The Ultimate Sales Cadence Guide

Have you ever wondered what it takes to create a successful sales process? If so, you’ve probably heard of the term “sales cadence.” But what is a sales cadence and how do you create one that works? 

In this blog post, we take an in-depth look at the concept of a sales cadence and provide everything you need to know about creating an effective strategy for your business. 

We cover topics such as defining a target market, understanding customer needs, building relationships with prospects, and more. Read on to learn more about creating a successful sales process for your business.

What is a Sales Cadence?

The term "sales cadence" has come to mean any set of steps that you take to close a deal. It can be used to help manage your pipeline, leads, and sales process.

For example: You may want a sales cadence that includes preparing for meetings with prospective customers, following up with them on an appointment schedule, and staying in contact throughout their purchase journey. A common sales cadence might include these steps:

• Create an appointment calendar for each potential client so they know when they're expected at your office or conference room (or wherever else you plan on meeting them).
• Follow up with clients who haven't responded within 48 hours after requesting more information from you about the product they're interested in buying (emailing them twice if necessary). This helps ensure those people don't get lost in your email inbox!

The Different Types of Sales Cadences

A sales cadence is a sequence of steps that a sales rep takes to engage with a prospect. There are many different types of sales cadences, each designed to achieve different outcomes.

The most common type of sales cadence is the B2B sales cadence, which is used to generate leads and close deals in a business-to-business setting. This type of cadence typically includes activities such as reaching out to a prospect via email or LinkedIn, followed by a phone call or meeting.

Another common type of sales cadence is the B2C sales cadence, which is used to sell products and services in a business-to-consumer setting. This type of cadence typically includes activities such as online advertising, followed by an email or phone call from a sales rep.

There are also other types of sales cadences that are less common, but can still be effective in certain situations. For example, the inverted sales cadence is designed for high-level decision makers who need more time to make a purchasing decision. In this type of cadence, the sales rep begins by sending a detailed proposal or information package, followed by multiple touchpoints over a period of weeks or months.

Ultimately, the best type of sales cadence for your business will depend on your specific products, services, and target market. However, understanding the different types of sales cadences can help you create more effective strategies for generating leads and closing.

Why a Sales Cadence is Important

Sales cadences are important because they help keep salespeople on track and focused. By having a set schedule of tasks and activities, salespeople can stay organized and avoid getting sidetracked. 

A sales cadence also helps build momentum and keeps the sales process moving forward. Additionally, a sales cadence can help identify any potential problems early on, so that they can be addressed before they become bigger issues.

How to Create a Sales Cadence

When you’re trying to close a deal, there are a lot of moving parts. You have to keep track of your prospects’ needs, your product’s features, your team’s bandwidth—and somehow find the time to move the deal forward. A sales cadence can help you do all of that and more.

A sales cadence is simply a pre-planned sequence of activities and interactions that you use to engage with your prospects. By following a sales cadence, you can stay organized, efficient, and top-of-mind with your prospects throughout the entire sales process.

The best sales cadences are tailored to each individual prospect, taking into account their specific circumstances and needs. However, there are some tried-and-true methods that make up the core of most successful sales cadences. In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about creating a sales cadence that works for you and your team.

1. Setting a Goal for the Sales Cadence

A sales cadence will only work if it is relevant to prospects, business goals, and resources. To create a cadence, you have to first set a goal. We’re not talking about broad objectives such as increasing qualified lead numbers. Look at something more specific - the tiny steps that lead up to when your prospect becomes a qualified lead.

2. The Target Audiences for Your Goal

Pick a target audience based on their Industry, Company size, Designation, Sales territory, Behavioral data, and other factors. You can use internal insights, try market research, or analyze your data to decide on your target audience. Also, make it a point to chart out the audience you want to avoid for your sales cadence. 

You have to further segment your audience based on the buyer personas. You can use these personas to refine timing, CTAs, and more.

3. Using Different Communication Channels 

After you finish all the segmenting, you’ll have to pick the right channels for sales outreach. This is usually multichannel because the more you keep them engaged everywhere, the more likely they’re to respond.

How do you begin? Start with a hero medium that works best for your business and then pick the rest of the channels in a supporting role.

