Persistence is the Regen value most stores lose first. A salesperson's memory is not a system: leads get two attempts, the third falls through a busy Saturday, and the customer buys from whoever kept showing up with something useful. A cadence is a written plan for every touch, by day, hour and channel, that ends the moment the customer engages. This chapter lays out the fourteen Regen cadences, day by day for the seven that run the sales floor, with the channel mix and timing that make each one work.
Why cadences beat memory
Most leads do not reply to the first message. Many reply to the fourth or fifth, the day the timing finally suited them. Most salespeople stop after two or three attempts because newer leads arrived. A cadence removes the decision: every lead gets the full plan, whether it came in at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday or 11 p.m. on a holiday.
Running cadences by hand is also where BDC payroll goes. Agentic super intelligence runs the touches; people make the calls the cadence asks for. That is the cost savings story in its plainest form: the same persistence, or more, with far fewer manual touches per appointment.
The seven rules every cadence follows
- Every touch earns its place. New information, a useful asset or one easy question. "Just checking in" is banned.
- Any reply ends the cadence. The cadence stops and the conversation begins. Nobody gets a scheduled "Are you still interested?" an hour after telling you their budget.
- Mix the channels. A cadence that uses one channel is a cadence the customer learns to ignore.
- Dense early, then taper. Interest peaks in the first 72 hours. Touch often while it is warm, then space out.
- Time it to their life. Proactive sends land between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. in the customer's local time, narrowed by Guardian wherever a state rule is stricter. Never the same hour twice in a row.
- Human tasks are explicit. A call task is a queue item with a due time and an owner, not a suggestion.
- One owner per cadence, one human per opportunity. Each cadence has an owning agent; each opportunity has a named person accountable for it.
The cadence map
| Cadence id | Agent | Audience |
|---|---|---|
| new-lead-30-day | Respond | Every new sales lead, any source |
| phone-up-follow-up | Converse | Sales calls that ended without an appointment |
| no-show-recovery | Converse | Missed appointments |
| unsold-showroom | Converse | Visited, did not buy |
| post-credit-app | Converse | Credit application submitted online |
| long-cycle-nurture | Campaign | Days 30 to 365, no purchase |
| lease-end-equity | Campaign | Lease customers, owners with possible equity |
| sold-customer-lifecycle | Campaign | Every sold customer |
| review-and-referral | Campaign | Sold customers, days 1 to 30 |
| revive-aged-leads | Revive | Lost and aged leads, by segment (chapter 08) |
| revive-credit-rebuild | Revive | Credit worry segment (chapter 08) |
| service-declined-work | Service | Declined repairs (chapter 13) |
| service-to-sales-equity | Service | Service customers with equity signals (chapter 13) |
| recall-outreach | Service | Owners with an open recall (chapter 13) |
Unsold, no-show and new leads that never engage flow into long-cycle-nurture at day 30; long-cycle records flow to Revive at day 365. Every cadence exits on a reply, an appointment set, a sale, an opt-out in any wording, "bought elsewhere", a wrong number, or a human pausing it.
New lead, days 0 to 30 (new-lead-30-day)
Respond owns the first reply in under 60 seconds, 24/7. The rest of the cadence runs until the customer engages.
| Day | When (local) | Channel | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Within 60 seconds | Text | Answer their question, one easy question back |
| 0 | Within 5 minutes, open hours | Call task | Live conversation; voicemail if no answer |
| 0 | Within 1 hour | Vehicle details, photos, walkaround video, two appointment options | |
| 1 | 10:30 | Text | Personal video of the vehicle they asked about |
| 1 | 17:30 | Call task | Second call attempt at a different time of day |
| 2 | 12:00 | Answers to the questions people usually ask about this vehicle | |
| 3 | 18:00 | Text | One specific question about their needs |
| 5 | 11:00 | Call task | Third call; voicemail references the video |
| 7 | 16:00 | Text | Similar vehicles in stock, sent as vehicle cards |
| 10 | 10:00 | Trade and appraisal options | |
| 14 | 17:00 | Text | A different angle: lease or finance, new or pre-owned |
| 21 | 12:30 | A short recap and an open door | |
| 30 | 18:00 | Text | Permission to close, then long-cycle-nurture |
Day 3, text, one question (Converse sends):
Hi {{first_name}}, a quick one so {{rep_name}} only shows you what fits: will the {{model}} mostly be for commuting, or more for family trips and weekends?
Day 30, text, permission to close:
Hi {{first_name}}, I don't want to crowd your inbox. Are you still shopping for a {{model}}, or should I close your file for now?
Why it works: the touches change channel, time and content, so the customer always gets something new. A reply at any point turns the cadence into a conversation.
