Future-Proof Your Funnel. AI-Powered Sales Cadence for 2025
Major Takeaways: Sales Cadence
What Makes a Sales Cadence Effective in 2025?
- A winning sales cadence requires strategic timing, personalization, and omnichannel outreach – typically 8–12 touches over 2–4 weeks using phone, email, and LinkedIn.
How Is AI Reshaping Sales Cadence Execution?
- AI enhances every phase of cadence strategy, from prospect prioritization and personalized messaging to optimal send times and live rep assistance.
Why Does Multi-Channel Outreach Drive Higher Engagement?
- Using at least three channels (e.g., email, phone, social) in your cadence can double engagement rates and increase reply likelihood by over 50%.
What’s the Ideal Cadence Timing for B2B Prospects?
- Best practices include spacing touchpoints 2–3 business days apart and adjusting timing dynamically based on prospect engagement signals.
How Can You Personalize Cadences at Scale?
- AI tools now generate tailored emails, suggest relevant case studies, and identify personalized triggers based on firmographic and behavioral data, raising reply rates by up to 26%.
What Role Does Persistence Play in Cold Outreach?
- 80% of sales require 5 or more follow-ups, yet nearly half of reps quit after the first touch. Structured persistence significantly improves response and conversion.
Why Should Cadence Optimization Be Continuous?
- Top-performing teams use A/B testing, AI insights, and call analytics to refine cadence structure and messaging, improving meeting rates and forecast accuracy by up to 35%.
Introduction
In B2B sales, timing and persistence can make or break your pipeline. Yet too many teams still rely on ad-hoc follow-ups or generic sequences that fizzle out after a couple of touches. The data tells a clear story: 80% of sales require five or more follow-ups, yet 44% of reps give up after just one (4). Buyers are inundated with outreach, and they’ve become both more selective and self-sufficient. By 2025, up to 80% of B2B buyer–seller interactions will occur in digital channels (8), meaning your emails, calls, and LinkedIn messages must work harder than ever to cut through the noise. How do you make those touches count? The answer lies in a structured, tech-augmented approach: an AI-powered sales cadence that combines human insight with machine efficiency.
We understand the challenges firsthand. We’ve spent over a decade refining outbound cadences for hundreds of clients, from startups to Fortune 500 giants. In this guide, we’ll share how sales and marketing leaders (CMOs, CROs, VPs of Sales/Marketing, SDR managers) can elevate their sales cadences for 2025’s realities. We’ll explore what a sales cadence is (and isn’t), illustrate best practices with real examples, and show how artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing outreach strategies. By the end, you’ll know how to build a winning sales cadence that consistently converts – and why leveraging AI (plus a partner like Martal) can turbocharge your results.
Let’s dive in, step by step, to transform your prospecting rhythm into a revenue-driving machine.
What Is a Sales Cadence (And Why It Matters)?
80% of sales require five or more follow-ups, but 44% of sales reps give up after just one attempt.
Reference Source: Spotio
A sales cadence is the rhythm and sequence of touchpoints your team uses to engage a prospect over time. Think of it as a strategic outreach schedule – a mix of emails, calls, voicemails, social messages, and more, laid out across days or weeks with intentional spacing. In essence, it’s the game plan for how “we” reach out to prospects: when we contact them, on which channels, and with what messaging (2). A well-crafted cadence ensures no lead falls through the cracks and that every contact attempts to add value rather than annoy.
Let’s clarify what a sales cadence is not. It’s not the same as the overall sales cycle (which is the entire process from first contact to closed deal). Instead, a cadence is one component of that cycle – usually at the prospecting or lead nurturing stage – focusing on the outbound outreach efforts. For example, your sales cycle might span 6 months and many stages (initial meeting, demo, proposal, negotiation, etc.), while your outbound sales cadence might cover the first 3-4 weeks of calls and emails needed just to get that initial meeting. We use cadences to bring structure and consistency to the top-of-funnel hustle.
Why is having a structured cadence so important in 2025? Simply put, buyers are harder to reach and even harder to impress. Prospects today are bombarded with generic pitches, and they’ve learned to tune out anything that doesn’t feel relevant or timely. A random one-off call or a single email won’t cut it – in fact, only 2% of sales are made on the first contact (4). Effective outreach now requires a persistent yet respectful series of touches that keep you on a buyer’s radar without burning them out. A defined cadence helps your team maintain that delicate balance.
Moreover, a sales cadence brings accountability and measurability. It gives your reps a clear roadmap to follow and makes it easy for managers to track activity. Instead of each salesperson “winging it,” you have a repeatable process that you can analyze and improve. You can A/B test different email templates in your cadence, experiment with call timings, or adjust the number of touches, then measure what yields the best connect rates and meetings booked. As the saying goes, “what gets measured gets managed.” With a structured cadence, you’re no longer guessing – you’re optimizing.
Finally, cadences ensure sales ready leads are nurtured properly. Many B2B buyers aren’t ready to bite on the first interaction; they need education and multiple “gentle nudges.” A cadence helps you systematically deliver those nudges. Companies with strong lead nurturing processes see significantly higher conversion rates – nurtured leads produce 20% more sales opportunities than non-nurtured ones (4) (4). In other words, a great cadence keeps the conversation going so that when a prospect does become ready to engage, your company is the one they remember.
In sum, a sales cadence is your blueprint for outreach success. It brings order to the chaos of prospecting, ensuring we engage the right people, in the right way, at the right times. Next, let’s look at how the sales cadence approach is evolving in today’s landscape – and why old tactics may no longer suffice.
The 2025 Sales Landscape: New Challenges, New Cadences
By 2025, 80% of B2B buyer–seller interactions will occur in digital channels.
Reference Source: Gartner
Buyers have changed, and so must our approach. In 2025, B2B buyers are more empowered and cautious than ever. They complete as much as 68% of their research before ever speaking to a salesperson (7), scouring websites, reviews, and content on their own. By the time a prospect enters your cadence, they often already have a checklist of expectations and potential concerns. What does this mean for sales teams? It means our cadences need to deliver immediate, tangible value. Every touchpoint should feel timely, relevant, and helpful – otherwise, we risk being tuned out by an informed buyer who frankly doesn’t need us until later in their decision process.
Compounding this, the COVID-driven digital acceleration permanently changed communication habits. Gartner projects that by 2025, 80% of B2B sales interactions between suppliers and buyers will occur in digital channels (7). That includes email, social media, video calls, chat – basically any interaction not face-to-face. Traditional field sales opportunities (trade shows, on-site meetings) have diminished, and digital noise has skyrocketed. So our sales cadences must excel in digital engagement. We have to master the art of getting responses via inboxes and LinkedIn feeds, because that’s where our buyers live now.
Informational overload is real. Buyers today get spammed with templated emails and cold calls daily. They’re also consuming tons of content – webinars, whitepapers, peer reviews – often before we ever speak to them. As a result, their tolerance for generic sales outreach is near zero. One-size-fits-all messaging or haphazard call blitzes will be ignored at best (or at worst, damage your brand’s credibility). This is why personalization and precision in a cadence are so critical in 2025. We must demonstrate instantly that we understand the prospect’s industry and needs. Later in this guide, we’ll dive deeper into personalization strategies – including how AI can help craft more relevant messages at scale – to ensure every touch feels custom-tailored.
Another challenge: extended buying committees. The average B2B deal now involves more decision-makers and a longer consensus-building process. Research shows that in mid-sized companies, an average of 7 people are involved in buying decisions (4). What that means for cadences is that we might need to engage multiple contacts at an account and be prepared for a longer nurture sequence. It’s not uncommon for a cadence to stretch across 4 or more weeks. In fact, leading teams often plan cadences running 17–21 days with 8–12 touchpoints as a standard (1). Gone are the days of “3 calls and done” – winning cadences in 2025 are longer and more comprehensive, yet still thoughtfully spaced to avoid fatigue.
