Channel mix and order

The channel mix works when the prospect experiences one conversation, even when you use several routes to reach them. Choose channels based on how the person engages, give each touch a job, and carry context forward so each contact connects to the last. Channel order is mostly a matter of personal preference,¹ while multichannel outreach aims to reach prospects through the engagement methods they prefer.²

Build the mix

Start with the person and the response you want from the next touch. A good mix gives the prospect a reasonable way to see, understand, and answer the outreach.

Change the communication channel based on the recipient's persona.³ Ask, "What's the best way to communicate with you moving forward? Email, text, cell?".⁴ Use the answer to choose the next route whenever you have it.

Your mix can include phone, email, chat, SMS, and social.⁵ A multichannel sequence can also use email, a LinkedIn direct message, voicemail, or a short video.⁶ Choose the smallest mix that reaches the person on the routes they are most likely to use and gives each touch a distinct purpose.

Choose the first channel

The first channel sets the context for everything that follows. Treat it as a starting hypothesis built around the persona, the available context, and the response you want.

A sequence can start with a text direct message, including a LinkedIn direct message.⁷ Email, phone, and social are workable entry points when the rest of the sequence supports the opening choice. Move on when you can explain why the channel fits the person and what the next touch will add.

Make the first message easy to place in context. The prospect should understand why you reached out and what response would move the conversation forward. If they answer through another route, follow that route for the next exchange and adjust the planned order.

Give each touch a job

A channel earns its place when it changes what the prospect can do next. Write the job of every touch before you put it into the cadence.

Give every touch unique value or context.⁸ A message can introduce the reason for contact, a call can create a live exchange, and a social touch can continue the thread after the first contact. Connect the wording and purpose across the sequence so each touch advances the conversation.

Run email, calls, and LinkedIn in close succession, then stack email and LinkedIn with calls later in the sequence.⁹ If a call or voicemail starts the exchange, make the next message carry the same reason for contact and add a clear way to respond. When the prospect engages, leave the planned cadence and handle the conversation in the channel they chose.

Set the spacing

1

Initial message

2

Follow-up

3

Third contact

1. Initial message
2. Follow-up
3. Third contact

Spacing controls whether several touches feel coordinated or crowded. Plan the gaps before launch, then vary the route and timing enough to give each attempt room to work.

An effective sequence can use an initial message, a follow-up four to five days later with a different angle, and a third contact on another channel.¹⁰ Vary the time of day, the days you reach out, and the channel used for follow-up.¹¹

Give the prospect a new reason to answer when you return. A new subject line does not make a repeated message new. When a prospect responds, stop the scheduled touches and work the live thread.

Coordinate the execution

Each person running a touch should be able to see what happened before it. Keep the channel, message, timing, and next action together in one operating view.

Cadence steps can include email, phone calls, social outreach, and custom tasks, with a call script or email template attached and timing set between steps.¹² Write the intended action for each step, attach the material the rep needs, and set the delay before the next route. This keeps a call from ignoring an email that has already gone out.

Where direct mail is part of the plan, coordinate it with digital work. Using direct mail and digital together increases the effectiveness of both tactics.¹³ The physical piece can earn attention while digital channels provide frequency.¹⁴ Give the mail touch a place in the same sequence so the follow-up refers to the contact the prospect has already received.

What not to do

These mistakes make a mixed cadence feel like several disconnected campaigns. Avoid them before the sequence goes live.

• Keep call attempts spaced over time, and substitute emails, social touches, or texts.¹⁵
• Texting belongs after rapport exists; use another channel for the first cold touch.¹⁶
• Run email, phone, and LinkedIn as one coordinated sequence, with each touch aware of the others.¹⁷
• Pair voicemail with the other outreach channels.¹⁸

Before launch, write down the persona, the first channel, the job of each touch, and the handoff to the next route. Then review every reply for a channel preference and let that preference shape the next conversation.