Most advice on cadence sets the pace by feel: be persistent, but not annoying. A better starting point is the infrastructure. How many cold emails a mailbox can safely send, and when a second channel can open, set the limits. Below: touches, spacing, channel order and the stop rule, with a 14-day example for a new domain.
What is a sales cadence?
A sales cadence is a written plan of touches for one prospect over a fixed window. Each step has a day, a channel and a purpose: introduce, add a detail, ask again, close the loop. The plan applies to every prospect in a list, so results can be compared and the weak step found and fixed.
A cadence is defined as much by its end as by its steps. It stops when the prospect replies on any channel, and it stops on a set day if they do not.
Without a cadence, follow-up depends on each rep's memory and mood. Some prospects get one email and silence; others get six messages in a week. A written cadence removes both errors, and it makes the comparison possible: if replies cluster after the second touch and vanish after the fourth, you know which steps to rewrite or drop.
How many touches and how far apart?
Plan for around seven or eight touches over two to four weeks, one to five days apart. Yesware's analysis of 33 million emails (2022) found an average of 7.56 touches, with the best results over two to four weeks and gaps of one to five days. RAIN Group's touchpoint research (undated vendor page) puts the number needed to secure a first meeting at about eight.
The infrastructure sets a second limit. Leadspicker runs cold email at 5 emails per mailbox per day. Every follow-up counts against that number, so a longer cadence means fewer new prospects per mailbox each day. Add mailboxes across domains to grow volume; do not push one mailbox harder.
| Day | Channel | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reason for today, one real detail, ask for a short call | |
| 4 | Social network | Connect, so the name is familiar |
| 7 | Email, same thread | One new detail or a useful example |
| 10 | Social network | Short message, only if connected |
| 14 | Email, same thread | Close the loop politely, leave the door open |
Example 14-day cadence for a new domain, with recipients behind email security gateways excluded. The days are a pattern, not a measurement. On an established domain with real reputation, gateway-protected recipients can be included and a call step can be added once a direct number is known.
Two vendor studies anchor the timing. Yesware (2022, 33 million emails) reports 7.56 touches on average, two to four weeks and gaps of one to five days. RAIN Group (2026) estimates about eight touchpoints to a first meeting. For capacity, the Bridge Group's 2025 SDR report puts a rep's median at 112 activities a day, which is the ceiling any manual cadence has to fit inside.
Which channel goes first?
Start with the channel where you can reach the person with the least friction and the most context. For most B2B lists that is email, because the address is available and the message can carry a reason. Yesware's data favours a phone call first where a direct number exists. A social network works well as a second touch: it puts a face to the name before the follow-up arrives.
Whatever the order, keep the story consistent. The prospect should see one person with one reason across every channel, not three separate campaigns.
Each new channel should add something, not repeat the first message word for word. The email carries the reason and the detail. The social touch puts a face to the name. A call, where a number is known, gives the prospect a chance to answer a question in ten seconds instead of writing a reply.
When does a cadence stop?
A cadence stops the moment the prospect replies, on any channel. A follow-up email sent after someone has answered on a different channel signals that nobody is reading. It also stops on its last planned day. The final message should close the loop without pressure, so a late reply is still easy.
Stop early for any negative signal: a bounce, an out-of-office naming a successor, or a request not to be contacted. Move the successor into a new cadence; honour the opt-out everywhere.
How is a cadence different from a sequence?
The terms overlap. Cadence means the plan: the rhythm, channels and timing a team agrees on, usually seven or eight touches across channels. Sequence means its implementation in a tool: the actual steps, templates and delays that run for each prospect, typically about four email steps inside that cadence. A team has one or two cadences and many sequences built on them, one per segment or language.
Leadspicker sends 5 cold emails per mailbox per day in its own campaigns and grows volume by adding mailboxes across domains, not by pushing one mailbox harder.
Frequently asked questions
How many follow-ups should a sales cadence have?
Around six or seven after the first message, spread over two to four weeks. Yesware's analysis of 33 million emails found an average of 7.56 touches in total.
How many days should be between touches?
One to five days. Shorter gaps feel like pressure; longer gaps let the prospect forget the first message.
Should a cadence continue after a reply?
No. Any reply, on any channel, ends the automated cadence. From that point a person handles the conversation.