Speaking of fatigue, consider the prospect’s perspective: receiving back-to-back calls or daily emails from a stranger can be off-putting. Cadence design now emphasizes smart spacing of touches. Best practice is typically spacing interactions 2–3 days apart (1) (2) – enough to stay persistent, but not so frequent that it feels like spam. Some sales orgs even insert a 2-3 day “cool-off” mid-cadence to prevent prospects from feeling harassed. Striking this balance is an art that top SDR teams have nailed down to a science, often guided by data (e.g., cold email sequence A/B tests) and increasingly by AI predictions on optimal timing.
Now layer in the rise of buying experience expectations. Corporate buyers, influenced by their experiences as consumers, now demand highly convenient, personalized, and even enjoyable sales engagements. According to Salesforce research, 80% of B2B buyers expect a buying experience similar to B2C – including personalized content and seamless interactions (6). If your cadence is too rigid or impersonal, you risk falling short of those expectations. The cadence needs to feel like a conversation, not a cookie-cutter sequence. This is pushing sales teams to integrate more channels (like social selling touches, or even texting in some cases) and to personalize not just at the contact level, but at the account and segment level (e.g., tailoring an outreach approach differently for a Fortune 500 enterprise vs. a tech startup).
Competition is fiercer, too. If you’re selling a tech or service solution, chances are your prospect is also hearing from several of your competitors. Many companies have adopted cadence tools and are ramping up outbound lead generation efforts. To stand out, your cadence must be better – whether that means more value-added content, faster response, more persistence, or simply a more authentic human touch. For instance, speed matters: responding to inbound sales leads or inquiries quickly can dramatically boost your conversion. One study found that simply responding within 5 minutes of an inquiry increases the likelihood of engagement 9x compared to waiting longer (4). That “first responder advantage” is huge – 35–50% of sales go to the vendor that responds first (4). While that stat is about inbound lead response, it underscores a mindset for outbound too: be timely and proactive, because your competition surely will be.
To summarize, the 2025 landscape demands that we level up our sales cadences on multiple fronts: more touches across more channels, greater personalization, data-driven timing, and a seamless, buyer-centric approach. It’s a tall order – but thankfully, we have new lead generation tools and tactics to meet these challenges. Next, we’ll break down the components of a winning sales cadence, and how to execute them in practice.
Sales Cadence Best Practices for 2025
Crafting a best-in-class sales cadence is part science, part art. It requires blending proven outreach principles with creative adaptation to your buyers. Below, we outline the core best practices that every outbound sales cadence should embody in 2025. These are the principles we live by in our own outbound campaigns. Let’s break them down.
1. Embrace a Multi-Channel Outreach Strategy
Effective B2B cadences typically include 8 to 12 touchpoints over 2 to 4 weeks.
Reference Source: Tendril
Relying on a single communication channel is a recipe for missed connections. Prospects have differing preferences – some live in their email inbox, others pick up the phone, and many hang out on LinkedIn. So a winning cadence leverages multiple channels in tandem. At minimum, we recommend using email, phone calls, and LinkedIn touches in every outbound sequence (3). In fact, modern data shows that effective B2B cadences require at least three channels to maximize response rates (e.g. email + phone + social) (1). By diversifying outreach methods, you increase the odds of engaging your prospect where they are most comfortable.
Consider a typical scenario: you send a prospect an introductory email but get no reply – not uncommon when average B2B cold email open rates hover around 20-25%. If email was your only channel, you might stop there. But a multi-channel cadence would have you call that prospect a day or two later and also connect on LinkedIn. Perhaps they ignored the email but picked up the phone, or maybe they didn’t answer the call but noticed your LinkedIn invitation and accepted. Now, because you reached out in different ways, you’re no longer a faceless stranger – you’re that person who called and also appeared on their LinkedIn feed, building familiarity.
Multi-channel doesn’t mean carpet-bombing all at once; it means weaving channels together strategically. For example, an outreach cadence might start Day 1 with an email in the morning and a phone call (with voicemail) in the afternoon. Day 2, a LinkedIn connection request with a brief note referencing the email. Day 5, another email follow-up, perhaps sharing a relevant article, and so on. The idea is each channel reinforces the other. We often see prospects who won’t reply to an email will answer a phone call, or vice versa. Statistics underline this synergy – 92% of B2B customer interactions still happen over the phone at some point (1), yet email is crucial for sharing content and details. Combining them covers both bases.
Don’t forget social selling in your cadence. Platforms like LinkedIn are goldmines for subtle touches – commenting on a prospect’s post, “liking” a company update, or sending a short direct message. These actions warm up the relationship. Notably, 75% of B2B buyers use social media to make purchasing decisions (4), and decision-makers do notice engagement on these platforms. In fact, simply engaging a prospect on LinkedIn before an email or call can improve your chances of a response by creating familiarity. It’s a gentle way of saying “I see you and I’m interested in your world” before you make an ask. The best social selling cadences integrate LinkedIn steps throughout – e.g., a connection request early on, a friendly check-in or insightful comment midway, maybe a share of useful content toward the later stages. Our team often uses LinkedIn touches to complement emails and calls, finding that prospects appreciate the professional, less formal interactions there.
One more channel to consider: voicemail and SMS. A voicemail after a call attempt can add a personal touch (“Hi, this is John following up – I sent you an email and just wanted to connect briefly…”). Even if they don’t call back, that voice message builds trust and name recognition. SMS is trickier in B2B and should be used sparingly (and only if you have permission or a prior relationship), but in certain cadences like event follow-ups, a short text reminder can be effective. Use SMS only when highly relevant and respectful of boundaries.
The takeaway is clear: meet your prospects where they are. If your cadence so far has been email-only or call-only, it’s time to diversify. The best outbound sales cadence looks more like a web of touchpoints than a single line. Multi-channel outreach not only increases your contact rates but also shows the prospect you’re serious and not easily deterred – an important impression in B2B sales where persistence often signals confidence in your value. In our experience, cadences that incorporate 3+ channels routinely outperform those that don’t, often doubling the engagement rates. It’s about being visible in multiple arenas without being overbearing in any one.
2. Get the Timing and Frequency Right
Following up within 5 minutes of initial engagement makes you 9× more likely to convert a lead.
Reference Source: Spotio
Timing is everything in a cadence. This applies both to the timing within your sequence (days and spacing of touches) and the timing of each touch (what hour of day, etc.). Proper cadence timing keeps you on a prospect’s radar consistently, without crossing into nuisance territory. The goal is to be persistent but not pushy – a fine line that data can help us walk.
First, let’s talk about sales cadence length and spacing. How long should a cadence run, and how many touches? A wealth of research and real-world testing has honed in on the magic range: 8 to 12 touchpoints over about 2 to 4 weeks (1). Less than 8 touches, and you’re likely leaving money on the table (remember that most deals require at least 5 follow-ups). More than ~12-15 touches, and you risk diminishing returns or irritating prospects – unless it’s a special long-term nurture scenario. As for duration, a ~3-week cadence is often ideal for cold outbound. It’s long enough to include multiple breaks and varied times, but short enough to keep the campaign focused. Many teams aim for ~15 to 20 business days (3-4 weeks) per cadence, which aligns with industry benchmarks of 17–21 days that we mentioned earlier.