Phone-up follow-up (phone-up-follow-up)
A sales call that ends without an appointment is a lead that already trusted you with a conversation. Within 5 minutes of hanging up, a text thanks them and sends the vehicle card. Within the hour, an email carries the details promised on the call. Day 1 at 11:00, a text offers two appointment times. Day 3 at 17:30, a call task brings one new piece of information. Day 7, a text sends similar vehicles or an update. Then the lead follows the new-lead-30-day timeline.
No-show recovery (no-show-recovery)
The first 15 minutes after a missed appointment decide whether you get a second chance. Call first, text second, never scold.
| When | Channel | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes after the missed time | Call task, then text | Make sure they are fine, offer to reschedule |
| Next morning, 10:00 | Text | Two new times |
| Day 2, 17:30 | Call task | Live conversation |
| Day 4, 12:00 | Vehicle video and an easy booking link | |
| Day 7, 18:00 | Text | A different angle: a video appraisal, or a visit closer to home |
| Day 14, 11:00 | Text | Permission to close, then long-cycle-nurture |
15 minutes after, text:
Hi {{first_name}}, it's {{rep_name}} at {{dealer_name}}. We had you down for {{appointment_time}} and I wanted to make sure everything's okay. If today got away from you, no problem. Would later today or tomorrow morning work better?
Unsold showroom (unsold-showroom)
A customer who visited and left without buying has seen your store, your people and the vehicle. They are the warmest lead you have. The top 1% standard is a personal video from the salesperson inside two hours.
| When | Channel | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Within 2 hours of leaving | Video by text, human | Thank them by name, recap what they liked, name the next step |
| Day 1, 11:00 | Call task | Answer anything left open; confirm next step |
| Day 2, 17:30 | Text | Something new: a feature they asked about, a similar unit |
| Day 4, 12:00 | Written summary of options, with the pencil available on request | |
| Day 7, 18:00 | Call task, sales manager | A manager introduces themself and asks what would help |
| Day 14, 11:00 | Text | A different angle |
| Day 30, 17:00 | Text | Permission to close, then long-cycle-nurture |
Within 2 hours, video script (rep, 45 seconds):
Hi {{first_name}}, it's {{rep_name}}. Thanks for coming in today. I'm standing next to the {{vehicle}} you drove. You mentioned the third row mattered most, so here's how it folds flat in one pull. Take tonight to think it over. I'll check in tomorrow around eleven, and if anything comes up before then, just text me here.
Day 7, manager call opening:
Hi {{first_name}}, this is [manager name], the sales manager at {{dealer_name}}. {{rep_name}} told me you were in last week looking at the {{vehicle}}. I'm calling to ask one thing: was there anything we could have done better, or anything still standing in the way?
Why it works: the manager call is not a pressure call. It is a service call, and it surfaces the real objection more often than any other touch.
Post-credit-application (post-credit-app)
A submitted credit application is a high-trust moment and a high-risk one. The rules are strict: never text an approval, a decline, a rate or a payment. Status conversations happen with a person, by phone or in person, and any adverse action notice goes out through the store's established process, never in a sales text.
| When | Channel | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Within 1 minute | Text | Confirm receipt; a person will review it |
| Within 15 minutes, open hours | Call task, finance or sales | Live conversation about next steps |
| Day 0, end of day | Text | If not reached, offer two times to talk |
| Day 1, 10:30 | Call task | Second call attempt |
| Day 2, 17:00 | Text | Ask for any missing documents, by secure upload link |
| Day 4, 12:00 | Call task, manager | Personal call |
Within 1 minute, text:
Hi {{first_name}}, we've received your application. A member of our finance team will review it personally and reach out shortly. If you'd like to talk sooner, call {{dealer_phone}}.
Day 0, text, follow-up:
Hi {{first_name}}, our finance team has an update on your application and would like to go over it with you. Is now good for a quick call, or would this evening be better?
Long cycle, days 30 to 365 (long-cycle-nurture)
After 30 days, the customer is shopping slowly or has paused. Campaign keeps you present without becoming noise. Every message is tied to their profile: the model they asked about, their trade, their timing.
| Day | Channel | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 45 | New arrivals matching their profile | |
| 60 | Text | One question: has the timing changed? |
| 90 | Market update for their trade's model | |
| 120 | Text | Vehicle card for a matching unit, or a price change on a saved vehicle |
| 180 | Six-month check-in with an appraisal offer | |
| 270 | Text | New model-year arrivals for their model |
| 365 | A year-on note and an open door; then Revive takes the record as an aged lead |
Day 60, text:
Hi {{first_name}}, the {{dealer_name}} virtual assistant here, working with {{rep_name}}. When we last talked you were looking at a {{model}}. Has your timing changed at all? If you're ready to look again, I'll send what's in stock.
