Title insurance pros are constantly on the road, and with July 4th and summer vacations coming up, many of you will be posting out-of-office (OOO) messages a little more often than usual. But how much have you thought about your OOO message? At one point or another, most of your contacts will likely see this message, so make sure you follow these top do’s and don’ts to craft the perfect away message.

THE DOS

Give the date you’re coming back: The day you left isn’t necessary. The person getting your away message should be able to figure out that you left sometime before they are getting your message. They are interested in when you’re coming back, not that you’re taking 4 weeks off to enjoy bungee jumping in the amazon. That’s just rubbing it in.

Let them know why you’re out: No need to get too detailed, but it’s nice to just share whether it’s work, family, vacation, etc. It’s also to your benefit to do this if you’re anxious about getting constant tugs on your time while you’re away.

Share your backups: Help your contacts out! Share with them a few people who they can reach while you’re gone. This will help them and selfishly help you. They won’t be hunting you down while you’re sipping margaritas if they have someone else to reach out to. Just keep telling yourself though, “you’re not actually replaceable.”

Create an opportunity: Every contact with clients or colleagues is an opportunity. Give them something extra about your business such as marketing collateral, a fun fact or something else to enjoy.

THE DON’TS

Typos: You’re leaving town, not the first grade. It’s not a reason to start being sloppy.

Being over committal: If you say you’ll respond ASAP or right when you get back you better do it. Do you know how many fires you’ll be putting out when you get back to the show though?

TMI / humor: Unless you’ve tested out your comedy with an appropriate focus group, or don’t care about your reputation, do your best to stay away from humor. If the joke is bad you’re stuck with it until you get back. Want to see some funny examples? Check out…

Enjoy your time on the road!