What you'll get
- 5 copy-ready blocks
- Spreadsheet-ready
- 5 min read
- Tier 1 cadence (12 touches, one account)
- When to stop, pause or widen
- Touches and channels by tier
- Cadence tracker header (paste into a spreadsheet)
- Week 1, filled in
How to use it
- Step 1: Use it only for Tier 1 accounts with a completed research brief and a true reason to write.
- Step 2: Start on a Monday or Tuesday. Skip weekends and local holidays, and move the touch to the next working day.
- Step 3: Stop the moment the person replies, whatever they say. A reply starts a conversation, not the next step.
- Step 4: On day 17, decide: pause, or go wider in the account.
Check the rules on calls, voice notes and email for the buyer's country before you start.
This is the Tier 1 pattern from our own account-based selling work: 12 touches over 17 days, across five channels, into one researched account. Every touch adds something new. None says "just checking in".
Part 1: The 17 days
Tier 1 cadence (12 touches, one account)
Day 1 LinkedIn Connection request with a one-line reason. No pitch.
Day 2 Email 1 The reason you are writing, one sentence on what you do, one question.
Day 4 LinkedIn If connected: a short message with one new fact. If not: follow and read.
Day 5 Email 2 A second fact or a sharper version of the question. Reply in thread.
Day 7 Phone 1 Call. If no answer, a voicemail under 20 seconds, then a two-line email.
Day 8 Email 3 Proof: one relevant case study or example, and why it is relevant to them.
Day 10 Voice note A 30-second LinkedIn voice note. One point, your own voice, no script read aloud.
Day 11 Email 4 To a SECOND person in the account, with their own reason. Say you have written to the first.
Day 13 Phone 2 Call at a different time of day. No second voicemail unless something changed.
Day 14 Video note A 60-second video: their site or report on screen, one observation, one question.
Day 16 Email 5 Ask who owns the topic. "If it sits elsewhere, a name is all I need."
Day 17 Email 6 A closing note: what you will do next, and how to reach you if timing changes.Part 2: Stop rules
When to stop, pause or widen
STOP at once if: they reply (any reply) · they ask you to stop · they are on leave or have left
PAUSE 90 days if: day 17 passes with no response from anyone in the account
WIDEN if: they name someone else · a new trigger lands · the second person answers
NEVER: restart the same cadence to the same person with the same messagesPart 3: Lighter tiers
Touches and channels by tier
Tier 1 10 to 14 touches up to 6 channels researched per person this 17-day pattern
Tier 2 8 to 10 touches 4 channels researched per account drop the video note and one call
Tier 3 5 to 7 touches 2 channels researched per segment email and LinkedIn onlyPart 4: Tracker
Cadence tracker header (paste into a spreadsheet)
Account Person Role Start date Day Channel What was new in this touch Done (date) Response Next actionThe column "What was new in this touch" is the one that matters. If you cannot fill it in, do not send.
Worked example (illustrative, not a real company)
Sam Carter of Quaywise, a warehouse-software seller, plans the first week for Dana Whitfield, VP Supply Chain at "Northfield Logistics". Names and dates are invented.
Week 1, filled in
Mon 12 Day 1 LinkedIn "Read about the second distribution centre. One question on planning across both sites."
Tue 13 Day 2 Email 1 Reason: the March announcement. Question: one planning team or two?
Thu 15 Day 4 LinkedIn New fact: three planner roles advertised for the new site this week.
Fri 16 Day 5 Email 2 Sharper question: does the new team plan both sites from day one?
Mon 19 Day 7 Phone 1 No answer. Voicemail, 15 seconds. Two-line email after.
Tue 20 Day 8 Email 3 One example of two-site planning, and why it resembles Northfield.
Dana replied on Tue 20: "Speak to Marcus Lee in IT first." CADENCE STOPPED. WIDEN.Five mistakes to avoid
- Carrying on after a reply. Automated steps that fire after someone has answered end the conversation.
- Twelve versions of the same message. Each touch needs a new fact, a new question or a new person.
- Running it on Tier 3. The pattern needs per-person research. Without it, use the lighter version.
- Two voicemails with nothing new. One is a message. Two is a habit they will not thank you for.
- Counting touches as progress. Count accounts where someone answered.
Why this works on named accounts
Common questions
How many touches should a sales cadence have?
For a Tier 1 account we plan 10 to 14. This template uses 12 over 17 days. Lower tiers get fewer, because the research behind each touch is thinner.
How long should a sales cadence last?
About three weeks for one person. After that, pause for 90 days or approach someone else in the account with a new reason.
What is the best channel order for outreach?
Start where a short, low-pressure touch is normal (LinkedIn, then email), move to the phone once your name is familiar, and keep voice and video notes for the second half.
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