How do you normally respond to an Out of Office email reply? Of course you read it to see where the person is and when you can expect to connect again. But have a look from an outbound prospecting perspective. Does the Out of Office reply contain valuable information that can help during your outbound prospecting efforts? Well, you be the judge. Here is some of the information Out of Office replies have provided in the past:
- News as to whether the contact was on vacation or business. (Consider how this information can help you reconnect with the prospect or buyer — even if only as an ice breaker.)
- The name, phone number and email of the contact’s assistant. (Though the mantra often heard in outbound prospecting is how to get passed assistants, having the contact information for a customer or prospect’s assistant can provide valuable information.)
- The name of the contact’s supervisor, with the phone number and email address. (Reporting structure is essential to understand for effective outbound prospecting. Having that information handed to you can make life easier.)
- The name of a colleague or peer, and this person’s contact information. For example, a VP Sales was out of the office and shared the name, number and email of the company VP of Professional Services. The VP of Professional Services was also a primary target and an additional person to connect with. Using this information reduces research time and creates more time to reach out.
- The name, phone number and email of additional department colleagues like customer service, sales, marketing can help you connect the dots with real time prospect and customer information.
For anyone involved with outbound prospecting, take a good look at that Out of Office reply email. I’d be interested to hear if you find any valuable information easily.