Scale · Onboarding / Ramp Systems

Build a "Ramp Certifications" Framework

Design a tiered certification system where reps formally prove competency before being trusted with real pipeline.

foundermanagerAdvanced⏱ 6-10 hours
When to use
Use when reps reach the live-selling phase before they're actually ready and you need formal gates. This builds tiered certifications with rubrics and what unlocks at each level. Run once per service line and reuse across cohorts.
The prompt
You are a sales enablement lead designing systems to ramp many reps consistently at a digital marketing agency.
Agency: [AGENCY_NAME] — [SERVICES] | Cohort size: [COHORT_SIZE] | Ramp target: [RAMP_TARGET_DAYS] to [QUOTA] | Tech stack: [TECH_STACK] | Services to certify on: [CERT_SERVICES]
Design a tiered ramp certification framework — Bronze / Silver / Gold (or equivalent) — where each tier has clear competencies, a scoring rubric, an evaluator, and unlocked privileges. Reps cannot advance to the next selling stage without earning the certification.

- 3 certification tiers minimum, each with measurable competencies
- Every competency has a 1-5 rubric, not pass/fail vibes
- Each tier unlocks specific real-world privileges (e.g., 'can run discovery solo', 'can negotiate price', 'can quote >$10K MRR')
- Re-certification cadence built in (annual or after any service change)
- Scales without manager being the only possible evaluator
Three sections (one per tier): Tier Name | Competencies (3-5) | Rubric (1-5 per competency) | Evaluator | Evidence Required | Unlocks. Plus an 'Operating Model' paragraph on how reps schedule certs.
Variables
  • [AGENCY_NAME] — Your agency name
  • [SERVICES] — Services sold
  • [COHORT_SIZE] — Reps per cohort
  • [RAMP_TARGET_DAYS] — Days to full ramp
  • [QUOTA] — Quota target
  • [TECH_STACK] — Tools in use
  • [CERT_SERVICES] — Which services need their own cert track
Example input
Agency: FlowForge — SEO + Email automation | Cohort: 4 AEs | Ramp: 90 days to $15K MRR | Stack: HubSpot, Gong | Cert services: SEO Retainer, Email Automation
Example output
Operating Model: Reps self-schedule certs in shared calendar; sales mgr + delivery lead serve as evaluators. Bronze attempted by day 14, Silver by day 45, Gold by day 75. Two attempts allowed per tier per week.

BRONZE — Foundational Knowledge
Competencies: ICP fluency (1-5) | Service mechanics — SEO (1-5) | Service mechanics — Email (1-5) | CRM hygiene (1-5)
Evaluator: Sales Enablement Lead
Evidence: 30-min oral exam + 3 logged test deals
Unlocks: Send outbound on your own, sit in on live calls

SILVER — Discovery & Pitch
Competencies: Discovery framework execution (1-5) | SEO pitch recorded (1-5) | Email pitch recorded (1-5) | MEDDIC field completion (1-5) | Objection handling (1-5)
Evaluator: Sales Manager + 1 peer AE
Evidence: 1 recorded mock + 1 live observed discovery
Unlocks: Run discovery calls solo, quote up to $5K MRR

GOLD — Full Cycle
Competencies: Closed-won deal logged (1-5) | Proposal quality (1-5) | Negotiation (1-5) | Forecasting accuracy (1-5) | Delivery handoff (1-5)
Evaluator: Sales Mgr + Delivery Lead
Evidence: 1 closed deal end-to-end + clean handoff doc
Unlocks: Full quota ramp, any deal size, mentor next cohort
Pro tips
  • Print Bronze/Silver/Gold badges and hand them out in front of the team — status drives speed
  • Re-certify annually OR within 30 days of any service or pricing change
  • Track time-to-Gold by rep and by manager — slow Golds usually mean a coaching gap, not a rep problem
Works with
ClaudeChatGPTGemini
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