Fine-tuning your engagement strategy while managing multiple leads can be tricky. The good news is, a well-crafted Salesloft Cadence can help you boost engagement and productivity!

Salesloft Cadences automate and organize communication, allowing you more time for strategic activities like personalizing your approach and building stronger relationships. 

Whether you’re new to building Cadences or need a refresher, these 5 tips will help you craft an effective Cadence:

1. Start by leveraging Salesloft’s recommended Cadence Frameworks

Creating an entire Cadence may seem daunting at first. You may find yourself asking, ‘Where do I begin?”. To get started, we recommend using Cadence Frameworks. 

Cadence Frameworks are Cadence outlines that include pre-established steps and touchpoints. Using a Cadence Framework can help take the guesswork out of Cadence creation.

2. Establish the right amount of touchpoints

When it comes to reaching out and engaging a lead, strategy is key. Too many touchpoints can overwhelm the lead, while too few touchpoints could lead to a missed opportunity. As a sales rep, you want to find the sweet spot, that is, the right amount of touchpoints. 

Here’s a rule of thumb for touchpoints:

• 8+ touchpoints for inbound leads
• 12+ touchpoints for outbound targets

Note: The number of touchpoints also depends on your sales cycle time and/or deal sizes. Shorter Cadences are recommended for shorter sales cycles and smaller deals. Longer Cadences are typically recommended for longer sales cycles and larger deals. Here’s a general rule of thumb: 

• Outbound: 16-26 business 
• Inbound: 19-23 days for inbound
• Nurture: 50+ days

3. Closely group touchpoints to create a compounding effect. 

When creating a Cadence, you decide the number of touchpoints over a specific length of time and the channels through which you reach out to your contact. Each Cadence step, or touchpoint, is an opportunity to connect. Closely grouping touchpoints allows you to maintain a consistent engagement strategy and stay top of mind, even if you don't get a chance to have a conversation.

Ex: Day 1 = Step 1 LinkedIn Follow, Step 2 Phone Call, Step 3 Email

4. Leverage email threads

Email threads make it easy to follow a conversation. Maintaining an email thread can help you establish a presence in their inbox, which in turn, increases the likelihood of the lead turning into an opportunity. The best in-thread conversations are often a value-add email, then a short response following up.

Note: We recommend no more than two emails per thread. Try booking a meeting as a next step!

5. Know when to personalize and when automate at the end of the Cadence 

Automating emails can help you manage your time, but it’s important to know when to automate. 

Here’s a rule of thumb:

• Inbound Cadences: automate early in the Cadence to save time 
• Outbound Cadences: personalize in the beginning to establish a relationship, automate in the middle of the Cadence to prioritize time, then personalize again at the end to capture their attention one last time

Additional Resources

• Create a Cadence
• Start with Cadence Frameworks
• List of Cadence Frameworks