Stop missing opportunities with your Out Of Office auto-reply messages

By the time you receive this email, my OOO auto reply will be on for the first time (and not the last) since January.

Unsurprisingly, the number of OOO auto replies I’ve received in the past few weeks as a response to my newsletters has been growing steadily.

Here, in the Northern Hemisphere, or at least in Europe, people are taking their vacations seriously. They don’t want to check their emails, or even think about emails - and even though the inbox is my absolute favourite online space to hang out in (careful curation, folks, careful curation), I can totally understand and respect that. 

But ngl, I love checking out other people’s Out Of Office auto-replies, because I think that many people, especially those who are in leadership positions, are missing out on making the most out of those.

Since our brains love things presented in 3s, here are 3 examples of really great OOO auto-replies that actually go the extra mile and why:

The Out Of Office auto-reply message that Dave (my client) set up recently

Dave is one of the coolest and funniest people I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Unsurprisingly, his OOO auto-reply (shared with permission AND consent) is doing a couple of things absolutely right:

• It’s very much “on brand” for him and The Colibrily Crew, spicing things up with personality and humor (AKA “edge”) 

• He lets you into his inner circle by keeping things personal (“trying to be a really cool dad who does fun stuff with his kid”), which shows you his values and priorities

• But also manages some expectations (“I will check emails”) and provides the recipient with alternatives for getting in touch with him, if it’s an absolute must.

Final score: 8.5/10

NYT's Erin Grau viral Out Of Office auto-reply message

Erin Grau is one of the five women in the New York Times who managed to successfully change the newspaper’s paid parental leave policy. 

In 2017, her OOO message went viral because it did so many things right:

• She tells you why she can’t read your email right now, and until when, but keeps being focused on the goal of this auto-reply rather than getting into the “TMI zone”

• She connected her message directly to the impact and change she helped bring, while backing everything she mentioned up with scientific findings

• This OOO message is on the shorter side, but looks so different from other ones you see in your inbox that you can’t help but read all the way through it, and perhaps click on a few links. Mission accomplished, big time.

Final score: 9.5/10

My OOO auto-reply from half a year ago-ish

Last, but certainly not least, my own OOO auto-reply message from the end of last year. 

When you think about who is potentially getting those messages (prospects, clients, newsletter operators, spammers…), and how you could possibly support them, keep them engaged, or introduce yourself without being currently present, your whole perspective on what to write in those messages changes.  

Here’s why I included what I did:

• It’s “on brand” with my terms and quirks. Also, starting off with food, humor, and winter sun would get anyone to continue reading on, right??

• I’m managing expectations of when I’ll be back “in office”, as well as letting folks know that it might take me a little while to get back to their emails

• It included links that sell and nurture - depending on the recipient. That little nudge for spammers who need to book a consult with me if their emails never got a reply is chef’s kiss, if I may say so myself.

What would I do differently?

• Sharpen my messaging around my sales copy (something I’m constantly working on)

• Make it slightly shorter and possibly with fewer links

Final score: 9/10

Long story short, if you haven’t set up your OOO message yet, here’s what I can recommend you include in it:

1. Infuse the message with your personality, humor, quirks, and some BTS of where you’re spending your vacay

2. Set expectations of when you’ll be back, and whenever possible, give alternative contact details of whoever is keeping the ship afloat

3. Connect it back to your values and impact - whether it’s the fact that you’re trying to achieve better work/life harmony, why you chose your vacation destination, or anything in between

4. Include at least one Call To Action (CTA) to help your recipient with their journey with you and your brand (remember, your clients/customers will most likely know that you’re taking time off. This automatic reply is aimed for other types of senders) - you never know who will end up reading your OOO message, so make it stand out and make it count!

5. Keep things short & sweet (or savory) as much as possible

   
   

And in case you don’t want to set up an OOO auto-reply message, you can outsource (outhorse) your email replies to horses in Iceland. I’m sure they’re treated and compensated very well, and I’m genuinely considering trying it out.

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Need assistance with your emails this summer, or any time of the year, to discover the hidden 6 and 7 figures in your email list? Check out my services, or let's have a chat about what's possible for you.