Most sales cadence advice gives one sequence for every situation. In practice the right cadence depends on why you are writing: a fresh event at the account, a cold list, someone you met last week, or a deal that went quiet. Below are five invented cadences, one for each situation, with the day, the channel and the job of every step.
01
What a sales cadence is
A sales cadence, also called a sales sequence, is the plan for reaching one account: which channels, in what order, how far apart, and when to stop. A good one is short, mixes channels, and gives every step a job of its own.
The cadence is not the message. It decides when you show up; the reason you give decides whether anyone answers. For how many follow ups to send and how far apart, see the guide to the cold email follow up.
02
Five sales cadence examples, by situation
Every cadence below is an invented example. The days count from the first touch, and the steps are a starting point to adapt, not a rule.
1. The signal-led cadence
Use when something dated just happened at the account, such as a new site, a new leader or a new system. An invented example.
| Day | Channel | The step's job |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open with the event and one easy question | |
| 2 | Connection note that mentions the event and asks for nothing | |
| 4 | Phone | Call with the same reason; leave a short voicemail if no answer |
| 8 | A second angle on the same event, in two or three lines | |
| 12 | Close the loop politely |
Short and fast, because the reason is fresh. If nothing comes back in two weeks, wait for the next event rather than adding steps.
2. The cold list cadence
Use when the accounts fit your profile but you have no dated reason for any of them. An invented example.
| Day | Channel | The step's job |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name a problem their kind of company often has, and ask if it applies | |
| 4 | A short nudge in the same thread | |
| 9 | Connection note about their role, no pitch | |
| 15 | Offer something useful, such as a checklist, with no call attached | |
| 22 | Close the loop, and say when you might check back |
Longer gaps and lighter steps, because you are asking for attention without a strong reason. Most of the work here is in the targeting, not the cadence.
3. The after-an-event cadence
Use after a conference, webinar or meetup where you met or saw the person. An invented example.
| Day | Channel | The step's job |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Connect the same day, mentioning where you met | |
| 1 | Recap the conversation or session in one line, and ask one question | |
| 5 | Phone | Call to pick up the thread while it is still warm |
| 12 | Share something useful related to the session topic | |
| 20 | Close the loop |
Speed matters most here. A message a week after the event competes with everyone else who was in the room.
4. The re-engage cadence
Use for deals that went quiet or were lost to "not now" some months ago. An invented example.
| Day | Channel | The step's job |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ask what has changed since you last spoke, with a new reason of your own | |
| 7 | A short message with the same reason | |
| 14 | Phone | Call the person you spoke to before |
| 21 | Close the loop, and ask if someone else now owns it |
Start from what you learned last time. Ignore the old pitch, and lead with whatever has changed at their company or in their market.
5. The top account cadence
Use for a handful of accounts that matter more than the rest, where more than one person is involved. An invented example.
| Day | Channel | The step's job |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | To the person who owns the problem: the reason and a question | |
| 2 | To a person who would use what you sell: the same reason, from their side | |
| 3 | Connection notes to both, no pitch | |
| 7 | Phone | Call the problem owner |
| 10 | To the user: a second angle, or something useful | |
| 18 | To the problem owner: close the loop, mentioning the wider team |
More people and more steps, but the same reason runs through every message, so the account hears one story. The full method is in account based selling, step by step.
03
How to pick a sales cadence
| If this is true | Start from |
|---|---|
| Something dated just happened at the account | The signal-led cadence |
| Good fit, but no reason to write now | The cold list cadence, or wait for an event |
| You met or saw them recently | The after-an-event cadence |
| You spoke before and it went quiet | The re-engage cadence |
| A few accounts matter more than the rest | The top account cadence |
Then adjust for your buyers. People who live on the phone need more calls; people who never answer one need fewer. A team with little time should run one cadence well rather than five badly.
04
How to write each step
Each step in a cadence has one of five jobs: open with the reason, nudge, add a new angle, offer something useful, or close the loop. Write the job down before the words, and check that no two steps in a row do the same job.
For wording, start from these LinkedIn outreach templates and these cold email templates. On the phone, open with the same reason as the email, so the person hears one story across channels.
05
How to tell if a cadence is working
Count replies by step, with the base: how many replies each step got, out of how many people it reached. A step that never gets a reply is either in the wrong place or doing the wrong job. Fix it or remove it.
Judge the whole cadence on conversations started with the right accounts, not on touches completed. A cadence that books meetings with companies that will never buy is not working, however good its reply rate looks.
06
Common sales cadence mistakes
One cadence for every situation. A fresh signal and a cold list need different speeds.
Too many steps. More touches do not make up for a weak reason.
Every step does the same job. Five versions of "just following up" teach the reader to ignore you.
Channels that tell different stories. The email, the call and the LinkedIn message should share one reason.
Never stopping. Close the loop, and come back when something changes.
07
The sales cadence checklist
Before you start a cadence
- You chose it for the situation, not out of habit.
- Every step has a written job.
- No two steps in a row do the same job.
- Every channel carries the same reason.
- There is a last step, and you know when you will come back.
- You will count replies by step, with the base.
08
Where to go next
For the phone steps, see these B2B cold calling scripts, and for how cadences fit the whole system, read outbound lead generation, explained.