Within that timeframe, spacing between touches is crucial. Best practice is generally 1-2 days apart for the first few touches, then 2-3 days apart for later touches (3) (1). This pattern front-loads the cadence when a prospect’s interest might be highest (or when you’re trying to spark it), then gradually tapers to avoid burnout. For example, Days 1-3 might have three touches (email, call, LinkedIn), then a day gap, then another touch, then a 2-day gap, etc. One effective formula is often “touch-touch-gap, touch-touch-gap” early on. Our own outbound sales cadences often use an initial burst (two touches on Day 1, one on Day 2 or 3), because if a prospect is going to respond positively, it’s often early. But if those initial touches don’t land, we slow the tempo rather than stopping — ensuring we remain persistent over the next couple of weeks.
Why the slowing down? Experience shows that after a few touches, it’s wise to give prospects breathing room to respond or at least process your messages. Touches that are too close together can seem desperate, while touches spaced too far apart can be forgotten (1). The “sweet spot” is typically around two business days between later follow-ups. And always avoid sending multiple emails on the same day or calling twice in one day (unless truly necessary for a high-priority hot lead). A notable technique is to include a 3-4 day quiet period in the middle of a cadence. This brief pause can prevent the “here they come again…” feeling and often the next touch after the pause catches the prospect’s attention anew.
Now, time-of-day matters too. Analytics from millions of sales activities have identified some golden windows. Generally, mid-morning for emails and late afternoon for calls tend to yield better results. For example, emails sent around 10:00–11:00 AM often see higher open rates, and calls in the 4:00–5:00 PM slot tend to reach prospects more frequently (1) (4). One theory is that morning emails catch people as they settle into work (before meetings consume their day), and late afternoon calls find people wrapping up when they may be at their desks. Of course, this varies by role and region – a CFO might check email at 6 AM, while a developer might respond at 9 PM. Use these insights as starting points, then adjust based on your target personas. If you’re calling across time zones, always be mindful of local business hours (e.g., don’t call a prospect in California at 8 AM Eastern). We routinely segment outreach times by region, even scheduling weekly cadence calls with our global SDR teams to calibrate the best times to reach prospects in different geographies.
Another timing factor: quick follow-ups to engagement signals. If a prospect clicks a link in your email or replies with a question, that’s a buying signal you should capitalize on immediately. Your cadence should include rules for this. For instance, if someone opens your email multiple times or downloads an e-book you sent, consider accelerating the next touch (e.g., place a call that same day rather than waiting). Today’s sales engagement platforms, often powered by AI, can alert reps to such signals in real time. Taking advantage of them can dramatically boost conversion – e.g., reaching out while your company is top-of-mind can increase connect rates significantly. Being prompt and contextually timely is a best practice that separates average cadences from great ones.
Lastly, know when to end the cadence and recycle or exit. A best practice is to define a clear endpoint – say, if no response after 12 touches in 4 weeks, conclude with a polite break-up email. For example, a final email might say, “I’ve tried to connect a few times – seems now might not be the right time. I’ll stop here, but feel free to reach out when it makes sense. Thank you!” Often, this last touch can even prompt a response (“Sorry, I was swamped… let’s talk next quarter.”). If you get that kind of response or still believe the prospect is a fit, you might drop them into a longer-term nurture (perhaps a marketing cadence where they get occasional content or check-ins every few months). But for now, you’ve executed the outbound cadence and can move on to fresher leads. The key is you did so systematically, maximizing every opportunity to connect without overstepping.
In summary, a well-timed cadence demonstrates professionalism. It shows the prospect you’re persistent and respectful. You’re not randomly calling at dinner time or spamming their inbox at midnight – you have a thoughtful outreach rhythm. Mastering timing and frequency is one of those “unseen” skills that buyers won’t comment on directly, but it hugely influences their receptiveness. Nail this, and you’re well on your way to a cadence that converts.
3. Personalize and Provide Value at Every Touch
Personalized emails improve reply rates by up to 26% compared to generic outreach.
Reference Source: SuperAGI
If multi-channel and timing are the structure of your cadence, personalization is the soul of it. In 2025, generic templated outreach gets deleted in a heartbeat. Busy executives can sniff out a mass email cadence or cookie-cutter pitch within the first sentence. To capture attention, your cadence communications must show you’ve done your homework. That means referencing relevant details about the prospect or their business and – most importantly – speaking directly to their needs or pain points. The mantra to instill in your sales team (and ourselves) is: make every touch count by adding value or insight.
Start with the basics of personalization: use the prospect’s name and company correctly (no misspellings, no “[INSERT COMPANY]” errors – those are unforgivable). But that’s just the beginning. Good personalization goes much deeper, demonstrating you understand the prospect’s context. For example, mention the prospect’s industry trends or a recent news about their company (“Congrats on your new product launch…”). Reference something you noticed in their LinkedIn profile (“Saw you posted last week about supply chain challenges – many of our clients mention the same concern.”). Even better, tie your value proposition to a specific problem they likely have. Instead of a generic pitch, say, “I noticed your team is expanding into EMEA – typically our clients in that stage struggle with building a sales pipeline in new regions. We helped Company X do exactly that in 6 months.” This shows the prospect you’re not spraying and praying; you genuinely have insight into their situation.
Does personalization really make a difference? Absolutely. According to research, personalized emails can boost response rates by up to 26% (5). And 80% of B2B buyers expect personalized content in their buying journey – it’s not just a nice-to-have, it’s an expectation. When we incorporate tailored tidbits in our sales outreach (e.g., mentioning a prospect’s alma mater if we share it, or noting their company’s latest award), we often see the prospect mention it in their reply (“Thanks for noticing our award…”). It builds rapport. One caveat: ensure personalization is relevant. Simply mentioning a prospect’s hobby or a random personal detail can backfire if it doesn’t tie to your conversation. Relevance trumps creativity – a personalized insight about their business pains is far more effective than “I saw on LinkedIn you have a dog named Fido” (which might come off as creepy!). As one sales coach quipped, “Mentioning their dog’s name is cute, but does it help them solve a problem?” (3). Always connect the dot between the personal detail and your value proposition.
Beyond just personalizing, each touch should provide value. This is crucial. If every email or call is just “checking in” or “circling back to sell you my thing,” prospects will disengage fast. Instead, use your cadence to educate and inform. Share a pertinent statistic, a short case study, or a piece of content that addresses a known challenge in their industry. For instance: in one email, include a link to a whitepaper or article (not just your brochure, but something genuinely helpful). On a call, be ready to offer a quick insight (“Many CIOs I speak with are seeing X trend – is that on your radar too?”). By giving away a bit of value for free, you establish yourself as a credible advisor rather than just another vendor. Social selling cadence touches are great for this – you might send a LinkedIn outreach message like, “Hi Jane, saw your post about remote workforce security. Here’s a Gartner brief on that topic you might find useful.” No immediate sales pitch, just value. This earns you goodwill and sets you apart from competitors who only reach out when they want something.
Personalization at scale might sound daunting, but here’s where we can lean on technology (more on AI in the next section). Sales engagement platforms let you create sales email templates with mail-merge fields and conditional logic to insert industry-specific blurbs, etc. More advanced AI sales agents and tools can now draft surprisingly good first-pass personalized emails by pulling data on the prospect (we’ve been experimenting with these to augment our team’s capacity). However, we always review and tweak AI-generated content to ensure it’s accurate and truly resonant. Authenticity is key – a message should still feel like it’s from one human to another.
Remember that personalization isn’t just for email – carry it through on calls and voicemails too. Before calling, quickly review the prospect’s LinkedIn or recent news so you can open with something tailored: “Hi Mike, I noticed your company just opened a Frankfurt office – congrats! The reason I’m calling is we’ve helped other firms expand in Europe by building their sales pipeline…”. This immediately separates you from the generic “Hi I’m calling to sell XYZ, do you have a minute?” approach. It shows respect for the prospect’s time by proving you’ve prepared.