Long-cycle messages go out only where the consent ledger allows the channel. If any step pushes opt-outs above 2%, rewrite it.
Lease-end and equity (lease-end-equity)
The best time to talk to an owner is before they start shopping. Campaign enrolls lease customers about nine months before maturity, and owners whose vehicle may be worth more than they owe, based on the store's market data and payoff estimates.
| Timing | Channel | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 9 months before lease end | Explain their options: return, buy out, or upgrade early | |
| 6 months before | Text | Invite a no-pressure lease review |
| 4 months before | Call task | Personal call from their salesperson |
| 3 months before | New model-year comparisons | |
| 2 months before | Text | Two appointment options for an inspection and review |
| 1 month before | Call task | Return logistics, or the next vehicle |
| Equity signal, any time | Text | Offer a fresh appraisal, no numbers stated |
Equity signal, text (first message from the agent):
Hi {{first_name}}, this is the {{dealer_name}} virtual assistant, working with {{rep_name}}. Used values have moved, and your {{trade_vehicle}} may be worth more than you think. Want a quick, no-obligation appraisal at your next visit? Reply STOP to opt out.
Why it works: "may be worth more" is true and promises nothing. The real number comes from a person with the vehicle in front of them.
Sold customer lifecycle (sold-customer-lifecycle and review-and-referral)
The sale is the start of the relationship. Two cadences run in parallel after delivery: sold-customer-lifecycle for the long relationship and review-and-referral for the first 30 days. Chapters 12 and 14 cover the conversations in detail.
| When | Channel | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Day 0, evening | Text, human | Thank you from the salesperson |
| Day 1 | Call task | How was the first night? Any questions about features? |
| Day 3 | Text | Review invitation, with private feedback offered alongside |
| Day 7 | Video | A feature tip they asked about at delivery |
| Day 30 | Call task | First-month check, referral ask |
| Day 90 | Text | First service reminder, handed to Service |
| Months 6 and 12 | Email, then text | Owner tips; ownership anniversary |
| Month 18 onward | Text | Equity check, joining lease-end-equity |
Day 0, evening, text (human sends):
{{first_name}}, thank you for choosing {{dealer_name}} today. Enjoy the {{vehicle}}. If anything at all comes up tonight or this week, text me right here. I'll call tomorrow to see how the first day went.
Channel mix and timing
- Text starts conversations and carries quick questions, confirmations and videos. Never a price, payment, rate or approval as fact.
- Email carries detail, comparisons and recaps. Write subject lines like a person, not an ad.
- Call tasks bring warmth and settle objections. Vary the time of day and always leave a short voicemail.
- Voice places outbound calls inside a cadence only with recorded prior express written consent, and says it is an AI assistant in its first sentence.
- Video shows the vehicle and the person. Keep it under two minutes, with clean sound.
Late morning (10:00 to 12:00) and early evening (17:00 to 19:00) local time carry most replies from working adults. Rotate between them.
How Regen runs this
Respond runs new-lead-30-day from the first 60 seconds. Converse owns phone-up-follow-up, no-show-recovery, unsold-showroom and post-credit-app, and answers every reply. Campaign runs long-cycle-nurture, lease-end-equity, sold-customer-lifecycle and review-and-referral with consent checks and pacing. Revive takes records at day 365, and Service runs the service-lane cadences. Voice places outbound calls only where consent allows; everywhere else the call is a human task. Guardian checks and logs every send. Coach scores the human touches. Insight reports cadence performance and the manual touches the agents absorbed. Cadences are where the super intelligence saves the most labor, and where leads stop getting lost in the first place.
What managers inspect
- Overdue call tasks at 08:45: zero by 09:15.
- Unsold showroom customers from yesterday: every one with a personal video or call logged.
- Each cadence's reply rate and opt-out rate by step: rewrite the worst step every month.
- Post-credit-app conversations: confirm no approval, decline, rate or payment was ever texted.
- Manual touches per appointment, trending down.
Targets
- Strong store target: follow-up compliance 90%. Top 1% operator target: 98%+. Rationale: a cadence only works if every task happens on time.
- Strong store target: contact rate 55%. Top 1% operator target: 70%+. Rationale: persistence across channels reaches people who never answer the first message.
- Strong store target: appointment set rate 30%. Top 1% operator target: 40%+. Rationale: every touch ends with an easy next step.
- Strong store target: unsold showroom follow-up 95%. Top 1% operator target: 100%, with a personal video inside 2 hours. Rationale: the warmest lead you have deserves the most personal touch.
- Strong store target: opt-out rate under 2%. Top 1% operator target: under 1%. Rationale: relevant touches keep people subscribed.
- Strong store target: manual touches per appointment down 50% from baseline. Top 1% operator target: down 70%. Rationale: agents run the cadence; people make the calls that matter.