4. A Sales Cadence for all Segments

Informal or formal - your sales cadence has to be clear enough, so that everyone on the team can rely on it consistently. Every step has to effortlessly engage prospects at the right time, on the right channel, with the right content. Here is a quick outline of the steps to be included in your sales cadence:

• Hero Channel & Supporting Channels
• Contact Attempts
• Interval Period Between Attempts
• Targeted Messaging
• Clear Notes for Design
• Next Step

5. Automation Where Required

Automation is key to speeding up your process, especially when sales teams have to manage large pipelines. A good sales tool can help create and maintain sequences to engage your prospects. It can also send emails and reminders, update data, etc.

The Benefits of Using a Sales Cadence

Sales cadences help sales reps stay organized and focused when working with prospects. By having a set plan to follow, sales reps can ensure they are covering all the necessary topics and keeping their prospect engaged. Additionally, using a sales cadence can help you track your progress with each prospect and better gauge whether or not they are ready to buy.

Some of the specific benefits of using a sales cadence include:

• More efficient use of time: When you have a plan laid out, you can avoid spending time on dead-end conversations or tasks.
• Higher close rates: By staying focused and organized, you can increase the likelihood of closing more deals.
• Improved relationships with prospects: When you use a cadence, you show your prospect that you value their time and are serious about doing business with them.

How to Measure the Success of Your Sales Cadence

A sales cadence is the process that you follow to sell your product or service. It should be designed to help you close more deals, in less time. But how do you measure the success of your sales cadence?

Here are a few metrics that you can use to measure the success of your sales cadence:

1. Number of opportunities closed

This metric measures the number of deals that you've closed as a result of following your sales cadence. If you're closing more deals than before, then your sales cadence is likely working.

2. Deal size

This metric measures the average value of each deal that you close. If you're closing larger deals as a result of following your sales cadence, then it's likely effective.

3. Win rate

This metric measures the percentage of deals that you close compared to the total number of opportunities that you pursue. If your win rate is increasing, it's a good sign that your sales cadence is working.

4. Cycle time

This metric measures the average amount of time it takes for you to close a deal, from start to finish. If you're able to shorten your cycle time by following a sales cadence, it's likely effective.

5. Customer satisfaction

This metric measures how satisfied your customers are with your product or service. If customers are happy and sticking around, it's a good sign that your sales cadence is working well.

Sales Cadence Templates

Sales cadence templates are a great way to stay organized and keep your sales process on track. There are a variety of different templates available, so you can find one that fits your business needs. 

When choosing a sales cadence template, be sure to consider your company’s size, sales cycle, and products or services. You want to make sure the template you select will be a good fit for your business. 

Once you’ve chosen a template, be sure to customize it to meet your specific needs. This will help you stay on track and ensure that you’re making the most of your time. Make sure to review your template periodically to make sure it’s still working for you and your business.

Check out this sales cadence that Max Altschuler, CEO at Sales Hacker used to connect with prospects. If you don’t want to watch the whole session, here it is in brief:

Day 1: Email/InMail
Day 3: Email in the morning, call in the afternoon
Day 5: Call in the morning, call with a voicemail in the afternoon
Day 7: Email in the morning, call in the afternoon with a voicemail
Day 10: Email and call in the morning

You can also take a look at these 30-plus successful outbound sales sequences shared by companies like G2, HubSpot, Vidyard, LeadIQ, and more.

Create Winning Sales Cadence with Outplay

A sales cadence is a crucial tool for any successful sales team. It allows you to create an intentional plan of action that will help you build relationships, stay organized, and consistently close more deals. 

With the right system in place, your team can be well on their way to reaching their goals with ease. So it’s important to take the time to understand what a sales cadence is, how it works, and why it’s so effective in helping teams boost performance and reach greater heights of success.

Embrace experimentation, utilize insights from data analytics, and continually fine-tune your approach to outshine expectations and set a new standard of sales excellence.

Ready to take your sales strategy to the next level? Sign up for a 14-day trial to access exclusive resources, templates, and tools that will empower you to craft compelling, dynamic sales cadences that outplay the ordinary and drive unparalleled success.