Structured onboarding should run ninety days, with managed proxy milestones continuing through month twelve. The ninety-day period covers the relationship inventory, product competence testing, existing-customer introductions, and the first self-sourced qualified conversation. Because a 12-month sales cycle means no closed revenue for most of the first year, set a formal decision point around month nine, when the proxy milestones provide enough evidence to judge and enough runway remains to act.