A prospecting sequence organizes successive touches with one person: which message, on which channel, at what interval, and until when. It avoids two pitfalls: the single message with no follow-up, and the improvised follow-up that repeats the first message.
The structure of a sequence
- The first message states the reason, drawn from a buying signal, and asks a precise question.
- The first follow-up, a few days later, brings something new: an example or another reading of the signal.
- A channel change if the first stays unanswered: a LinkedIn message after an email, or the reverse.
- A short last message, which leaves the door open without pushing.
Every step stays tied to the initial reason. A sequence whose steps don’t build on each other looks like a series of generic messages.
The role of the signal in the sequence
The signal gives the whole sequence its thread, beyond the first message: the follow-up can return to another facet of the same fact, or point to a new fact observed since. In the example below, the follow-up moves from the priority the person announced to the job ad their team published afterwards.
Adapting each channel
An email supports a bit more context; a LinkedIn message must fit in a few lines; a call opening plays out in two sentences. The template after a new role shows an example on LinkedIn, in three messages.
Example
After a new role, the sequence starts with an email that cites a priority announced by the person. The follow-up, five days later, mentions the job ad their team just published. The third touch goes through LinkedIn, in one sentence, and if it goes unanswered, a last message closes the sequence.
See also: Signal-based selling, Buying signal, Sales follow-up, and Multichannel prospecting.