One advanced tactic for cadences is segmenting your prospects into tiers and personalizing accordingly. Tier 1 (high-value) accounts might get fully custom research and highly tailored cadences (e.g., fewer accounts per rep but deeper personalization), while Tier 2 or 3 (smaller prospects) get light personalization on top of a core template. This “tiered” strategy ensures you invest the most personalization where it matters most, while still maintaining some level for everyone. A Salesloft expert noted that she segments accounts into buckets and varies her cadence effort – Tier 1 accounts get extensive research and longer engagement, whereas Tier 2/3 get a more streamlined approach (3) (3). This is smart resource allocation, especially for teams dealing with hundreds of prospects.
Finally, don’t forget to personalize the cadence structure itself if needed. For example, for a very senior executive, you might use a lighter touch cadence (fewer total touches, more spaced, and very value-heavy content) out of respect for their time. Or for a specific industry, maybe you include an extra LinkedIn touch because that industry’s decision-makers are very active on that platform (say, tech folks on LinkedIn, vs. healthcare where phone might still be king). The beauty of modern cadence tools is you can create multiple cadence “templates” for different scenarios.
In summary: personalization and value are the currency of trust. Each touchpoint is an opportunity to build credibility. When your prospect feels like “Wow, this person really gets me and they keep sharing useful insights,” they start looking forward to your emails or calls instead of dreading them. That’s when real conversations start happening. And that is the ultimate goal of a cadence – to spark a genuine, two-way dialogue that can lead to a business relationship.
4. Be Persistent – But Human – in Follow-Ups
60% of customers say “no” four times before saying “yes.”
Reference Source: Spotio
Persistence is a hallmark of successful salespeople. As we highlighted at the start, most deals require multiple follow-ups. It’s often the second, third, or seventh touch that finally gets a reply. Too many reps give up way too early – and in doing so, they gift-wrap potential deals to more persistent competitors. However, persistence must be balanced with tact. There’s a fine line between being tenacious and being a nuisance, and the tone of your cadence should always remain respectful and human. The prospect should feel like you’re genuinely trying to help, not just harass them into submission.
First, let’s reinforce why persistence matters with a bit more data: According to RAIN Group research, 80% of sales require at least 5 follow-ups, yet 44% of sales reps give up after one (4). Think about that – nearly half of reps quit after a single attempt, even though the vast majority of wins happen later. Simply by not giving up, you put yourself in the top echelon of sellers who maximize each lead’s potential. We see this all the time: a client’s prospects might ignore the first few touches, but by the 5th or 6th (often when we employ a creative approach or a different channel) something clicks and they engage. If we had stopped at three touches, we would have missed many of those opportunities. The data also says 60% of customers say “no” four times before saying yes (4) – persistence clearly pays.
That said, being persistent doesn’t mean using the exact same message and tone over and over. You should vary your approach in follow-ups. If Touch 1 was a formal intro email, make Touch 2 perhaps a shorter, lighter note or a call with a friendly voicemail. Touch 3 could be an email that takes a different angle (“I realize timing might not be ideal; here’s a quick case study in the meantime.”). By mix-and-matching styles – professional, consultative, even slightly humorous (if appropriate for your brand) – you might hit on the one that resonates. A popular technique for a later email is the “break-up email” or “permission to close your file” approach: politely acknowledging the lack of response and suggesting you won’t continue to bother them. Ironically, this often elicits a response, either appreciating your outreach or giving a reason for silence. One effective variant: “I haven’t heard back, which tells me one of three things: 1) you’re not interested, 2) timing is wrong, or 3) you’ve been swamped. If it’s 1, let me know and I’ll close your file. If 2 or 3, I’ll be here when you’re ready. Thank you!” This kind of message shows humility and gives them an easy out – and many times, prospects reply to say “Sorry, was number 3 – super busy, let’s talk next month.”
Throughout all follow-ups, maintain a customer-centric tone. Avoid language that sounds accusatory or desperate. Never write, “I’ve emailed you 3 times, why haven’t you responded?” – that will alienate a prospect immediately. Instead, messages should convey empathy: “I know your inbox is crowded, just wanted to gently follow up” or “I understand if now’s not a good time; I’m reaching out because [value proposition] when you do have a need.” Keep the focus on them and how you might help, not on your need for a response. Humor, when used carefully, can also humanize your persistence. Something like, “I’m officially feeling like the persistent coffee vendor now 😅 – but I have one more idea that could potentially save your team 20% time on lead gen…” A light-hearted remark can show you’re self-aware and not a pushy robot. Of course, gauge whether humor fits your audience; in very formal industries, a straightforward professional tone might be better.
Also, use your cadence data to inform persistence. If your outreach tool shows that a prospect opened your email five times, that’s a clue they’re interested but perhaps busy. Absolutely follow up with them – politely mention, “I wanted to follow up in case my last note got buried.” On calls, if you consistently reach voicemail, try calling at different times of day (e.g., before 9 AM or after 6 PM can sometimes catch execs at their desks). Change up caller ID if possible (some sales tech can display different numbers) in case they’re avoiding unknown numbers. These are all persistence tactics that still respect the prospect’s choice to engage on their terms.
One technique we train reps on is the “Power of Three” in early cadence stages: hitting a prospect with three different touch types in quick succession (3). For instance, Day 1: morning email, lunchtime LinkedIn connection, afternoon call. This kind of blitz (done tastefully) can jolt a prospect into noticing you. It’s persistent but delivered via varied channels so it doesn’t feel like pure spam in one channel. Often, the prospect might not respond to the email, but they accept the LinkedIn request; then when you call, they recognize your name from LinkedIn – a subtle psychological boost in familiarity. We’ve found this multi-pronged approach early on can significantly lift contact rates. It’s like knocking on all the doors at once – hard to ignore! Just be sure the messaging across those touches is coherent and complementary.
Finally, persistence also means logging every touch and being ready to continue where the last left off. Use a CRM or cadence tool to track your attempts and any replies. There’s nothing worse than a sales development representative calling a prospect who actually replied to your email earlier (“Oh, I emailed your colleague back already…” – oops!). Coordinating within your team is key, too. If marketing or another team is also contacting the lead, align those efforts. When done right, a persistent cadence feels like a consistent, single conversation thread from the buyer’s view, not separate nagging attempts.
Keep in mind, persistence isn’t about annoying the prospect – it’s about demonstrating your confidence in the value you have to offer. We’ve had prospects actually thank our team for following up diligently. One prospect told us, “Thank you for not giving up; we have been so busy, but I’m glad you kept at it because we do need help with X.” Persistence, delivered with empathy and respect, signals that you believe in your solution’s ability to help them. And that confidence is contagious.
5. Leverage Data and Continuous Improvement
Sales teams using AI to guide outreach improve forecast accuracy by 35%.
Reference Source: Kixie
A sales cadence should never be a “set it and forget it” exercise. The best sales organizations treat cadences as living, breathing playbooks that are constantly refined through data. This is where experienced sales leadership and RevOps teams put a lot of focus: analyzing what works, what doesn’t, and iterating. In 2025, we have more data than ever about our outreach – from email open and click rates, to call connection rates, to meeting conversion percentages – and we have the tools (often AI-driven) to glean insights from that data. To stay ahead, we need to be data-driven and agile. Our mantra here is “Data > gut” (3), meaning always trust the numbers over hunches when optimizing cadences.
