As we move into the summer vacation season, let’s not lose sight of the importance of branding in our Out of Office messages. Don’t use the standard, I’ll be away from my desk and have limited access to voicemail. It’s boring. Let’s share our personality through our OOO messages.

Of course, you’ll need to modify it for recruiting (and I didn’t include all the live links) but here’s a sample of the type of OOO message I use when we are vacationing:

Greetings,

I hope you’re having a lovely day and thank you for your email.

I’m currently relaxing on a beach in San Juan, sipping a fruity, frozen beverage.

I know I’m supposed to say I have limited access to email and not to expect a response, but that wouldn’t be truthful. I’ll have a phone with me and it’ll be on. That said, I rarely get a vacation, so I’m going to leave the decision up to you.

If your email is important enough to interrupt my vacation, resend it and change the subject line to read:  I’m Interrupting for a Good Reason, or send me a text message (630.240.4454).

Let me provide you with some information to assist you in making your decision. If you’re a member of the Church of Executive Search and you’re in the midst of closing a deal or securing a new retainer, that’s worthy of an interruption. If you’re a close friend or family member and you’re in dire need of assistance, that’s also worthy of an interruption.

If you need help with a search string, would like information about private training, or are trying to be my daily random act of kindness – unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until I’m back. I’ll return to the office on Tuesday, March 26th, but have back-to-back classes and sessions. This means you shouldn’t expect to hear from me until later in the week.

Here’s some information in case I’m able to predict what you need:

1. How come I just got an email from you, but now you’re gone? We send automated emails out and wanted to make sure we were still giving you value even if we aren’t really working.
2. When is the next AI4 Recruiters Live Session, and how can I register? The next session starts on May 14th, and you can find the schedule and register here:
3. When is the eSourcing eSSentials, and how can I register? The next session starts on October 6 and you have time. You can register here:
4. What is the Church of Executive Search? CoES is our highly exclusive, private coaching program for recruiters ready to take their business to the next level. Learn more here:
5. What is Group Coaching? Twice weekly live sessions, filled with accountability, learning and problem solving. Learn how it will increase your revenue here:
6. Can we be friends on Facebook? We sure can. Send me an invite and you can see pictures of the stunning beach I’m on in San Juan.
7. Is there any free training I can look at while you’re gone? There sure is. Take a look at our blog, our YouTube Channel, or Moore Moments on our site.

Again, thank you for reaching out to me, and I look forward to having a conversation once I return.