---
name: outreach-cadence-design
slug: outreach-cadence-design
description: This skill should be used when the user asks to "design a cadence in Outreach", "build an Outreach sequence", "set up Outreach.io for outbound", "create a cadence in Outreach", "configure Outreach for cold email", "design sequences in Outreach", "build a multichannel cadence in Outreach", "set up Outreach cadence steps", "optimize Outreach sequences", or any variation of designing and building outbound cadences specifically in Outreach.io for B2B SaaS.
category: general
---

# Outreach Cadence Design

Outreach.io is the enterprise-grade sales engagement platform. Its core strength is multichannel cadence orchestration: email, phone, LinkedIn, and custom tasks in a single automated sequence with per-step analytics, A/B testing, and rep-level reporting. Outreach is the tool of choice for teams with 10+ reps who need scale, consistency, and data.

The principle: Outreach's power is in its structure. A well-designed cadence in Outreach runs automatically, routes replies to the right rep, tracks engagement, and produces step-level analytics that show exactly where the sequence is working and where it breaks. Design the cadence once. Optimize with data forever.

## Outreach Cadence Architecture

### Cadence components

| Component | What it is | How to configure |
|-----------|-----------|-----------------|
| Steps | Individual touches in the sequence (email, call, LinkedIn, task) | Add steps with timing, content, and channel |
| Intervals | Days between steps | Set per step. Business days recommended |
| Rulesets | Conditions that control flow (skip on reply, skip on meeting, skip on opt-out) | Configure globally and per cadence |
| Templates | Reusable email content with variables | Create in Content → Templates |
| Snippets | Reusable text blocks inserted into templates | Create in Content → Snippets |
| Tags | Labels for organizing cadences | Tag by persona, campaign, quarter |
| A/B variants | Multiple versions of a step for split testing | Add variants per email step |

### Cadence types in Outreach

| Type | Steps | Channels | Duration | Use case |
|------|-------|----------|----------|---------|
| Cold email only | 3-5 email steps | Email | 9-18 days | High-volume outbound. SDR teams |
| Multichannel | 8-12 steps | Email + phone + LinkedIn + tasks | 18-28 days | Mid-market and enterprise. Full-stack outbound |
| Inbound follow-up | 5-7 steps | Email + phone | 5-10 days | MQL and demo request response |
| Re-engagement | 3-5 steps | Email + LinkedIn | 10-14 days | Prospects who went dark |
| Event follow-up | 4-6 steps | Email + LinkedIn | 7-14 days | Post-conference, post-webinar |
| ABM surround | 10-15 steps | All channels | 21-30 days | Named account campaigns |

---

## Building a Multichannel Cadence

### The standard 10-step cadence (21 days)

| Step | Day | Type | Content | Auto/Manual |
|------|-----|------|---------|------------|
| 1 | 1 | LinkedIn profile visit | Auto-visit the prospect's profile | Auto |
| 2 | 2 | Email | Signal-based hook. Tiny ask. 80 words max | Auto |
| 3 | 3 | LinkedIn connection request | Personalized note. No pitch | Manual |
| 4 | 5 | Phone call | Reference Email 1 by subject. 20-sec voicemail | Manual |
| 5 | 7 | Email | Proof angle. Different opener. 90 words max | Auto |
| 6 | 9 | LinkedIn message | If connected: share a resource. No pitch | Manual |
| 7 | 11 | Phone call | Reference Email 2. Only if engagement signals present | Manual |
| 8 | 14 | Email | Value drop. Resource share. No ask | Auto |
| 9 | 18 | Email | Contrarian take or new angle. Soft re-ask | Auto |
| 10 | 21 | Email | Breakup. 30 words max. Clean close | Auto |

### Step configuration in Outreach

**Email step settings:**

```
Outreach → Cadences → [Your Cadence] → Add Step → Email

  Type: Auto (sends automatically) or Manual (creates a task)
  Template: Select from template library
  Interval: [N] business days after previous step
  Send window: Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm
  A/B test: Optional. Add variant B
```

**Phone step settings:**

```
Add Step → Phone Call

  Type: Manual (creates a task in the rep's task queue)
  Interval: [N] business days after previous step
  Priority: Standard or High (High = appears at top of task queue)
  Call script: Add notes for the rep (voicemail script, talk track)
```

**LinkedIn step settings:**

```
Add Step → LinkedIn (or Custom Task)

  Type: Manual task
  Task description: "Visit profile" / "Send connection request" / "Send DM"
  Interval: [N] business days after previous step
  Instructions: Include the specific action and any talk track
```

