Sales cadence
A sales cadence is a planned series of outreach touches, across set days and channels, used to contact a prospect until they respond or the sequence ends.
A cadence defines what you send, through which channel, and when. For example, a LinkedIn connection request, then a message after acceptance, then an email a few days later, then a final follow-up. Spacing and order are part of the design.
The purpose is consistency. Many prospects miss or delay a first message, so a short, well-paced series increases the chance of a response without relying on a salesperson to remember each step.
Good cadences vary the message instead of repeating it, include a clear stopping point, and end the moment someone replies. Excessive frequency annoys recipients, and on LinkedIn can hurt account health. The terms cadence, sequence, and follow-up sequence overlap heavily.
Common questions
How long should a sales cadence be?
There is no fixed length. Keep it short enough to stay respectful, vary each touch, and stop when the person replies or opts out.
What is the difference between a cadence and a sequence?
The terms are often used interchangeably. Cadence emphasizes timing, while sequence emphasizes the ordered steps.
Related terms
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