A prospecting cadence is the planned sequence of emails, calls, voicemails and social messages a rep sends to one contact over a set period, ending with a defined last touch.
How SDR teams run a cadence
SDRs and AEs run a cadence on each new contact, usually from a template built in a sales engagement tool and filled in per account. A common shape is five to eight touches over two to three weeks; our operating default for a first cadence is five. The test that decides whether it works is whether each touch gives the buyer a new reason to reply: a new angle on the problem, proof from a peer, a fresh trigger, a different channel or a different person. A touch that only rewords the last one reads as pressure, and replies stop there.
Managers coach the cadence by reading the whole sequence as the buyer would and marking each touch as building or nagging (for SDRs). The one question for the 1:1: "What does touch three tell the buyer that touch one didn't?" The term is easy to confuse with a "revenue cadence" or "operating cadence", which means a team's rhythm of forecast and pipeline meetings. More in our SDR coaching guide.
A five-touch cadence
This example is illustrative. Touch 1, day 1: an email naming the buyer's problem. Touch 2, day 3: a call and voicemail that refer to the email's problem. Touch 3, day 7: an email with a new angle on it. Touch 4, day 11: a LinkedIn note to a second person at the account. Touch 5, day 16: an email with proof from a peer and a clear last ask.
- Day 1Email naming the problem
- Day 3Call and voicemail on the same problem
- Day 7Email with a new angle
- Day 11LinkedIn note to a second person
- Day 16Peer proof and a clear last ask
Here is what the manager's read looks like on touch 3. A nagging version: "Just bumping this to the top of your inbox in case it got buried." A building version: "Last week I wrote about missed delivery windows. The other cost teams mention is overtime at month end. Is that one bigger for you?" The first asks for attention. The second gives the buyer something new to answer.
Related
- Cold email: the usual first touch.
- How to build a prospecting cadence: the step-by-step build and weekly review.
- How to write a cold email: the rules for touch one.
FAQ
Is a cadence the same as a sequence?
Yes, in prospecting the two words mean the same thing: a planned series of touches to one contact. Some tools call it a sequence, others a cadence. A "revenue cadence" is different: it means a team's schedule of forecast and pipeline meetings.
How many touches should a sales cadence have?
Five to eight touches over two to three weeks is common; we use five as a default for a first cadence. Add touches only when each one gives the buyer a reason to reply that the last one did not.
What makes a prospecting cadence fail?
A cadence fails when it repeats itself. The same email reworded five times gives the buyer no new reason to answer. Each touch needs a job, and a call touch should carry the problem raised in the email before it.