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Why pairing new hires with the right top performer matters

In this blog, we explore why pairing new sales hires with experienced top performers is one of the smartest moves for accelerating ramp time and maintaining sales excellence. Lesley Ronaldson, VP at Gong, shares how matching new starters to mentors with a similar style creates faster growth, stronger confidence, and more authentic selling - without overwhelming them.

Mikey Ward
•
April 24, 2025
May 7, 2025
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In this blog, we explore why pairing new sales hires with experienced top performers is one of the smartest moves for accelerating ramp time and maintaining sales excellence. Lesley Ronaldson, VP at Gong, shares how matching new starters to mentors with a similar style creates faster growth, stronger confidence, and more authentic selling - without overwhelming them.

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In this snippet from our latest GTM Insider Podcast, Rory Sadler (CEO of trumpet) catches up with Lesley Ronaldson, VP at Gong, to talk about building and maintaining high-performing sales teams.

One of Lesley’s most effective strategies is matching new hires with a top performer who shares a similar style – not just throwing them into the deep end with a generic onboarding experience.

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"Sales is sometimes like acting. There's your lines, there's your play – but it's not authentic if you're just copying someone else's pitch."

Rather than overwhelming new joiners with input from every top seller, Lesley looks for the best individual match. If a new hire shares traits with a particular high performer, they are paired up – or at least encouraged to listen to their calls and observe how they sell. It’s about guiding new team members to find their own voice, not moulding them into a carbon copy of someone else.

At Gong, this tailored approach to onboarding has paid off in faster ramp times, stronger early performance, and a sales floor full of authentic, confident sellers.

Lesley also highlights a key point for sales leaders: pushing everyone to follow the same "top rep formula" can actually slow growth, especially for introverted or storytelling-led sellers. Matching by style, not just success metrics, creates a more inclusive and sustainable path to excellence.

👉 Read the full blog here

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