[GTM glossary](/glossary.md) Call cadence Sales Development & Prospecting # Call cadence In short A call cadence is the plan for how many times, and at what intervals, a rep calls a prospect. It defines the number of attempts, the gaps between them, the best times of day, and when to stop. A call cadence covers phone touches only. A sales cadence or multichannel sequence mixes calls with email and social. A call blitz is a single concentrated calling session, not a repeating schedule. ## What a call cadence defines * **Attempts:** The total number of calls before a prospect is paused or recycled. * **Spacing:** Days between calls. Too tight feels pushy; too loose loses momentum. * **Timing:** Time windows and time zones when your buyers tend to pick up. * **Voicemail rules:** Whether to leave a message, and what it says on each attempt. * **Exit criteria:** When a prospect is booked, disqualified, or moved to nurture. --- ## How to build a call cadence ### Start from your priority tiers High-fit accounts and fresh inbound leads deserve more attempts and faster spacing. Low-fit leads get fewer calls. Tie the cadence to a fit or intent score rather than one rule for everyone. ### Vary the message each attempt Change the reason for calling on every touch: a trigger event, a relevant result, a question. Repeating the same voicemail teaches prospects to ignore you. ### Pair calls with other channels Calls work better with an email or LinkedIn touch between them. Treat the call cadence as the phone layer inside a wider multichannel sequence. ### Test and adjust Review connect rates by time of day and attempt number, then change spacing and windows. Change one variable at a time so you can see what worked. --- ## Example Say a team calls a new inbound lead within minutes, again the next day, then on day three, day six, and day ten, leaving a voicemail on attempts one, three, and five. After attempt five without a reply, the lead moves to a nurture list. The numbers are illustrative, not a recommendation. --- ## Common mistakes * Giving up after one or two calls. * Calling at the same time of day every attempt. * Using the same cadence for every lead. * Not logging attempts, causing duplicate or conflicting calls from teammates. --- ## Call cadence FAQs **What is a call cadence in sales?** A call cadence is the planned schedule for phoning a prospect: how many attempts to make, how many days apart, at what times, and when to stop. It keeps follow-up consistent so leads are neither neglected nor harassed. **How many times should you call a prospect in a cadence?** There is no universal number. Many teams choose a range of attempts spread over a couple of weeks, with more for high-fit or inbound leads. Test your own connect rates by attempt number, then set a limit and an exit path. **What is the difference between a call cadence and a sales cadence?** A call cadence schedules phone attempts only. A sales cadence covers every touch to a prospect, including email, social, and calls, in a set order and timing. The call cadence is usually one layer inside it. **What is the best time of day to follow a call cadence?** It depends on your buyers, their roles, and their time zones. Try a few windows, such as early morning, lunchtime, and late afternoon, and compare connect rates. Rotate attempt times so you do not always miss the same window. Share term --- ## More related phrases * [Connect rate](/glossary/connect-rate.md) * [Email cadence](/glossary/email-cadence.md) * [Follow-up](/glossary/follow-up.md) ## Similar phrases * [Call blitz](/glossary/call-blitz.md) A call blitz is a short, focused block of time when a sales team makes as many outbound calls as possible to a defined list, to book meetings or clear a backlog. * [Sales cadence](/glossary/sales-cadence.md) A sales cadence is a planned series of touches across email, phone, and social over set days, used to engage a prospect until they respond or opt out. * [Multichannel outreach](/glossary/multichannel-outreach.md) Multichannel outreach reaches prospects through several channels, such as email, phone, and LinkedIn, in a coordinated sequence to raise the chance of a reply. * [Speed to lead](/glossary/speed-to-lead.md) Speed to lead is how quickly your team makes first contact with a new inbound lead after it shows interest, and it shapes whether that lead engages at all. * [Cold calling](/glossary/cold-calling.md) Cold calling is phoning prospects who have had no prior contact with your company, with the aim of starting a conversation or booking a meeting.