Sales Process Vs Sales Cadence

Okay, let's break down what an effective sales process and sales cadence
are, and how they work together.

1. The Sales Process: The Overall Roadmap

 What it is: A sales process is the entire repeatable set of steps

your sales team follows to move a potential customer (lead) from initial
awareness to a closed deal and potentially beyond (retention/upsell).
It's the strategic blueprint for your sales operation.

 Purpose:

o Provides structure and consistency.

o Makes sales performance predictable and measurable.

o Helps identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement.

o Facilitates training and onboarding new reps.

o Ensures alignment with the buyer's journey. 1

1. What Is the Buyer's Journey — and Why Should You Care About It? -
Salesforce

[Link]

o Improves forecasting accuracy.

 Typical Stages (can vary by business/industry):

1. Prospecting/Lead Generation: Identifying potential customers

through various means (marketing leads, outbound research,
referrals, etc.).

2. Qualification: Determining if a lead is a good fit (has the need,

budget, authority, and fits your Ideal Customer Profile - ICP). This
 often involves initial contact and discovery questions (e.g., using
frameworks like BANT or MEDDIC).

3. Needs Assessment/Discovery: Deeply understanding the

prospect's challenges, goals, pain points, and requirements
through detailed conversations.

4. Presentation/Demo: Showcasing how your product/service

specifically addresses the prospect's identified needs and
provides value.

5. Proposal/Quotation: Providing a formal document outlining the

solution, pricing, terms, and scope of work.

6. Negotiation & Objection Handling: Addressing concerns,

clarifying terms, and finding mutually agreeable conditions.

7. Closing: Obtaining commitment and finalizing the sale (signing

contracts, processing payment).

8. Onboarding & Follow-up: Ensuring a smooth transition for the

new customer and maintaining the relationship for retention and
potential future sales.

2. The Sales Cadence: The Specific Outreach Sequence

 What it is: A sales cadence is a structured sequence of

touchpoints (interactions) a salesperson uses to engage with a
specific prospect over a defined period. It's a tactic primarily used
during the prospecting, qualification, and sometimes follow-up
stages of the broader sales process.

 Purpose:

o Ensures consistent and persistent follow-up without being

haphazard or annoying.

o Maximizes the chances of connecting with busy prospects by

using multiple channels.

o Keeps salespeople organized and focused on their outreach

activities.

o Provides data on which outreach methods and messages are

most effective.
 o Increases efficiency by standardizing outreach efforts.

 Key Components of an Effective Cadence:

1. Target Audience: Clearly defined based on persona, industry,

lead source, etc. (Different segments might need different
cadences).

2. Number of Touchpoints: How many interactions will be

included (e.g., 8, 12, 15 touches). Research suggests multiple
touches (often 8+) are needed for initial engagement.

3. Duration: The timeframe over which the touches will occur

(e.g., 10 days, 3 weeks, 1 month).

4. Channels: The mix of communication methods used (e.g., email,

phone calls, LinkedIn messages/connection requests, video
messages, sometimes even direct mail). A multi-channel
approach is generally most effective.

5. Spacing/Timing: The interval between each touchpoint (e.g.,

Day 1, Day 3, Day 5...). Also considers the best time of day/day
of week for certain activities.

6. Content/Messaging: What is communicated at each step?

Should provide value, be personalized, and have a clear call-to-
action (CTA). Avoid generic "checking in" messages.

7. Exit Criteria: When does the cadence end for a specific

prospect? (e.g., prospect responds positively, prospect asks to
stop contact, prospect doesn't respond after all touches are
complete).

Example of a Simple Sales Cadence (B2B SaaS Prospecting):

 Day 1:

o Morning: Personalized Email #1 (Focus on a relevant trigger

event or pain point, offer value, clear CTA like suggesting a brief
call).

o Afternoon: LinkedIn Profile View & Connection Request (with a

short personalized note referencing the email).

 Day 3:
 o Morning: Phone Call #1 (Reference email, aim for a brief
discovery conversation. Leave a concise, value-focused voicemail
if no answer).

 Day 5:

o Afternoon: Email #2 (Follow-up on call/voicemail, provide a

different piece of value - e.g., a relevant case study or blog post,
reiterate CTA).

 Day 7:

o Morning: LinkedIn Interaction (Like or comment thoughtfully on

a prospect's post if applicable).

 Day 9:

o Afternoon: Phone Call #2 (Different time than the first call.

Leave a different voicemail if needed).

 Day 12:

o Morning: Email #3 (Perhaps a short personalized video message

embedded, focusing on a key benefit, alternative CTA like
suggesting specific times to connect).

 Day 15:

o Afternoon: Phone Call #3

 Day 18:

o Morning: Email #4 ("Break-up" email - Politely state this is the

last attempt for now, reiterate value prop briefly, leave the door
open for future contact if their situation changes). Exit Cadence
if no response.

How They Work Together:

The sales cadence is a tool used within the sales process.