### Step configuration rules

- **Auto-email steps execute without rep involvement.** The email sends at the scheduled time. Use for templated emails where per-contact edits aren't needed
- **Manual email steps create a task.** The rep reviews, optionally edits, and sends. Use for Tier 1 personalization where each email needs manual attention
- **Phone and LinkedIn steps are always manual.** They create tasks in the rep's queue. Outreach doesn't auto-call or auto-DM. The rep completes the action manually
- **Set intervals in business days, not calendar days.** A 3-day interval set in business days skips weekends. Calendar days means a Friday email triggers a Monday task (which is fine) but also means a Wednesday email triggers a Saturday task (which isn't)

---

## Templates and Variables

### Outreach template variables

| Variable | Syntax | Example output |
|----------|--------|---------------|
| First name | `{{first_name}}` | Jane |
| Last name | `{{last_name}}` | Kim |
| Company | `{{company}}` | Acme Corp |
| Title | `{{title}}` | VP Sales |
| City | `{{city}}` | San Francisco |
| Sender first name | `{{sender_first_name}}` | Jake |
| Custom field 1 | `{{custom1}}` | (mapped to any prospect field) |
| Custom field 2 | `{{custom2}}` | (mapped to any prospect field) |

### Custom fields for personalization

Outreach supports custom prospect fields that can be used as template variables.

| Custom field | What to populate | How to use in template |
|-------------|-----------------|----------------------|
| `signal` | The outreach trigger ("the Series B", "the RevOps posting") | Subject line: `{{signal}}` |
| `personalization_line` | One custom sentence per prospect | Email opener: `{{personalization_line}}` |
| `proof_point` | Per-segment proof point | Email 2 body: `{{proof_point}}` |
| `peer_company` | Relevant peer company name | "{{peer_company}} did the same thing" |
| `campaign_angle` | The angle for this campaign | Internal reference / segmentation |

### Template rules

- **Create templates per step, per cadence.** "Step 1 - VP Sales - Funding Signal" is a template. "Email 1" is not. Name templates to match the cadence and step
- **Use snippets for reusable blocks.** A proof point paragraph used across 3 cadences should be a snippet, not copy-pasted text. Update the snippet once, it updates everywhere
- **Set fallback values.** Outreach supports fallback: `{{first_name | there}}`. If first_name is blank, it renders "there" instead of blank space
- **Test rendering before launching.** Outreach's preview shows how the email renders for each prospect. Check 5 prospects before activating the cadence

---

## Rulesets and Automation

### Key rulesets to configure

| Ruleset | Setting | Why |
|---------|--------|-----|
| Pause on reply | ON (always) | Any reply stops the cadence for that prospect. Prevents automated follow-up after a response |
| Pause on meeting booked | ON | Goal achieved. Stop outreach |
| Pause on bounce | ON | Invalid email. Don't keep sending |
| Pause on opt-out | ON | Legal requirement. Immediate stop |
| Skip step on out-of-office | ON (optional) | Delays the next step until the prospect returns. Prevents sending to an OOO |
| Auto-mark as finished | After last step | Prospect moves to "Finished" status after completing all steps |

### Ruleset rules

- **Pause on reply is non-negotiable.** Every Outreach instance must have this enabled globally. A prospect who replies "not interested" and receives the next automated email will never buy from you. Ever
- **OOO handling is underrated.** Outreach can detect out-of-office replies and pause the cadence until the prospect returns. Enable this. Sending 3 emails to an OOO is wasted touches and looks automated
- **Finished ≠ done.** When a prospect finishes the cadence with no reply, they move to "Finished." This is not the end. They should be added to a nurture list or re-engagement cadence after 60-90 days

---

## A/B Testing in Outreach

### Setting up A/B tests

```
Cadence → Step 1 (Email) → Add Variant
  → Variant A: Original subject + body
  → Variant B: New subject + same body (subject line test)
    OR
  → Variant B: Same subject + new body (copy test)
  → Split: 50/50
```

### What to test

| Test type | Variable changed | Measure | Minimum sample |
|-----------|-----------------|---------|---------------|
| Subject line | Same body, different subject | Open rate | 100 per variant |
| Opener | Same subject, different first line | Reply rate | 100 per variant |
| CTA | Same everything, different ask | Reply rate | 100 per variant |
| Email length | Same angle, different word count | Reply rate | 100 per variant |
| Step timing | Same content, different interval (3 days vs 5 days) | Reply rate on that step | 200 per variant |

### A/B testing rules

- **One variable per test.** Changing subject AND body AND CTA = you can't attribute the result to any one change. One variable per test
- **Run until statistical significance.** Outreach shows a confidence indicator. Wait for 95% confidence before declaring a winner. Don't end the test at 50 sends because one variant "looks better"
- **Test on a single step, not the whole cadence.** If you change 3 steps simultaneously, you can't isolate which change mattered. Test one step at a time
- **Apply winning variants to all future cadences.** A winning subject line pattern should inform all new cadences, not just the one you tested it in

