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Complete Story
09/29/2026
Why New Reps Fail
Source: Bill Farquharson, September 28, 2026
A few months ago, I pointed out the failure rate among new sales hires is 50% for year one and 80% for year two.
While there are many reasons, one stands out and is exemplified in this email:
“Bill, I’ve had 8 reps in 5 years and none of them stick. I make the hire, give them business cards and a sales territory, and set them loose. Six months later, they are gone. Where do I find a good sales rep?”
Too many owners think hiring a salesperson means handing off responsibility for sales. It doesn’t. Your job does not end when the rep arrives. It changes.
A new salesperson should step onto a moving treadmill. Before that first day, you should already have a clearly defined target market, a steady flow of qualified leads, a selling process, follow-up expectations, training, performance goals, and a management plan.
You should also know exactly what that rep will do during weeks one, two, three, and four.
The owner handles more of the front end by creating opportunities and providing direction. The owner also handles the back end through coaching, accountability, and support. The salesperson lives in the middle—and sells.
Before hiring, ask yourself:
If this person started Monday morning, who would they call? What would they say? What activities would I expect? How would we measure progress after one week, one month, and two months?
If you cannot answer those questions, you’re not ready to hire a salesperson.
You’re ready to prepare for one.
The Sales Vault, created by Bill Farquharson, is a subscription-based resource and sales community featuring a calendar packed with live workshops, on-demand sales courses, peer-to-peer discussion groups, and 35+ years of sales training content all searchable by sales challenge. Think of it as a sales conference where the seminars and workshops, full of instantly applicable ideas, are ongoing and more programs are added constantly.
The Sales Vault is available on a monthly subscription basis, normally at a no-brainer monthly price of $45/participant, but… GMA members can take advantage of an exclusive offer: FREE membership for 30 days followed by a discounted monthly subscription price of just $40/participant.
Bill has been a friend of GMA for many years and is, no doubt, known to our members as a top sales trainer and content creator for the graphic arts.
Other Vault resources:
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