Glossary
What is a sales sequence?
A planned series of outreach steps, like emails, LinkedIn touches and calls, sent over days until a prospect replies.
Definition
A sales sequence, also called a cadence, is a planned series of outreach steps, such as emails, LinkedIn touches and calls, sent to a prospect over a set number of days until they reply or the sequence ends. It makes follow-up consistent instead of depending on a rep remembering who to chase.
What a sequence contains
- Steps. Each touch, in order: an email, a connection request, a call, a follow-up.
- Channels. Email alone, or a mix of email, LinkedIn, X and phone.
- Timing. The gap between steps, often a few business days.
- Exit rules. What stops the sequence: a reply, a booked meeting, a bounce or an opt-out.
An example five-step sequence
An illustrative sequence for a founder selling to agency owners:
- Day 1, email. Short note with a specific reason for reaching out.
- Day 2, LinkedIn. Connection request with no pitch.
- Day 4, email. Reply in the same thread with one useful idea or example.
- Day 8, LinkedIn. Comment on a recent post, or a short message if connected.
- Day 14, email. A polite close-the-loop note that makes saying no easy.
Anyone who replies leaves the sequence and gets a personal response.
Sequence vs campaign
A sequence is personal and staged: each person moves through steps on their own clock and drops out when they respond. A bulk campaign sends one message to a whole list at once, like a newsletter or announcement. Sequences suit prospecting; campaigns suit updates to people who already know you. Keep prospects in a sequence until they reply or finish it, and only then add them to occasional campaigns.
Common mistakes
- Not stopping when someone replies, so they get a "just bumping this" after saying yes.
- Too many steps squeezed into too few days.
- Repeating the same pitch instead of adding something new each time.
- Ignoring time zones and weekends.
- Sending the same template to hundreds of people at the same minute, which looks like bulk mail.
How Siela AI uses it
Siela's built-in CRM includes email sequences and bulk campaigns with open and click tracking, and its AI SDR can add optional AI follow-ups.
Questions
How many steps should a sales sequence have?
There is no single right number. Many B2B teams use somewhere between three and eight touches over two to four weeks, mixing email and social. Fewer, more useful steps usually beat many repetitive ones. Watch replies and opt-outs per step and cut the steps that add nothing.
What is the difference between a sales sequence and a sales cadence?
In practice they mean the same thing: a planned series of outreach steps over time. Some teams use cadence for the rhythm and timing, and sequence for the actual set of messages, but most sales tools and teams use the two words interchangeably.
Less jargon, more conversations.
Siela AI finds people with a fresh reason to talk, reaches them on LinkedIn, X and email from your own accounts, and keeps your social going.