 You might use one cadence for initial outbound prospecting (part of the
Prospecting stage).

 You might use a different, simpler cadence for following up after

sending a proposal (part of the Proposal/Follow-up stage).
  Another cadence could be designed to re-engage cold leads (part of
ongoing Prospecting).

Key Elements for Effectiveness:

1. Customer-Centricity: Both process and cadence should align with

how your customers want to buy.

2. Personalization: Generic approaches are less effective. Tailor

messaging within your cadence.

3. Value: Every interaction should aim to provide some value or insight

to the prospect.

4. Multi-Channel: Don't rely solely on email or phone. Mix channels

effectively.

5. Data-Driven: Use your CRM and sales engagement tools to track what
works (open rates, reply rates, call connection rates, meeting booked
rates).

6. Iteration: Continuously review and refine both your overall process

and specific cadences based on performance data and team feedback.

7. Technology: Leverage CRMs and Sales Engagement Platforms (SEPs)

to manage processes, automate cadences where appropriate, and
track results.

In essence, the sales process is the strategic map, and the sales cadence
is a specific, timed route you take for certain parts of the journey, especially
early on, to ensure you effectively navigate the terrain of prospect
engagement.

Developing Account Execution Strategy

Okay, that's a common and important collaborative task in modern sales
structures. When an SDR (Sales Development Representative) is expected to
work with an AE (Account Executive) to execute an account strategy, it
means the SDR plays a crucial role in the initial stages of penetrating and
developing specific, often high-value or strategic, target accounts identified
by the AE or sales leadership.

The AE typically owns the overall strategy and the relationship once it
becomes a qualified opportunity, focusing on closing the deal. The SDR's role
in "executing" the strategy involves laying the groundwork and
generating the initial qualified engagement within that account, guided
by the AE's plan.

Here’s what that typically entails for the SDR:

1. Understanding the Strategy:

o Account Briefing: Participating in meetings or receiving

detailed briefings from the AE about why this account is
strategic, what the AE knows about their business
needs/goals/pain points, potential competitors involved, and the
overall desired outcome (e.g., land a specific department,
displace a competitor, introduce a new product line).

o Identifying Key Personas: Understanding which roles/titles

within the account are critical to engage (e.g., decision-makers,
influencers, potential champions, technical buyers). The AE
might provide a starting list or general guidance.

2. Account Intelligence & Mapping:

o Deep Research: Going beyond basic prospecting to gather in-

depth intelligence specific to that account – reading their annual
reports, news articles, press releases, executive interviews,
social media activity, job postings, etc., to find relevant triggers,
challenges, or initiatives.

o Organizational Mapping: Identifying and verifying the key

contacts for the personas defined in the strategy. Building out a
mini-org chart within the CRM or sales tools to understand
reporting structures and potential internal connections.

o Technology Stack Identification (if applicable): Researching

what relevant technologies the account currently uses.

3. Targeted Outreach Execution:

o Crafting Personalized Messaging: Developing highly tailored

emails, LinkedIn messages, and call scripts that resonate with
the specific account's context and the identified personas' likely
challenges, referencing the research gathered. This messaging
should align with the overall value proposition the AE plans to
present later.
 o Multi-Threading: Strategically reaching out to multiple contacts
within the target account (as agreed upon with the AE) to
increase the chances of engagement and build consensus or find
a champion. This isn't just random outreach; it's targeted based
on the account map.

o Channel Mix Strategy: Using a coordinated mix of channels

(email, phone, social media like LinkedIn) as part of a specific
cadence designed for that strategic account, potentially different
from standard prospecting cadences.

4. Collaboration & Communication with the AE:

o Regular Syncs: Holding frequent (e.g., weekly or even daily)

check-ins with the AE to discuss progress, share intelligence
gathered, report on outreach results (what's working, what's
not), and refine the approach based on feedback.

o CRM Discipline: Meticulously logging all activities, contacts

identified, and intelligence gathered in the CRM so the AE has full
visibility.

o Coordinating Touchpoints: Ensuring the SDR and AE aren't

reaching out to the same contacts at the same time with
conflicting messages, unless it's a coordinated joint effort (e.g., a
co-signed email).

5. Qualifying & Setting Strategic Meetings:

o Initial Qualification: Engaging interested contacts to confirm

their relevance to the initiative, understand their initial needs,
and determine if they are the right person (or can lead to the
right person) for a deeper conversation with the AE.

o Booking the Meeting: The primary goal is often to book a

qualified discovery meeting specifically for the AE with the key
contact(s) identified in the strategy.

o Meeting Handoff: Providing the AE with a comprehensive brief

before the meeting, including all relevant context, intelligence
gathered, pain points uncovered, and the prospect's stated
objectives for the call.

In essence, the SDR acts as the AE's specialized "boots on the ground" for
initiating contact and generating qualified interest within high-priority
accounts, executing the critical first steps of the AE's broader strategic plan
for winning that business. It requires strong communication, research skills,
personalization, and close alignment between the SDR and AE.