OOO Reply Rates: The Best & Worst Times of Year for Email Outreach

The summer months often prove more challenging to get in touch with prospects as folks are off work, soaking up the sun, and ignoring their phones and emails.?

But just because money isn’t on their mind, doesn’t mean it’s not on yours. Timing your outreach to sync with their vacays can help you keep hitting that quota. Luckily, our research confirms the best and worst time to get a hold of your customers.

OOO Reply Rates: The Best & Worst Times of Year for Email Outreach

Is that prospect ghosting you, or are they just on vacation? It’s a maddening feeling that every sales professional has to deal with a few times each year. According to our recent analysis of millions of emails, it’s not just in your head.?

We analyzed out-of-office (OOO) reply rates to outbound sales emails and explored seasonal trends — with some predictable spikes and a few surprises. Explore our findings to understand when OOO rates typically jump and when they settle down.?

The Gradual Climb After New Year’s

Once people are back in the office for the new year, they tend to buckle down for a while. OOO reply rates begin to climb again in late February, presumably when people have gotten caught up on the year ahead and earned some time off.

Key takeaway: The new year brings new opportunities. But watch out for absent prospects as March draws close. Really focus on nailing down your outreach before they start to take off.

Spring Spikes

There’s a clear spike in OOO reply rates around the first two weeks of April. Whether it’s the end of Q1, annual tax season, the onset of spring, school vacations, or some combination of factors, buyers are less available.

After that, buyers settle in again. We don’t see another major spike in OOO rates until the end of May, which coincides with Memorial Day weekend in the US and the unofficial start of summer in the northern hemisphere.

Key takeaway: Focus your attention on the period between early April and late May — after summer starts, you won’t get a fully attentive audience until fall.

Summer Fluctuations

After Memorial Day, you can expect a generally elevated level of OOO rates because of cascading summer vacation schedules. The peak is around July 4, with another blip around the end of July and the start of August.

Key takeaway: Summer can be tricky. Plan for inconsistent response rates and consider focusing on relationship-building rather than hard selling.

Autumn: Time to Get to Work

At the end of August, kids are back in school, the weather is cooling off, vacations are ending — it’s time to dig into work. Autumn is when sales teams can make the most of the calendar.?

Our analysis shows a striking drop in OOO rates after August. There’s a slight rise in early October, but generally steady and lower rates hold throughout the season as buyers push through their projects with an eye on the holidays.?

Key takeaway: Don’t get caught flat-footed in autumn. Focus hard on September, October, and early November to bring it home.?

The Holiday Season Surge

The least surprising finding: OOO rates spike around Thanksgiving in the US, calm down for a few weeks, and then go off the charts towards the end of December. The day with the highest reported OOO rates in 2023 was December 27, the Wednesday between Christmas and New Year’s.?

People are busy with holiday celebrations right through New Year’s Day. You’re going to have better luck in mid-January, when OOO rates fall and things reset for the new year.

Key takeaway: Plan your end-of-year campaigns accordingly. Consider front-loading your Q4 efforts or preparing nurture campaigns for the new year.

Understanding these OOO trends can help sellers and marketers optimize sales outreach strategies throughout the year. Aligning your efforts with these patterns will improve your timing and increase your response rates — and maybe help you plan your own vacation.

Survey says…

We asked, you answered.?

Our LinkedIn audience represents over 150,000 professionals. We survey our followers to get a pulse on their selling strategies, purchasing behaviors, and general thoughts on all things tech.

Last week, we asked about cold calling, arguably one of the toughest parts of selling. So just how many cold calls does it take to reach a prospect? Here’s what you said:?

40% of folks said they were able to connect after 3–5 calls.?

Want to find your selling sweet spot? This article can help you calculate the right number of calls, emails, and social touchpoints you should execute to get the most out of your time.?

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