Start by tracking key metrics for each cadence you run. Some fundamental ones include: email open rate, email reply rate, call connect rate (how often you actually reach someone live), voicemail callback rate, LinkedIn acceptance rate, and ultimately meeting/appointment rate (how many prospects in the cadence converted to a scheduled meeting or meaningful next step). By looking at these metrics in aggregate, you can spot bottlenecks. For instance, if open rates are low, perhaps your subject lines need work. If open is high but replies are low, the content might not be compelling or targeted enough. If calls rarely connect, maybe adjust call times or ensure the phone numbers are accurate. A best practice is to run cadences with a sufficiently large sample (say 100-200 prospects) before making judgments. Too often, teams change tactics after a handful of tries, but you need a bit of statistical significance. As one sales leader advises, “Run your cadences with 200–300 prospects before tweaking” (3). This gives you confidence that any changes are based on a trend, not an anomaly.
Use A/B testing wherever possible. Many modern sales engagement platforms allow you to A/B test different email variants or even different cadence structures. For example, you might test two versions of your first email – one with a certain subject line vs another – and see which yields more replies. Or test a 10-touch cadence vs. an 8-touch cadence for similar segments to see which performs better.
We often pilot new cadence approaches on a small scale and compare results. Sometimes the findings surprise us. For instance, we tested adding a second LinkedIn message in week 2 of a cadence versus none; the version with the extra LinkedIn step yielded a few more replies – telling us that little “bump” on social made a difference. On the other hand, we once tested sending the first email on a Friday vs. a Monday. Conventional wisdom says avoid Fridays, but our A/B test showed the Monday email slightly outperformed (likely due to prospects catching up after weekend). The lesson is: trust the process of testing. Every audience is unique.
A data-driven cadence is also a dynamic one. Don’t be afraid to adjust mid-flight if needed. If you notice a particular email template in your cadence isn’t resonating (zero replies after 100 sends, for example), pause and tweak it before blasting to the next 100. Or if calls on Thursdays consistently bomb, maybe redistribute those to other days. We also recommend periodic team reviews of cadence performance – perhaps in that weekly cadence call or a monthly meeting. Share what messaging or approaches reps find effective anecdotally, and back it with the numbers. For example, an SDR might say, “My break-up emails are getting a lot of responses,” and the data might show indeed 30% of your meetings from that cadence came on the last email. That insight could lead to refining that last email further, or ensuring everyone is using a similar effective style.
Don’t overlook the value of qualitative feedback too. If you do get responses like “Not interested” or “Bad timing,” log those reasons. Over time you might see patterns – e.g., many prospects say “already working with another vendor” – which might inform how you differentiate your messaging earlier in the cadence. Or if many say “reach out next quarter,” you might build a specific follow-up cadence for warm-but-timing-issue contacts (maybe a short 3-touch cadence next quarter referencing your earlier outreach).
Another aspect of improvement: enablement and training. Ensure your team shares success stories and failure stories. We use real examples from our campaigns to coach new SDRs – showing emails that booked meetings and dissecting why they worked, as well as ones that fell flat. By building a repository of what “good” looks like, you create a playbook that new team members can follow and then refine further. Consistency in messaging across reps is also important to get cleaner data. If every rep is doing something wildly different, it’s hard to know what formula works. Establish a standard cadence structure and core messaging, have everyone use it, then optimize from there. That way you’re comparing apples to apples in the metrics.
Lastly, consider incorporating AI analytics (more on AI tools in the next section). Some advanced platforms can analyze your outreach content and suggest improvements (like tone or reading level adjustments), or predict which prospects to prioritize today (lead scoring based on engagement signals). AI can crunch historical cadence data to forecast which touch is likely to convert a particular lead, helping you focus efforts intelligently. For example, an AI might tell you, “Prospect A is highly engaged (opened emails, clicked link) – call them this afternoon,” whereas “Prospect B hasn’t opened anything – deprioritize or add a different approach.” By 2025, 81% of sales teams have adopted AI in some form (7), and a lot of that is in precisely this area of processing data to guide reps. The result is a smarter cadence that evolves not just from human intuition, but from machine-learned patterns too.
In short, the best sales cadences are never finished. They are continually evolving frameworks. By treating each cadence run as an experiment and every outcome as feedback, you create a cycle of continuous improvement. Over time, your cadences will become finely tuned engines – maybe Touch #3 gets rewritten to include that killer stat that always hooks your prospects, or you discover that dropping a voicemail on Touch #5 boosts callbacks by 10%. Those incremental gains add up to significantly higher pipeline generation. And in a competitive environment, that can be the difference between winning sales and falling behind.
An example timeline of a multi-touch sales cadence spanning four weeks. Each red pin represents a scheduled touchpoint (call, email, or social contact), intentionally spaced 2-3 days apart to balance persistence with prospect comfort. Effective cadences map out every interaction on a calendar, ensuring a rhythmic but non-overwhelming outreach sequence.
How AI Is Supercharging Sales Cadences in 2025
AI-powered sales strategies can increase revenue by up to 83%.
Reference Source: SuperAGI
Thus far, we’ve discussed cadences largely in terms of strategy and best practices. Now it’s time to address the game-changer: Artificial Intelligence. AI is not just a buzzword in sales; it’s actively transforming how we execute and optimize cadences. In 2024, many teams dipped their toes in AI (perhaps using a tool to automate a few tasks or suggest email copy). By 2025, AI has evolved into an “operating system” for progressive sales orgs (7). We’re seeing AI woven into every stage of the cadence process – from planning, to execution, to analysis. The promise is enticing: done right, AI-powered follow-up strategies can drive up to 83% higher revenue through better timing, personalization, and lead prioritization (5). Let’s explore how.
AI for Targeting and Lead Prioritization
One of the most powerful uses of AI in cadences is helping salespeople decide who to contact and when. Traditionally, reps might work a lead list in linear fashion or based on basic filters like company size or last interaction date. AI flips that by analyzing a multitude of signals to score or prioritize sales leads dynamically. For instance, AI algorithms can examine behaviors like email opens, link clicks, website visits, and even external intent data (e.g., if the prospect company is searching for related keywords on the web). By crunching these signals, AI can predict which prospects are “hotter” and should be contacted immediately versus which are cold and maybe need to be nurtured longer or approached differently.
In practical terms, imagine starting your day with an AI-curated call list: the top 10 prospects your AI assistant says are most likely to engage today. Perhaps it noticed Prospect A opened your last email twice and visited the pricing page on your site – a strong indicator of interest. Your AI tool flags them and even suggests, “Call Prospect A this morning and mention the pricing page if relevant.” Meanwhile, Prospect B hasn’t opened anything – the AI de-prioritizes them for now. This kind of predictive prioritization can have huge impact. Teams that adopt AI for lead scoring and cadence prioritization have reported significant productivity gains and higher hit rates in outreach. In fact, companies using AI in sales report on average a 15% increase in sales productivity (5), partly because reps focus time where it matters most.
We use AI tools to gather intent data – for example, identifying if a target account is actively researching solutions in our client’s domain. Those accounts get fast-tracked in our cadences with more aggressive early touches. We also employ AI to monitor engagement; if a prospect’s engagement spikes, our systems alert the assigned rep to reach out ASAP. It’s like having a virtual analyst watching your cadence and whispering, “Now’s a good time to call John Doe, he’s showing interest.” In the past, a rep might not notice those subtleties or would only check once a week. AI watches 24/7, ensuring no buying signal goes unnoticed. This is how AI delivers “intelligent timing”, often cited as a key benefit – engaging the right prospect at the right moment.
