sequence_patterns.md
99 lines · small-business/skills/outreach-composer/reference/sequence_patterns.md at 2574e29
Most marks come from matching words in the file, so treat them as pointers.
Sequence Patterns
Structure and cadence by scenario. The rule underneath all of them: every message adds something new. A touch whose only content is "checking in" teaches the recipient to ignore the sender.
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Cold outreach — 4 messages, 3 weeks
| # | Day | Angle | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | The trigger. Why them, why now, one small ask | 120 words |
| 2 | +4 | A comparable result — a similar customer, a specific number | 60 words |
| 3 | +11 | Something genuinely useful, asking nothing | 80 words |
| 4 | +21 | Clean close-out. Say you'll stop, leave the door open | 40 words |
Message 3 is the one most owners skip and the one that most often works. Send something the prospect can use whether or not they ever buy — a relevant code change, a seasonal warning, a benchmark. It is the only message in the sequence that isn't asking for something, which is exactly why it gets read.
Message 4 matters too. A clean "I'll leave it here, reach out anytime" gets more replies than any of the middle touches, because it removes the pressure.
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Warm or referral — 3 messages, 2 weeks
| # | Day | Angle | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | Lead with the connection by name. Ask directly | 150 words |
| 2 | +5 | Add the specific relevance to their situation | 70 words |
| 3 | +14 | Close out, and mention you'll tell the referrer you tried | 50 words |
Name the referrer in the first line. Burying it in paragraph two wastes the only real advantage this sequence has.
Confirm the referrer is happy to be named before sending. Using someone's name without asking can cost the owner a relationship worth more than the deal.
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Post-meeting follow-up — 2 messages, 10 days
| # | Day | Angle | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 (same day) | What was agreed, what happens next, who does what | 100 words |
| 2 | +7 | The specific next step, if nothing has moved | 50 words |
Same-day matters more than polish here. A short accurate recap sent within hours beats a careful one sent Monday.
If a proposal was promised, this sequence hands off to proposal-builder rather than trying to cover it.
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Re-engagement of a quiet customer — 3 messages, 4 weeks
| # | Day | Angle | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | Acknowledge the gap honestly. No pitch | 90 words |
| 2 | +10 | What has changed since — new service, new hours, new capability | 80 words |
| 3 | +28 | A specific, time-bound reason to come back | 70 words |
The first message must not sell. A customer who went quiet often did so for a reason, and a pitch confirms they were right to. Ask what happened, and mean it.
If they answer with a complaint, stop the sequence and hand to review-reputation or ticket-deflector. Continuing to sell over a complaint is how a quiet customer becomes a public review.
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Universal rules
Stop the sequence on any reply. Including an out-of-office, until it expires. A follow-up landing after someone already answered is the clearest possible sign of automation.
Never send two messages in the same 48 hours.
Match the prospect's medium. If they replied by text, the follow-up is a text.
Vary the subject lines. Four messages with the same subject stack into one thread that reads as nagging. Each subject should reflect that message's angle.
Ceilings are ceilings, not targets. A 40-word message that says the thing outperforms a 118-word one that circles it.
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Sending windows
Send when the recipient reads, not when it is convenient to queue.
| Audience | Best window |
|---|---|
| Trades and field services | 6–8 am, or after 5 pm |
| Office and professional services | 8–10 am Tue–Thu |
| Retail and hospitality | Mid-morning, avoid weekends entirely |
| Healthcare practices | Early morning before clinic opens |
Avoid Monday morning and Friday afternoon for everything. Neither gets read.
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When to stop entirely
- They replied — stop, and hand to the owner
- They asked to be removed — stop permanently and record it
- The email hard-bounced — stop, and mark the contact bad so no other skill retries it
- Four touches with no engagement — stop. A fifth does not convert, it just annoys
Record every stop reason. The next run needs to know, and contacting someone the owner already burned is worse than not contacting them at all.
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