What is a Sales Cadence?
A sales cadence is a predefined sequence of outreach activities, emails, calls, LinkedIn messages, and other touchpoints, spaced over a specific timeframe to systematically engage a prospect. It's the operational rhythm that ensures consistent, strategic follow-up without relying on individual rep discipline.
Cadence vs. Sequence
While often used interchangeably, there's a subtle difference:
- Cadence: The overall timing and rhythm of outreach (e.g., "touch every 3 days for 3 weeks").
- Sequence: The specific ordered list of steps within a cadence (e.g., "Email 1 ā LinkedIn ā Call ā Email 2").
Anatomy of an Effective Cadence
Duration: Most B2B cadences run 14-28 days with 7-12 touchpoints.
Channel Mix: Combine at least 2-3 channels. Email-only cadences underperform by 30-40% compared to multi-channel approaches.
Spacing: Start aggressive (Day 1, 3, 5) then taper off (Day 8, 12, 18, 25). Early momentum is critical.
Example B2B Cadence
- Day 1: Personalized cold email
- Day 2: LinkedIn connection request with note
- Day 4: Follow-up email with case study
- Day 6: Phone call (leave voicemail if no answer)
- Day 9: LinkedIn message referencing email
- Day 12: Break-up email ("Should I close the loop?")
- Day 18: Final value-add email with industry insight
Cadence Design Principles
- Value at every touch: Each touchpoint should offer something new, a different angle, insight, or resource.
- Channel escalation: Start with lower-friction channels (email) and progress to higher-touch methods (phone).
- Personalization layers: Tailor not just the content but the entire cadence structure to different personas.
- Clear exit criteria: Know when to stop. Endless follow-up damages your brand.
Common Mistakes
- Same message, different channel: Each touchpoint needs unique value.
- Too aggressive: Touching a prospect 3x daily feels like harassment.
- Too passive: One email with no follow-up leaves massive opportunity on the table.
- No testing: Treat cadence design like a science, test, measure, iterate.
How FlowStrata Designs Cadences
FlowStrata builds data-driven cadences tailored to each client's ICP and industry. We analyze historical engagement data to optimize timing, channel mix, and messaging sequence. Our cadences typically include 8-10 touchpoints across email, LinkedIn, and phone over a 21-day window, with each step specifically designed to build on the previous interaction.