---
name: Sequence Cadence Design
slug: sequence-cadence-design
description: When to send, why, and how to vary across email + LinkedIn + call so a sequence feels like a human, not a tool.
category: outbound
---

# Sequence Cadence Design

A cold sequence should feel like one person reaching out three different ways with
three different angles — not the same email template re-skinned.

## Default 8-touch cadence (15 business days)

| Day | Channel | Angle |
|-----|---------|-------|
| 1 | Email | Trigger + tiny ask |
| 3 | LinkedIn | Connection request, no pitch |
| 5 | Email | Different angle: peer story or stat |
| 7 | LinkedIn | Voice note OR comment on their recent post |
| 10 | Email | Resource drop (no ask) |
| 12 | Phone | One try, leave a 20-sec voicemail referencing email |
| 14 | Email | Break-up: "should I close the loop?" |
| 18 | LinkedIn | If they accepted but didn't reply, send one DM |

Then STOP. Move to long nurture (quarterly check-in) or disqualify.

## Why each touch exists

- **Day 1**: cold = lowest reply rate, but anchors the thread.
- **Day 3 LinkedIn**: increases recognition before email 2 lands. No pitch — pitches
  in connection requests destroy accept rate.
- **Day 5 email**: most replies come on touches 2–4. New angle means it doesn't
  read as "bumping this up."
- **Day 10 resource drop**: no-ask emails get higher reply rates than ask emails.
  Useful when you have something worth sharing.
- **Day 12 call**: only useful if you have something to say in 20 seconds. Don't
  cold dial-and-spray — call the day after an email so you can reference it.
- **Day 14 break-up**: triggers loss-aversion responses. Often the highest-reply
  touch in the entire sequence.

## Variation rules

- Each email body must use a **different opener** style — never the same template
  reskinned. (Trigger / question / observation / data point / contrarian take.)
- Each email must have **one different angle** on the value prop — feature focus,
  outcome focus, peer story, ROI math, anti-pitch.
- LinkedIn touches should reference something they've actually posted recently.
- Calls should reference the most recent email by subject line.

## When to break cadence

- If they reply: STOP the sequence. Pause it in the tool. Hand to a human
  immediately. Auto-replies make us look like a bot.
- If they engage on LinkedIn (like / comment on our post, view our profile 3+ times):
  jump forward — skip touches 2-3, go straight to a personal email.
- If a high-intent signal fires (pricing visit, demo form abandonment): exit cold
  cadence, move to high-intent track.

## Anti-patterns

- 14+ touch sequences. Diminishing returns after touch 4. Save the rest for nurture.
- Sending touches at the same time of day every time. Vary.
- Auto-LinkedIn DMs as a connection request message. Read as spam, kill accept rate.
- "Per my last email" — never. Treat each touch as if they didn't see the previous.
- Sending email 2 / 3 / 4 in the same thread when content is unrelated. Start a new
  thread when angle changes.

## Reporting — what to track per sequence

- Reply rate by touch number (where do replies actually come?)
- Reply rate by angle (which opener works for this ICP?)
- Bounce rate (>3% means list quality is the problem, not copy)
- Unsubscribe / spam-complaint rate (>0.3% = stop the sequence)
- Pipeline-sourced rate (replies → meetings → opps)