoing features but doesn't know how to tailor the demo to discovery findings, they'll deliver the same demo to every prospect. That's not a demo — it's a presentation.
Failure 3: Pipeline pressure before skill readiness. Pushing a rep to build pipeline before they can run a competent discovery call creates a pipeline full of unqualified garbage. Quality before volume.
Failure 4: No simulation practice. Live calls are high-stakes. Simulation lets reps make mistakes in a safe environment and get scored feedback. Reps who practice in simulation ramp 40% faster.
Adjusting for Experienced Hires
A rep with 5 years of AE experience doesn't need the full 90-day program. But they do need to prove competency in your context.
For experienced hires:
- Accelerate Phase 1 to 5–7 days
- Require the same certifications, but allow early testing
- If they pass discovery and demo certification by day 21, advance them
- Don't skip pricing and negotiation training — every company handles this differently
The goal isn't time in seat. It's proven readiness. An experienced rep who passes all certifications by day 45 should be on full quota by day 60.
Download the full AE onboarding workbook with certification checklists, milestone trackers, and simulation schedules.
→ See Miki Onboard — one platform for assessment and training.