---

## Outreach Analytics

### Key reports

| Report | What it shows | Where to find |
|--------|-------------|-------------|
| Cadence performance | Per-step open, click, reply rates for a cadence | Cadences → [Cadence] → Insights |
| Step-level analytics | Which step produces the most replies | Cadences → [Cadence] → Steps view |
| Rep performance | Per-rep activity, reply rate, meeting rate | Analytics → Team Performance |
| Template performance | Reply rate per template across cadences | Content → Templates → Performance |
| A/B test results | Variant comparison with confidence level | Cadences → [Cadence] → A/B test tab |
| Sequence funnel | Prospects at each stage (active, paused, replied, finished) | Cadences → [Cadence] → Prospects |

### Analytics rules

- **Review cadence performance weekly.** Check per-step reply rates. If Step 2 has 0.5% reply rate, the angle isn't working. Rewrite Step 2
- **Compare rep performance on the same cadence.** If Rep A gets 12% reply rate and Rep B gets 4% on the same cadence, the issue is execution (personalization quality, task completion, timing), not the cadence itself
- **Track the full funnel: prospects enrolled → replies → meetings → pipeline.** Reply rate without meeting attribution tells half the story. Outreach can integrate with CRM to show pipeline sourced per cadence
- **Use template performance to identify winning copy.** Outreach tracks which templates produce the highest reply rates across all cadences. Retire low-performing templates. Clone and iterate high-performers

---

## Prospect Management

### Prospect statuses in Outreach

| Status | What it means | Action |
|--------|-------------|--------|
| Active | Prospect is in an active cadence. Steps are firing | Let the cadence run |
| Paused | Cadence paused (OOO, manual pause, or reply) | Check reason. If reply: handle. If OOO: wait. If manual: investigate |
| Replied | Prospect replied. Cadence auto-paused | Rep handles the reply manually. Update status based on response |
| Finished | Completed all steps with no reply | Move to nurture list or re-engagement cadence after 60-90 days |
| Bounced | Email bounced. Cadence paused | Remove invalid email. Attempt to find correct email. If unfindable, mark as uncontactable |
| Opted out | Prospect unsubscribed | Remove from all outreach permanently. Legal requirement |

### Prospect management rules

- **A prospect should only be in one cadence at a time.** Outreach enforces this by default. Don't circumvent it by creating the same prospect twice
- **Handle replies within 2 hours.** A reply from a prospect in an Outreach cadence should be treated like any positive signal. The rep takes over from the automation within 2 hours
- **"Finished" prospects aren't dead.** They just weren't ready during this cadence window. Add to a monthly nurture touch or a re-engagement cadence in 60-90 days. Don't abandon them

---

## Outreach + CRM Integration

### Salesforce integration

| Sync | Direction | What syncs |
|------|-----------|-----------|
| Contact/Lead creation | Outreach → Salesforce | New prospects push to SFDC as Leads or Contacts |
| Activity logging | Outreach → Salesforce | Emails sent, calls made, replies received logged as Activities |
| Opportunity association | Bidirectional | Outreach prospects linked to SFDC Opportunities |
| Custom field sync | Bidirectional | Map Outreach prospect fields to SFDC Lead/Contact fields |

### HubSpot integration

| Sync | Direction | What syncs |
|------|-----------|-----------|
| Contact sync | Bidirectional | Contacts push between Outreach and HubSpot |
| Activity sync | Outreach → HubSpot | Email activities logged to HubSpot timeline |
| Deal association | Bidirectional | Link prospects to HubSpot deals |

### Integration rules

- **CRM is the system of record. Outreach is the execution layer.** All contact data, deal data, and pipeline reporting lives in CRM. Outreach executes the outreach and syncs activity back
- **Map fields before going live.** Outreach "Title" → SFDC "Title." Outreach "Custom1" → SFDC "Signal Type." Misconfigured field mapping creates data quality issues
- **Tag every Outreach-sourced contact.** Set Lead Source = "Outbound" and a campaign tag for attribution. Without tags, pipeline sourced from Outreach is invisible in CRM reporting
- **Sync activities in real-time.** Delayed activity sync means CRM records are incomplete when reps or managers look at them. Configure for real-time sync, not daily batch

---

## Cadence Design by Motion

### SDR cold outbound cadence

| Property | Setting |
|----------|--------|
| Steps | 8-10 (email + phone + LinkedIn) |
| Duration | 18-21 business days |
| Emails | 3-5 (auto) |
| Phone | 2-3 (manual tasks) |
| LinkedIn | 2-3 (manual tasks) |
| A/B test | Yes (Step 1 subject line, Step 2 opener) |
| Prospects per cadence | 200-500 |
| Daily send limit | 40-60 per rep |

