What a cadence includes
A cadence answers four questions: which channels you use, how many touches, in what order, and how long to wait between them. A simple outbound cadence might start with a call and an email on the first day, a social message a few days later, another call the next week, and a final short email that closes the loop. Sales engagement tools automate the reminders and emails, but the cadence itself is a plan, not a piece of software.
Example
Day 1: call and email. Day 3: connect on LinkedIn with a short note. Day 6: call and leave a voicemail that mentions the email. Day 10: email with a relevant example. Day 15: a final call and a short email saying you'll close the file unless their timing changes.
Why it matters
Prospects rarely respond to the first touch. Busy people miss calls, skim emails and forget to reply even when they are interested. A planned cadence makes follow-up consistent instead of dependent on a rep's memory or mood, and it stops reps from either giving up too early or contacting someone so often that it becomes annoying. It also makes results comparable, so a team can test which sequence works better for a given type of prospect.
How to make each touch count
A cadence is only as good as its individual touches. Each one should add something: a different angle, a useful insight or a specific question, rather than 'just checking in'. Practice the call steps in particular, because they include both live conversations and voicemails. Rehearse a short voicemail that references your email, and an opener that works whether or not the prospect has read it.