When to use this checklist
This new hire onboarding checklist for sales teams works for door-to-door reps, field sales, route-based teams and inside sales. Use it the moment an offer is accepted. Most onboarding problems start in the gap between the offer and the first day, so the checklist starts there too.
There are five templates below: a pre-start checklist, a pre-start text message, a day-one plan, a first-week plan and a first-month plan. Each one uses [bracketed] placeholders. Replace them with your own names, tools, territories and policies. For a deeper look at week one, see this guide on how to onboard field sales reps in their first week.
Before day one
The goal here is simple. Paperwork done, equipment ready, and the new hire knows exactly where to be. Day one should be spent on training, not forms.
Pre-start checklist
Owner: [Recruiter or office manager name] New hire: [Full name] | Start date: [Date] | Office: [Location] | Manager: [Manager name] [ ] Send offer confirmation and start-date details to [New hire name] [ ] Open the onboarding flow: personal details, direct deposit, W-4, eligibility documents [ ] Confirm the new hire has uploaded the documents your I-9 process requires [ ] Schedule your team's I-9 review with [Reviewer name] [ ] Prepare [territory map / lead list / device / ID badge / uniform] [ ] Create accounts: [CRM], [email], [dialer or route tool] [ ] Assign a shadow rep for ride-alongs: [Rep name] [ ] Send day-one logistics: address, arrival time, parking, dress code, who to ask for [ ] Check in by text or phone [number of days] before start to confirm attendance
Put a due date next to every line. Paperwork should be due before the start date, not on it.
Pre-start text message to the new hire
Hi [First name], this is [Your name] from [Company]. You start on [Day, date] at [time] at [address]. Ask for [Manager name] when you arrive. Wear [dress code] and bring [items]. Your onboarding forms are here: [link]. Please finish them by [date] so day one is all training. Reply here with any questions.
Send it a few days out, then a short reminder the day before. Keep it under one screen.
Day one
Day one sets the tone. Keep it structured, put the new hire next to a working rep, and end with a clear plan for tomorrow.
Day-one plan
Owner: [Manager name] [ ] Welcome and introductions with [Manager name] and the team [ ] Close any onboarding items still outstanding [ ] Walk through the role: product, pitch, territory, schedule [ ] Review the written compensation plan document with [Manager name] [ ] Hand over equipment and log in to every tool: [CRM], [email], [route or dialer tool] [ ] Product and pitch training block: [topics] [ ] Field safety and conduct briefing: [your company policy points] [ ] Shadow [Rep name] for [part of the day / route] [ ] End-of-day debrief: questions, what happens tomorrow, who to call
First week
Week one moves the new hire from watching to doing, with a safety net. Each day should have one main focus.
First-week plan
Owner: [Manager or trainer name] Day 2: [Training topic]. Role-play the pitch with [Trainer name]. Day 3: Ride-along with [Rep name] in [territory]. Day 4: New hire leads [number] doors or calls while [Rep name] observes. Day 5: Review activity and CRM notes. Give feedback. Set goals for week two. [ ] Daily check-in with [Manager name] at [time] [ ] Confirm CRM logging is correct [ ] Write down training gaps to cover next week: [notes]
First month
After week one, the work shifts to independence and consistency. The manager stays close, but the rep owns their territory.
First-month plan
Owner: [Manager name] Week 2: Solo field time in [territory] with a daily check-in Week 3: Objection handling and [product or process] training Week 4: Peer feedback from [mentor name] and an end-of-month review [ ] Weekly one-on-one with [Manager name] [ ] Activity goals set and reviewed weekly: [metrics you track] [ ] Ongoing training: [objection handling / product updates / CRM habits] [ ] End-of-month review: what's working, where they need support, next month's goals [ ] Close remaining onboarding tasks and mark onboarding complete in [system]
How to customize these templates
- Split ownership. The recruiter or office manager owns paperwork. The sales manager owns training. Write the owner's name on each section.
- Match the way your reps sell. Door-to-door teams need more ride-alongs and safety points. Inside sales teams need more call shadowing and tool setup.
- Keep shared steps identical across offices. Paperwork, tax forms and document uploads should run the same way everywhere. Let each office adjust territory and training details.
- Give every line a due date. A checklist without dates is a wish list.
- Cut what you don't use. A shorter checklist that gets finished beats a long one that gets ignored.
- Save your final versions in one place so every office starts from the same copy. The recruiting template library is a good home for them.
What to avoid
- Leaving paperwork for day one. It eats training time and frustrates the new hire.
- Going quiet between offer and start. A short check-in keeps the hire warm. More on that in this guide to reducing new hire no-shows.
- Sending a rep solo too early. Watch them run the pitch before they work a territory alone.
- A checklist owned by nobody. If every line doesn't have a name, lines get skipped.
- Promises in onboarding messages that don't match the written offer. Point to the plan document instead.
- Treating a document upload as the finished I-9. Your team still completes the review.
Turn this checklist into an onboarding flow
Assign every step, collect paperwork online and track each new hire in one branded platform. Book a demo to see it.