### AE warm outreach cadence

| Property | Setting |
|----------|--------|
| Steps | 5-7 (email + phone) |
| Duration | 10-14 business days |
| Emails | 3-4 (mix of auto and manual) |
| Phone | 2-3 |
| LinkedIn | 1 (connection + DM) |
| A/B test | Optional |
| Prospects per cadence | 50-100 |
| Daily send limit | 15-25 (AEs send lower volume) |

### Inbound MQL response cadence

| Property | Setting |
|----------|--------|
| Steps | 5-6 (email + phone) |
| Duration | 5-7 business days |
| Emails | 3 (auto) |
| Phone | 2-3 (high priority manual tasks) |
| LinkedIn | 1 (connection request) |
| A/B test | No (speed matters more than optimization) |
| Prospects per cadence | As many as come in (continuous enrollment) |
| Response SLA | Step 1 within 5 minutes of MQL notification |

---

## Pre-Launch Checklist

- [ ] Cadence named descriptively: "[Type] - [Persona] - [Angle] - [Quarter]"
- [ ] Steps configured with correct intervals (business days)
- [ ] Send window: Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm in recipient timezone
- [ ] Email templates follow cold-outbound-email-writing rules
- [ ] Variables tested with prospect preview (check 5 prospects)
- [ ] Fallback values set for all variables
- [ ] Rulesets configured: pause on reply, bounce, opt-out, OOO
- [ ] A/B test set up on Step 1 (if testing)
- [ ] Phone step scripts/notes included for manual steps
- [ ] LinkedIn step instructions included
- [ ] CRM integration active and syncing
- [ ] Prospect list verified (emails verified before import)
- [ ] Customers and competitors excluded from prospect list
- [ ] Daily send limits configured per rep
- [ ] Sending domain warmed up
- [ ] Tags applied for reporting and organization

---

## Measurement

| Metric | Where | Target |
|--------|-------|--------|
| Reply rate (per cadence) | Cadence Insights | > 8% for cold, > 15% for warm |
| Reply rate (per step) | Step-level analytics | Step 2 should be highest |
| Meeting rate | CRM attribution (manual or via integration) | > 3% of enrolled prospects |
| Bounce rate | Cadence Insights | < 3% |
| Opt-out rate | Cadence Insights | < 0.3% |
| Task completion rate | Rep activity reports | > 85% of manual tasks completed |
| A/B test results | A/B test tab | Winner at 95% confidence |
| Pipeline sourced | CRM reports, tagged by cadence | Track per cadence per quarter |
| Rep-to-rep variance | Team performance report | Top and bottom rep within 2x of each other |

---

## Anti-Pattern Check

- Pause on reply is OFF. The prospect replies "remove me" and gets Step 4 three days later. This is the fastest path to spam complaints and reputation damage. Always ON. No exceptions
- 15-step cadence over 45 days. Diminishing returns after step 8-10. Each additional step has < 1% incremental reply rate. Cap at 10-12 steps. Move to nurture after that
- All steps are auto-email. No phone, no LinkedIn, no manual tasks. This is an email blast with delays, not a multichannel cadence. Add 2-3 phone tasks and 2-3 LinkedIn tasks for a real multichannel approach
- Same template across 5 cadences without checking performance. Outreach shows per-template reply rates. A template with 2% reply rate across 500 sends is underperforming. Replace it. Use Outreach's data to optimize
- Phone tasks never completed. Rep skips every phone task. Task completion rate is 20%. Either train on phone technique, make phone tasks optional, or remove them. Uncompleted tasks add no value
- No A/B testing. The first template you write is rarely the best. Outreach makes A/B testing trivial. Test Step 1 subject lines as a minimum. One test per cadence per quarter
- No CRM sync. Outreach activities aren't logged to CRM. Pipeline attribution is impossible. The team can't see what outbound produced. Configure CRM sync before launching the first cadence
- Same cadence for VP and SDR Manager prospects. VP-targeted cadences need shorter emails, longer intervals, and executive framing. SDR Manager cadences can be longer and more tactical. Build persona-specific cadences
- 500 prospects enrolled on Day 1. All 500 get Step 1 simultaneously. The rep gets 30 replies and 50 phone tasks on the same day. Stagger enrollment: 50-100 per day over a week
- Never retiring old cadences. 40 cadences in Outreach, half abandoned with prospects stuck at "Active" or "Paused." Retire completed cadences. Move "Finished" prospects to nurture. Clean the cadence library quarterly