If you're running sales through Scrubby and feel like your cadences are just "okay," you're not alone. Most teams set up a few templates, hope for replies, and call it a day. But if you want more than just going through the motions—if you actually want to see replies, demos booked, and deals closed—it's time to sharpen how you use cadences. This guide is for the practical salesperson or manager who wants to boost conversion rates without getting lost in sales theory.
Let’s get into the nuts and bolts of making your Scrubby cadences actually work. No fluff, no “industry best practices” that nobody follows anyway.
1. Get Real About Your Sales Cadence Goals
Before you start tweaking steps or rewriting emails, ask yourself: What is this cadence supposed to do? Not every prospect is the same, and not every sequence should be either. Scrubby (here’s their product page) gives you plenty of customization, so use it.
Start by defining:
- Who’s this cadence for? (Cold leads vs. warm intros vs. follow-ups)
- What’s the actual goal? (Reply, booking a call, something else?)
- How will you know if it’s working? (Replies, clicks, meetings, etc.)
Pro Tip: Don’t try to build a “universal” cadence. You’ll end up with watered-down messages that don’t move anyone.
2. Audit Your Current Cadences (Most People Skip This)
Before you pile on more steps or buy new templates, look at what you’re already doing.
How to audit:
- Pull up your existing cadences in Scrubby.
- Export recent performance data—open rates, reply rates, conversions.
- Skim through your actual messages. Are they generic? Too long? Do they sound like a robot wrote them?
- Identify steps that consistently kill momentum (e.g., a weak third email that tanks replies).
What to ignore:
- Vanity metrics like open rates (unless they’re really low).
- Copy that “looks good” but never gets replies.
Fix what’s broken before you add anything new.
3. Map Out a Simple, Sensible Cadence
Most sales teams make one of two mistakes: too many steps (“Let’s try 17 emails!”) or too few (“I guess I’ll just send a follow-up…”). The sweet spot is usually 5–7 touchpoints over 2–3 weeks, mixing channels.
A basic, effective cadence in Scrubby:
- Day 1: Personal email (short, clear ask)
- Day 3: LinkedIn message (optional, if you use it)
- Day 5: Follow-up email (reply to your first, not a new thread)
- Day 8: Phone call or voicemail (yes, calls still work)
- Day 12: Breakup email (“Should I close your file?”)
Tips:
- Don’t overthink timing. A few days between steps is fine.
- If you hate getting spammed, don’t spam your prospects.
What to skip: Cadences with 10+ steps, or ones that use every channel “just because.” You’re not more persuasive if you’re just more persistent.
4. Write Messages That Sound Like a Human
People can tell when you’re using a template. That doesn’t mean templates are bad—just don’t rely on ones that sound like they came from a sales blog in 2015.
What works:
- First line: Make it about them, not you (“Saw your team just hired a new VP…”)
- Keep it under 100 words, especially in the first email.
- Ask a clear, simple question (“Are you the right person for this?” or “Is X a priority for you this year?”)
- Use Scrubby’s merge fields, but check that they don’t make your messages weird if the data is missing.
What doesn’t:
- “Hope this email finds you well…”
- Explaining your product in paragraph one.
- Gimmicks (“Did you see the game last night?” when you have no idea if they care)
Pro Tip: Write your templates out loud. If you wouldn’t say it, don’t send it.
5. Use Scrubby’s Automation Features—But Don’t Over-Automate
Scrubby’s automation is great for taking grunt work off your plate. But full automation isn’t always better. The more you automate, the colder your outreach feels.
What to automate:
- Scheduling sends (so you don’t have to remember to follow up)
- Merging in basic personalization (name, company, recent news)
- Tracking replies and auto-pausing cadences on response
What not to automate:
- Deep personalization (e.g., referencing their recent blog post)
- Custom send times for VIP prospects
- Any outreach after someone replies
Watch out: It’s easy to set-and-forget cadences and blast hundreds of prospects. That’s how you end up in spam folders or, worse, on LinkedIn “bad sales” threads.
6. Test, Don’t Guess
The only way to know if your cadence is working is to test it. Scrubby makes A/B testing pretty painless, so use it.
How to run a simple test:
- Pick one variable (subject line, email length, CTA).
- Split your prospects randomly between two versions.
- Run the test until you have at least 50–100 prospects per variant.
- Measure actual replies and meetings booked—not just open rates.
What to ignore: Tiny differences (“Should I use ‘Hi’ or ‘Hello’?”). Focus on what actually moves the needle.
Pro Tip: Keep your tests simple. Don’t try to test five things at once. You’ll just confuse yourself.
7. Measure What Matters (and Ignore the Rest)
Scrubby gives you a lot of data, but not all of it is useful. Focus on:
- Reply rate: Are people actually writing back?
- Positive outcomes: Meetings booked, deals started
- Drop-off points: Where do people stop opening or replying?
Don’t obsess over:
- Open rates (unless you think you’re landing in spam)
- Click rates (unless your CTA is a link)
- “Activity” stats that don’t tie to revenue
If you don’t know what metric matters, start with reply rate and meetings booked. Everything else is noise.
8. Iterate, Don’t Reinvent
You’re not going to build the perfect cadence on the first try. And you don’t need to. The best teams review and tweak their cadences every month or quarter, based on real data.
Quick review checklist:
- Are replies going up, down, or flat?
- Are certain steps getting ignored?
- Is the message still relevant (or does it feel dated)?
- Has your ideal customer changed?
What to ignore: Changing things just to change them. If something’s working, leave it alone.
Keep It Simple, Keep It Honest
Optimizing cadences in Scrubby isn’t magic. It’s about being clear on your goals, writing like a person, and checking what actually works. Don’t chase every new “hack” or overcomplicate your process. Start simple, test one thing at a time, and keep getting a little better each month. That’s how you actually boost conversion rates—no hype required.