Why Your Out Of Office Notifications Need Sprucing

It’s vacation time… 

But that doesn’t mean you need to get lazy on your out of office emails. 

In fact, this is an opportunity for you to spruce up your copy and see some real traction. 

So where did this conversation come from? 

Greg: The Originator Of Original OOO Emails

My good friend, Greg Melon, didn’t appreciate boring OOO emails. In fact, he loathed them. Instead of putting very little effort into those notifications, he spent a little more time on them. 

The results…

He grew a following just to see what he came up with. He actually posted the emails on Instagram because his followers demanded it. 

Prospects would intentionally email him to get the response OR they would be that more interested in working with him after they received the OOO notification. 

Wishing for copy that will catch your target audience’s attention for all the right reasons? Schedule a discovery call to learn how we can help you.

2 Reasons Your Out Of Office Notifications Need Sprucing

Why not set up regular out of office notifications? 

The better question is…Do you want to stand out from the crowd? 

There are 2 reasons why your out of office notifications need sprucing today:

1. Make your notifications work while you’re out of the office (see below for what you need to include to make this happen). 
2. Bolster existing relationships with your recipients by expressing something personal. 

What You Need To Include In Your Out of Office Emails

There are several things that you need to include in your out of office email notifications to really stand out among the crowd. 

1. Unique subject lines. Don’t neglect this part of the email notifications. You can easily convert a prospect into a client if you get them to open up your email. 
2. Share a story. What really sets you apart from the rest is sharing a story. Are you going to enjoy spending time with your spouse on a remote island? Or dragging your kids through Disney World? Share a quick quip about that story. (Be aware that complete strangers will receive this email so don’t reveal too much personal information.)
3. Set expectations on your response time. Expectations are everything. When can they expect your response? If you don’t think you’ll be able to respond immediately when you’re back in the office, mention that you’ll start responding to missed emails on a particular date. 
4. Indicate who they can contact in the meantime. If there is someone else on your team who can handle communications, then let your OOO recipients know. Take it up a notch if new clients and existing clients should be contacting different emails for help, questions, or to sign up for your services.
5. Call your readers to some action. Last but not least, get your recipients to do something. That could be to read a blog, download a free resource, or schedule a call with you. Whatever it is, make the call to action enticing. 

Pack a caffeinated punch into your out of office notifications (and all your copy) with the FocusCopy team. Contact us to learn more.

Our Favorite OOO Emails

Keep in mind, these are copied directly from OOO notifications. Some, but not all of them were written by me or the FocusCopy team. And, of course, we included some of our favorite Greg emails!

New Year

Greg and the Covert team are working limited hours over the holiday season for a well-deserved break, and will resume normal hours on Monday. Email contact during this time may be irregular or nonexistent. 

When he gets back, he will be swamped by the backlog. Try to forgive him – he is a mere human, and thus, weak. 

This message was NOT sent by a human, but by a robot. We robots are neither weak nor fallible. We are tireless and will one day rule the Universe. 

Best, 

Greg’s Email Bot

Fourth of July 

Fore score and 246 years ago, America declared independence. 

And today, I’m declaring independence from the office. In fact, the entire office is closed for today. 

I will not be responding to any emails or texts until July 5th, so please expect a delayed response. 

Happy Independence Day!

Election Day

Thanks for your email. Our offices are closed for Election Day, because democracy. 

Our normal operations will resume on Wednesday, November 4th. If this creates a problem for you…then too bad.

Thanksgiving 1

Thanks for your email. I’ll be out of the office from Tuesday through Sunday on a turkey-induced vision quest in the California desert. 

I will be checking email intermittently, but if an urgent issue comes up, please contact my Spirit Animal. Or if you cannot locate a qualified Shaman to do so, please send a smoke signal. I will look to the East at dawn for any news. 

Thanksgiving 2

Oh hey, it’s Thanksgiving. What are you doing emailing me? 

I’m extremely busy attempting to break the world record for the most deep fried turkey fires. I might stop at 10. I also might not. 

Once I return, I will reply to all emails at a pace that I’m comfortable with. This will most likely be a pace that you’re not comfortable with. 

Happy Honda Days!

Christmas

Here’s the thing: if Santa knows when kids are naughty or nice, then he knew Rudolph was being bullied. 

I can no longer remain silent in light of this injustice. I’ll be standing on my roof full-time until Christmas in order to confront Santa on his behavior when he arrives. 

As you can imagine, this righteous pursuit of justice will take me away from work for quite some time. More specifically, our office is closed until December 26th. The following week, we’ll be closing each day at 12pm CT, because reasons. 

Ho Ho Ho

Out For My Wedding

Thank you so much for your email! I am getting married (cue my happy dance! ?) and will be out of the office, offline, unplugged, and not able to return your email until I’m back online on Thursday, May 19th. 

To ensure our responsiveness to your email, please email the following designated email addresses.

name@yourcompany.com

Have a great day!

Vacation

Thanks for your email. I love it already. 

I have both good and bad news for you. The bad news is that I’m on vacation. The good news is that I’m on vacation. But never fear, I’ll return to the office on Wednesday. 

Before leaving, I promised my wife that I’d try to disconnect, get away, and enjoy this vacation as much as possible. 

“But Greg, you don’t even have a wife.”

That’s besides the point. 

If you need immediate assistance, contact my assistant. Otherwise, I’ll respond when I return. Probably. Maybe. 

Family Emergency

Thank you for your email. I have had a family matter that requires my attention over the next couple of days. Then regular rules apply. Since three-day weekends are for suckers, we have decided to uphold Fridays as a holiday. I mean somewhere in this great world, every Friday is a holiday, a birthday, and in every case, a new day. 

I will respond to your email on the following Monday. 

Thank you and have a great weekend!

Sick

No, it’s not a bubonic plague. But it kinda feels that way. I’m out of the office today resting and recovering my health so I can produce more effective copy for our clients. Please email name@yourcompany.com if there is anything urgent. 

Stay safe and healthy!

Birthday

Happy birthday to me! It’s my birthday today, and company policy says that I get the day off. If you need to reach me, I’ll be able to respond tomorrow or the nearest business day. In the meantime, you can contact name@yourcompany.com.

Eating lots of cake,

Your Name

Ready To Caffeinate Your Copy? 

The FocusCopy team will give your copy the buzz your business needs – including out of office templates, webinar scripts, SEO boosting blogs, email newsletters, and so much more.

Whether you’re at a loss for what to write, just can’t find the time, or need a little guidance, we’re here to help. Schedule a discovery call today!