AI for Personalization at Scale
We’ve emphasized how critical personalization is. The catch: true personalization can be time-consuming. This is where AI shines by automating parts of the research and writing process, allowing reps to personalize more efficiently. Modern AI, especially natural language generation models (think GPT-4 and beyond), can draft surprisingly human-like emails given some inputs. For example, feed the AI some data points – prospect’s name, role, company, industry, a recent news item about them, and your value prop – and it can produce a first draft email tailored to that prospect. It might write, “Hi Jane, I saw that Acme Corp is expanding its remote workforce – as CTO, you’re likely focused on secure collaboration tools. We helped a similar firm reduce onboarding time by 30%. Would love to share how in a brief call.” A rep would then review, maybe tweak a sentence or add an extra personal touch, and send. AI did the heavy lifting of crafting a relevant message in seconds, whereas manually it might take 15+ minutes to research and write.
At scale, this is transformative. Reps can maintain the quality of personalization even as they increase quantity of outreach. Hyper-personalization through AI means every prospect gets a message that feels hand-written just for them, even if behind the scenes an AI assisted in generating it. One ZoomInfo study noted that using AI and data, sales teams can achieve personalization that significantly boosts engagement – recall that 26% lift in responses for personalized emails (5). AI is how you achieve that lift without needing an army of copywriters.
But personalization isn’t only about email text. AI can also help tailor content recommendations within cadences. For example, an AI might suggest which case study PDF to attach for a given prospect based on their industry or which blog post link to include based on what problems they likely care about. On LinkedIn, AI can suggest talking points by analyzing the prospect’s profile and posts (“mention their recent post about digital transformation”). Some advanced systems even auto-generate personalized images or graphics for outreach (for instance, a prospect’s logo on a sample dashboard in your product) – techniques proven to catch attention.
The key with AI-driven personalization is to still review and curate. Think of AI as your junior assistant: fast and informative, but it might not perfectly capture nuance or could occasionally make a wrong assumption. We ensure our reps double-check AI outputs for accuracy (nothing would kill a deal faster than an AI personalizing with incorrect info: “Congrats on your promotion” – which didn’t happen!). Used wisely, though, AI empowers even small sales teams to deliver enterprise-level account-based personalization. It allows you to do things like create sales cadence templates that have dynamic fields which AI fills in uniquely for each prospect. Essentially, templates become smarter – not static, but intelligently adapting per recipient.
AI-Powered Cadence Automation and Triggers
Another dimension is AI in the workflow automation of cadences. Traditional sales automation follows IF-THEN rules (e.g., “IF prospect opens email, THEN wait 2 days and send next email”). AI can add a layer of adaptive decision-making that goes beyond static rules. For example, AI can decide to adjust the cadence flow on the fly: “Prospect showed high engagement early – accelerate the next touch to tomorrow instead of waiting.” Or conversely, “Prospect hasn’t engaged at all – maybe switch the messaging approach or channel for the next touch.” This adaptive cadence is more like a GPS that reroutes based on traffic, rather than a fixed MapQuest printout.
One concrete example: AI-driven cadences might incorporate behavioral triggers. If a prospect does X, the system responds with Y automatically. A simple one is: prospect clicks a link in email → trigger an immediate follow-up email an hour later saying “Hey, noticed you checked out our case study – any thoughts?” AI can not only automate that send, but ensure the follow-up email wording is contextually appropriate (referring to the exact content they clicked, for instance). Similarly, after a phone call, an AI system could send a tailored summary or next-step email without you drafting it from scratch, because it transcribed the call and picked out key points. Indeed, with conversation intelligence (AI that analyzes sales call transcripts), we can even have AI draft post-call follow-up emails highlighting what was discussed. Some platforms already do this: after a Zoom meeting, get an AI-written recap ready to send to the prospect.
Cadence management with AI also extends to deliverability optimization. AI tools monitor things like email send times and inbox placement. They might adjust send schedules slightly to avoid times of low engagement or detect if certain language triggers spam filters. They can recommend sending the next email at Tuesday 10:30 AM because historically that’s when similar prospects responded. Essentially, AI helps “load-balance” your cadence for maximum impact.
AI Co-Pilot for Sales Reps
Beyond direct prospect interactions, AI also acts as a co-pilot for reps executing the cadence. During calls, for example, AI can provide real-time assistance. Some advanced phone systems with AI will listen to the call and pop up suggestions on the rep’s screen – for instance, if the prospect mentions a competitor or a specific need, the AI might display a battle card or talking point to address it. It can analyze the rep’s talk/listen ratio and gently prompt them if they’re monologuing too much. By analyzing conversation sentiment, it might guide the rep on when to push for a meeting vs. when to hold back. This kind of real-time AI coaching turns even average salespeople into much more effective communicators by ensuring best practices are followed consistently. It’s like having a coach sitting next to every rep on every call, whispering tips.
For new SDRs, especially, this dramatically cuts ramp-up time. Instead of waiting for a manager to review a call recording days later, they get instant feedback. As a result, organizations using AI conversation intelligence have seen shorter onboarding and more consistent messaging. One stat we’ve seen is that analyzing 100% of sales calls via AI (versus managers randomly checking a few) democratizes top performance – everyone gets insights that only the top reps might have had before (7). AI notes patterns (“Top performers mention pricing in the second call 80% of the time, whereas others don’t – try that”) and spreads those best practices.
AI in Analytics and Forecasting
Lastly, AI is enhancing the way we forecast and measure results from cadences. We touched on data analysis earlier; AI turbocharges this by finding patterns humans might miss. For instance, AI might reveal that prospects in the fintech sector respond 40% more to cadence A vs cadence B, whereas healthcare prospects are the opposite – leading you to tailor cadences by vertical. Or it may correlate rep behaviors with outcomes: “Reps who make a second call attempt within 48 hours if the first call fails have 22% higher conversion – so implement that step universally.”
On a higher level, AI-driven analytics can tie cadence metrics to actual sales results, refining your overall sales strategy. It can answer questions like: which cadence produced the highest quality pipeline (opportunities that closed)? Maybe Cadence X yields more meetings, but Cadence Y’s meetings close at a higher rate. AI can sift through that multi-step data to guide you on optimizing for what you truly want (revenue, not vanity metrics). This plays into predictive forecasting – if you have a certain number of business leads entering a cadence, AI can project likely outcomes (how many meetings, pipeline, etc.), helping sales leaders plan and allocate resources better. According to a report, leading firms are improving forecast accuracy by 35% using AI and achieving extremely high precision in sales projections (7). That’s because AI accounts for more variables in the pipeline (including cadence engagement data) than a human manager typically would in forecasting.
Overall, AI is becoming the secret weapon behind the scenes that makes every part of a sales cadence more effective. It doesn’t replace the salesperson – rather, it augments our capabilities. With AI handling data crunching, pattern recognition, and even first drafts of outreach, we sales professionals can focus more on high-level strategy and building relationships. In essence, AI handles the tedious and the technical, freeing you to be more creative and consultative. The result? A one-two punch of efficiency and effectiveness: more prospects reached in less time, with messages that resonate more deeply. No wonder 88% of sales leaders expect AI to enhance their CRM and processes in the next two years (4) – the revolution is well underway.
Now, let’s cement all these ideas with a concrete example of what an AI-powered sales cadence might look like in practice.
Putting It All Together: Example of an AI-Powered Sales Cadence
To illustrate how these strategies come to life, let’s walk through a hypothetical outbound B2B sales cadence in 2025, incorporating both best practices and AI enhancements. Suppose we’re targeting VP-level prospects at mid-market tech companies with our SaaS solution. Here’s a step-by-step cadence template (13 touchpoints over ~4 weeks) that our team might use:
Day
Touchpoint & Channel
AI Assist & Notes
Day 1 (Morning)
Email 1 – Personalized Cold Email Introduction
Subject: “{FirstName}, quick question about [pain point]”
Body: Introduce our company briefly, reference a relevant problem (e.g. “scaling sales team” if you are providing outsourced lead generation services), and include a custom insight about their company.
