5-Step Outbound Cadence Template

This cadence is designed for mid-market B2B outreach targeting director-level and above prospects. It uses three channels (email, phone, LinkedIn) over 14 days.

Cadence Overview

Step	Day	Channel	Purpose	Time to Execute
1	Day 1	Email + LinkedIn	Open the conversation, send connection request	5-8 min
2	Day 3	Phone	Live conversation attempt, voicemail if no answer	3-5 min
3	Day 6	Email	Provide value with a relevant resource	3-5 min
4	Day 10	Phone + LinkedIn message	Second call attempt, LinkedIn follow-up	5-7 min
5	Day 14	Email	Breakup email, close the loop	2-3 min

Step 1: Opening Email + LinkedIn Connect (Day 1)

Email subject: {{specific_pain_point}} at {{company}}

Email body:

Hi {{first_name}},

I noticed {{company}} recently {{trigger_event}}. Teams in that position often run into {{specific_challenge}} within a few months.

We worked with {{reference_company}} when they hit the same wall, and they were able to {{specific_result_with_number}}.

Would a 15-minute call this week make sense to see if something similar could work for you?

LinkedIn connection request (same day):

Hi {{first_name}}, I work with {{persona_type}} teams and came across {{company}}. Would love to connect.

Rules:

• Email is under 80 words
• Contains one trigger event specific to the prospect
• Contains one proof point with a number
• LinkedIn note is under 200 characters
• No pitch in the LinkedIn request

Step 2: Phone Call (Day 3)

Call framework:

Hi {{first_name}}, this is [your name] from [company]. I sent you an email a couple of days ago about {{pain_point}}.

[Pause for response]

The reason I’m calling is that we’ve been helping teams like yours at {{reference_company}} with {{specific_challenge}}, and they saw {{result}}. I wanted to see if that’s something on your radar.

If voicemail:

Hi {{first_name}}, this is [your name] from [company]. I sent you an email about {{pain_point}} at {{company}}. I’ll follow up with another email, but if you want to chat, my number is [number]. Talk soon.

Rules:

• Voicemail is under 25 seconds
• Reference the email you already sent
• Leave voicemail only on the first call attempt
• Log the call outcome immediately in CRM

Step 3: Value-Add Email (Day 6)

Email subject: Re: {{original_subject}}

Email body:

{{first_name}},

I came across this {{resource_type}} that I thought might be relevant to you, regardless of whether we connect.

{{resource_description_in_one_sentence}}

Here’s the link: {{resource_url}}

Let me know if it’s helpful. Happy to walk through how it applies to {{company}}‘s situation.

Rules:

• The resource is genuinely useful (not a product demo link)
• No hard pitch in this email
• Use “Re:” to keep it in the same thread
• Resource links to a blog post, benchmark, or guide

Step 4: Second Call + LinkedIn Message (Day 10)

Call framework: Same as Step 2, but reference the resource you shared in Step 3.

LinkedIn message (if connected):

Hey {{first_name}}, sent you a couple of emails over the past week about {{topic}}. Curious if {{pain_point}} is something your team is dealing with right now, or if the timing is off?

LinkedIn message (if not connected):

Send an InMail with the same message as above.

Rules:

• Do not leave a second voicemail
• LinkedIn message is casual and question-based
• Keep the LinkedIn message under 50 words

Step 5: Breakup Email (Day 14)

Email subject: Closing the loop

Email body:

{{first_name}},

I’ve reached out a few times and I know you’re busy, so I won’t keep pinging.

If {{pain_point}} becomes a priority, I’m easy to find. I’ll also keep an eye on {{company}} and reach out if I spot something relevant.

All the best, {{signature}}

Rules:

• No guilt or passive aggression
• Keep it under 50 words
• Leave the door open for future outreach
• Mark the contact for re-engagement in 90 days

Performance Benchmarks

Track these metrics to evaluate cadence effectiveness.

Metric	Target	Below Target
Step 1 email open rate	> 50%	< 35%
Overall reply rate	> 12%	< 6%
Positive reply rate	> 4%	< 2%
Connect-to-meeting rate	> 8%	< 3%
Cadence completion rate	> 85%	< 70%