Sales operations basics (the first 90 days of a Sales Ops function)
What does the first 90 days of Sales Ops look like?
Short answer: triage, then build. Days 1–30 focus on cleaning up the immediate mess (CRM hygiene, broken dashboards, undefined fields). Days 31–60 build the operating infrastructure (forecast model, pipeline dashboards, validation rules). Days 61–90 establish the cadence (weekly metrics review, monthly hygiene rituals, quarterly review).
TL;DR — the 90-day plan
| Period | Focus | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–30 | Triage + audit | CRM cleaned; data quality baseline established |
| Days 31–60 | Build infrastructure | Dashboards live; validation rules deployed |
| Days 61–90 | Establish cadence | Weekly / monthly / quarterly rituals operating |
Days 1–30 — Triage
Week 1: Audit.
- Read the existing CRM end-to-end.
- Audit every dashboard (are they accurate? are they used?).
- Audit every required field.
- Interview each sales rep on what works / what doesn't.
Week 2: Quick wins.
- Dedupe accounts and contacts.
- Fix obvious dashboard bugs.
- Document current process (even if rough).
- Identify the 3 biggest data quality problems.
Week 3: Fix top priorities.
- Run dedupe sweep.
- Update outdated contact data.
- Remove broken integrations.
- Set up basic data quality monitoring.
Week 4: Stabilise.
- CRM hygiene baseline established.
- One dashboard people trust.
- Sales leader has visibility on current pipeline truth.
Days 31–60 — Build
Week 5–6: Forecast model.
- Define forecast categories (Commit / Best Case / Pipeline).
- Build the dashboard.
- Train the team on category eligibility.
Week 7: Validation rules.
- Enforce required fields per stage.
- Document and communicate.
Week 8: Pipeline dashboards.
- Build standard reports: pipeline by stage, by rep, by source.
- Build coverage ratio tracker.
- Build win rate trend.
By end of Day 60, the leadership team has reliable data for the first time.
Days 61–90 — Cadence
Week 9–10: Weekly cadence.
- Establish weekly forecast call.
- Establish weekly pipeline review.
- Document the cadence.
Week 11: Monthly hygiene.
- Set up monthly CRM hygiene ritual.
- Document SOPs for ongoing maintenance.
Week 12: Quarterly framework.
- Set up QBR template.
- Build the metrics narrative.
By Day 90, the operating rhythm is established and the function moves from "fixing things" to "optimising things."
What to leave for later
- Advanced attribution modelling. Year 2.
- Custom BI infrastructure (Snowflake + Looker). $5M+ ARR.
- Lead scoring sophistication. Once basics are stable.
- Compensation system overhaul. End of fiscal year only.
- Major CRM migration. Almost never in first 90 days.
The temptation is to fix everything at once. The discipline is to fix the highest-leverage things first.
For UAE & KSA teams
- Multi-currency setup is an early-30-days item — fix FX assumptions and currency tagging.
- Hijri calendar handling if KSA reporting.
- Saudization tracking fields if compliance-required.
- Arabic-name standardisation in contact records.
What MAVEN does about it
Sales Ops setup is part of the Sales Process Program for clients without an in-house operator. The Fractional VP Retainer covers ongoing operating oversight.
Frequently asked
Sales Ops or RevOps first?
Sales Ops at <£5M ARR; RevOps when company crosses £8–12M.
Should the first Sales Ops hire be junior or senior?
Mid-level (3–6 years experience) for first hire. Junior for second. Senior only when team is 3+.
HubSpot or Salesforce?
HubSpot for mid-market; Salesforce for enterprise.
What's the worst Sales Ops mistake?
Building dashboards nobody uses. Always confirm with sales leader what they actually need.
How do I know Sales Ops is working?
Forecast accuracy lifts, CRM is trustworthy, sales leader has time to coach instead of chase data.
Post 94 of our outbound + sales OS series.
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