AI Use: Content generated by AI from template + company data (e.g., mentions “Congrats on {Company}’s recent funding” if applicable).
otes: Concise (<150 words), with a clear call-to-action (CTA) for a meeting. Bold one value statistic (e.g., “increased ROI by 47%” for social proof).
Day 1 (Afternoon)
LinkedIn – Connection Request
Message: Short note referencing the email (“Hi {Name}, sent you an email – looking forward to connecting.”)
AI Use: Recommends mentioning a mutual connection or group if found (via LinkedIn AI integration).
Notes: This establishes multi-channel presence early (the “power of three” approach). No heavy pitch here – just a friendly professional connection.
Day 1 (Afternoon)
Phone Call 1
If picks up: deliver a quick intro and value prop, referencing email (“I emailed you this morning about how we might help {Company} with X…”). If no answer: leave a voicemail and send a follow-up SMS (if appropriate & permission given).
AI Use: Dialer AI suggests the best time to call based on past connection rates; Conversation AI provides a real-time script outline (key points to cover).
Notes: Voicemail example: “Hi {Name}, this is [Rep] from Martal Group. We help companies like {Company} achieve X. I sent details in an email – hope to speak soon. You can reach me at [number].” SMS example: “Hi {Name}, [Rep] here – left a vm and email about [one-liner value]. Happy to chat when convenient.”
Day 3
Email 2 – Follow-Up with Value Content
Body: Acknowledge they might be busy, and share a useful resource. E.g., “Thought you might find this guide on AI sales strategies helpful given [mention something relevant to their industry].” Soft reminder of your solution’s relevance.
AI Use: Selects or summarizes a piece of content likely to interest this prospect (via content AI engine). Drafts the email text.
Notes: This email isn’t a pushy “Did you get my first email?” but rather adds value. Still includes a CTA (“If improving X is on your radar, let’s talk.”) but in a consultative tone.
Day 5
Phone Call 2
Try a different time of day (e.g., late morning if first was afternoon). Reference the content sent: “Just following up on the guide I sent – I thought of you when I saw how it addressed [pain].”
AI Use: Notifies rep that prospect opened Email 2 (if they did) – prompting this call. Provides talk track suggestions.
Notes: Persistence with context. If voicemail again, mention the guide (“Hope the AI strategies guide was useful.”). Building credibility with each touch.
Day 7
LinkedIn – 1st Message
Send a brief LinkedIn DM (since connection is likely accepted). Example: “Hi {Name}, curious if expanding the sales pipeline with AI is a 2025 priority for you? We’re helping others in tech with this and I’d love to share some insights. – [Rep]”
AI Use: Checks prospect’s recent LinkedIn activity and suggests a talking point (e.g., they commented on a post about sales automation – AI flags to mention that topic).
Notes: LinkedIn messages should be informal but professional, and not too long (few sentences max). This is another channel to reinforce our presence.
Day 10
Email 3 – Case Study / Social Proof
Body: Share a brief success story: “{Name}, wanted to share how we helped [Similar Company] achieve [quantified result].” Include a one-page case study attachment or link. Emphasize how it relates to the prospect’s scenario.
AI Use: Personalizes which case study to send based on prospect’s industry and the challenges mentioned. Auto-fills a template email with that story.
Notes: This email builds credibility. Keep it skimmable (use bullets or bold stats like “15% increase in conversion rate” (5)). The CTA could be, “Do you think we could do something similar for {Company}? 15 min chat?”
Day 12
Phone Call 3
By now, the pattern might show if they answer the phone or not. If not, try a “trick” like calling at an off-hour (7:30 AM or 6:30 PM). If answered, use a fresh opener: “I’ve been reaching out because I see real potential to help {Company} with X – even a quick call could uncover some ROI for you.”
AI Use: Recommends best time by analyzing past connect attempts and generic connect benchmarks (e.g., suggests early call if previous ones failed).
Notes: This is a perseverance call. By this touch, some prospects actually apologize for not responding sooner. Focus on starting a dialogue rather than selling.
Day 15
LinkedIn – Engage with Prospect Content
Instead of a direct message, engage with something they’ve posted (comment thoughtfully or simply “like” a few recent posts). If they haven’t posted, consider sharing a relevant article with a tag (“@Prospect, this article on {topic} has a great takeaway on {pain point}”).
AI Use: Monitors their social feed for any new posts. Suggests a comment based on sentiment analysis (“Agree with your point on…”).
Notes: This indirect touch builds familiarity. It’s not about pitching, just being visible and providing a touch of rapport. Often warms them up for the next direct contact.
Day 18
Email 4 – The “Soft Break-Up” Email
Subject: “Should I stay or should I go?” (or something lighthearted)
Body: Acknowledge no response so far. “{Name}, I’ve reached out a few times to no avail. Usually when I don’t hear back it’s for one of three reasons: 1) it’s not a priority, 2) timing is off, or 3) you’re just swamped. In any case, I don’t want to be a bother. I’ll assume it’s not the right time. If I’m wrong and there’s interest, let me know – happy to chat. Otherwise, I’ll close your file with my best wishes.”
AI Use: Analyzes prospect’s engagement (if any). If it sees they opened earlier emails many times but didn’t reply, AI might suggest adding “I sense there might be interest given you checked some resources – but I understand if timing isn’t right.”
Notes: This email is polite, a bit playful, and relinquishes the chase tactfully. Ironically, these often prompt a response like “Sorry I’ve been busy… let’s talk next week” or at least a “No thanks,” which is still clarity.
Day 21
Phone Call 4 – Final Call
One last ring. This time, if voicemail, do not ask for a call back. Instead, say something like, “Hello {Name}, this is [Rep] from Martal Group – I promised myself I’d try you one last time. I haven’t heard back, so I’ll assume now isn’t a fit. Feel free to reach out anytime if that changes. Thank you, and have a great day.”
AI Use: Provides a sentiment summary of prospect’s interactions to inform tone (if they opened stuff, be warmer; if zero engagement, keep it very brief).
Notes: This final voicemail (if not reached live) leaves the door open gently. No more asks – just a courteous goodbye and contact info. Prospects often appreciate the persistence and the graceful sign-off.
Day 24 (Optional)
Email 5 – Cadence Summary & Future Offer (Optional)
If appropriate, you might send a final email a few days after closing out, with a summary or a “door is always open” note. E.g., “I’ll step back for now, but if you ever need [solution], we’d be happy to continue the conversation. P.S. Here’s a one-page rundown of what we offer for easy reference.”
AI Use: Compiles a one-pager tailored to prospect (via dynamic content insertion – only if they showed some interest).
Notes: This touch is optional and context-dependent. We usually use it if the prospect showed interest indicators but went dark. It serves as a leave-behind. Otherwise, we typically end at the previous step and put the prospect into a long-term nurture in marketing’s hands
This example cadence combines all the elements we discussed: multi-channel outreach (email, phone, LinkedIn, SMS), carefully timed intervals (a burst Day 1, then spacing out to Day 24), persistent follow-ups with varied tone, and heavy personalization and value throughout.
Notice how AI features at each step – not replacing the salesperson, but empowering them. The AI drafts emails, selects content, finds optimal call times, monitors engagement, and even coaches during calls. Meanwhile, the human rep focuses on genuinely connecting when the prospect does engage and making judgment calls that AI cannot (yet) make, like reading the subtle context of an email reply or navigating a live conversation’s complexity.
It’s worth noting that cadences aren’t one-size-fits-all. You’d tweak this template for different scenarios. For example, an outbound sales cadence for enterprise might have more touches and longer duration, whereas an inbound lead follow-up cadence might be shorter and more immediate (e.g., 5 touches in a week, since inbound leads are warmer). A social selling cadence might lean heavily on LinkedIn and Twitter touches, especially if reaching out to digitally savvy buyers. The key is the framework: multiple touches, multiple channels, compelling content, and now AI augmentation.
As you implement an AI-powered cadence like this, expect a learning curve. Reps should practice with the AI tools so they trust the suggestions and output. You’ll want to continuously refine the cadence content and timing based on results – AI will help there, surfacing patterns as discussed. And importantly, maintain the human touch. Prospects should feel like these communications are coming from a thoughtful professional (which they are – you!), not a robot. AI might be under the hood, but the prospect-facing experience should still be warm and human.
When executed well, an AI-powered cadence not only yields more meetings, but it creates a better experience for prospects. They receive timely, relevant information instead of generic spam. They interact on their terms (email or phone or social, whenever they choose to respond). By the time you actually talk to them, they often already have a positive impression of you as helpful and persistent. That sets the stage for a much more productive sales conversation and relationship.
Combining AI and Human Expertise in Cadence Execution
Designing and running such advanced sales cadences can be challenging – it requires the right tools, data, and skill set. This is where outsourcing inside sales and partnering with an experienced SDR team can make a huge difference.
We’ve built our business around mastering outbound cadences as a science, and we’ve fully embraced AI to amplify our results. Our clients choose us as an outsourced sales partner because we offer the best of both worlds: AI-powered efficiency and seasoned human sales talent.
- Proven Cadence Frameworks: We bring to the table outreach playbooks refined across 2,000+ B2B campaigns – so you’re not starting from scratch. We know how to tailor cadences to different industries, buyer personas, and regions. Whether it’s a B2B sales cadence for tech SaaS or an outbound sales cadence for manufacturing, chances are we’ve run a similar program and learned what works (and what doesn’t). Our approach is rooted in data and continuous improvement, meaning your campaign benefits from our collective experience and benchmarks from day one.
- AI-Driven Outbound Prospecting: Our team leverages cutting-edge tools (including our own AI-powered outreach systems) to target and engage prospects with precision. We utilize intent data and signal-driven targeting to find leads actively looking for solutions. For example, if your ideal buyers are showing buying signals (like hiring a bunch of SDRs or searching for specific software), our AI alerts us to insert them into the cadence at just the right moment. This dramatically improves response rates and ensures we focus on leads that are more likely to convert.
- Personalization at Scale: Despite running campaigns at scale, we ensure every message sent by our reps feels one-to-one. Our reps are equipped with AI tools that generate personalized email snippets, social touches, and talking points – all reviewed by our quality control. Every touchpoint emphasizes the client’s value proposition in a way that resonates, often highlighting specific results or industry nuances relevant to that prospect. For instance, when reaching out on your behalf, we might showcase how your product achieved “X% faster delivery” for a similar company to the prospect’s, making it highly relatable. This level of personalization is baked into our cadence processes.
- Omnichannel Lead Generation and Follow-Up: Our strategy is truly omnichannel – we don’t just stick to one or two tactics. Our large team can engage prospects across email, phone, LinkedIn, and more, synchronizing those touchpoints for maximum impact. We even incorporate strategic direct mail or event invites when appropriate. Every campaign is orchestrated so that a prospect might get an email with a case study, then a LinkedIn message referencing that case study, followed by a call from a rep in their time zone – a cohesive narrative that makes them more likely to respond. By combining personalized emails + calls and leveraging our 200+ rep team, We can deliver an outreach volume and quality that’s hard to replicate in-house.
- Rapid Scale and Iteration: One of the advantages of working with us is agility. Need to scale up the cadence volume? We can quickly add more outbound resources without you having to hire or train new staff. Want to adjust messaging? Our content experts (backed by AI analytics) can tweak templates on the fly and A/B test new approaches. We hold ourselves accountable with weekly or bi-weekly performance reviews (often in weekly cadence calls with clients to share insights and align on strategy). Our ability to ramp campaigns up or down and pivot based on data means your sales cadence is always optimized and never stagnant.
- Full-Funnel Support: While this blog has focused on top-of-funnel outreach, our service doesn’t stop at booking a meeting. We ensure a seamless handoff to your sales team – setting appointments with well-qualified leads and providing context from our cadence interactions. Plus, through our Martal Academy training, every rep on your campaign is continually sharpened on best practices in engagement, objection handling, and product knowledge. Essentially, we act as an extension of your team, not an external telemarketing shop. Our reps often become so integrated that prospects think they’re dealing directly with your company (which is exactly the point – to be your fractional SDR team).
The bottom line: Implementing an AI-powered sales cadence is a complex endeavor, but you don’t have to do it alone. We have the technology, talent, and tenacity to execute winning cadences on your behalf – from cold call to close. We’ve helped companies across SaaS, logistics, manufacturing, professional services, and more fill their pipelines with millions in new deals by using the strategies we’ve outlined here.
Our clients often tell us that we don’t feel like a vendor, but a “trusted sales partner” that delivers consistent growth. That’s because we align our cadences tightly with your goals and brand voice, and we continuously fine-tune based on feedback and results.
In a world where outreach can either annoy or win over prospects, it pays to have experts in your corner. If you’re reading this and thinking, “We could improve our sales cadence game,” we invite you to take the next step with us.
Ready to transform your sales outreach and start winning more business?
We’d love to learn about your sales goals and show you how our AI-powered lead generation strategies can accelerate your growth.
Choosing the right sales agency is crucial. With Martal, you gain a dedicated team that’s already mastered the modern cadence playbook – and is continually innovating with AI, analytics, and best practices. We handle the heavy lifting of prospecting (from lead research to the 10th follow-up) so your in-house team can focus on what they do best: closing deals and nurturing client relationships. It’s the ideal way to scale your pipeline quickly without scaling your staff, and without missing out on opportunities in today’s fast-moving market.
Don’t let inefficient outreach strategies or lack of bandwidth hold you back. Whether you need to jump-start top-of-funnel activity, expand into new markets, or simply want to bring in consistent, high-quality leads, Martal Group is here to help. Our track record, from 90%+ client satisfaction rates to numerous success stories, speaks volumes. We take pride in turning sales cadence execution from a bottleneck into a growth engine for our clients.
Book your free consultation with our team to discuss your current cadence, identify quick wins, and explore a tailored approach for 2025. In 30 minutes, we can map out how to fill your calendar with qualified appointments and sales meetings while your competitors are still struggling to get replies.
Let’s build a winning, AI-enhanced sales cadence that propels your revenue in 2025 and beyond. We’re excited to put our expertise to work for you – and to help make this your best sales year yet.
References
FAQs: Sales Cadence
What is the difference between sales cycle and sales cadence?
The sales cycle covers the full buyer journey from initial contact to closing the deal, while a sales cadence refers specifically to the structured sequence of outreach touchpoints (calls, emails, messages) used to engage prospects, typically during lead generation or prospecting stages.
What is a deal cadence?
A deal cadence is a timeline of activities and follow-ups focused on advancing an open opportunity in the pipeline. Unlike a prospecting cadence, it’s used after engagement begins and includes steps like proposal delivery, follow-up calls, and internal review checkpoints to prevent deal stagnation.
What is a sales cold call cadence?
A sales cold call cadence is a structured plan of outbound phone-based outreach targeting prospects who haven’t interacted with your brand before. It typically includes multiple call attempts over 2–3 weeks, spaced out with voicemails and follow-up emails to increase connect and conversion rates.