How Can I Set Up an Auto-Reply for a Departed Salesperson’s Email?

You can actually create a rule in the Outlook desktop client that can do this. Make sure to select 'reply using a specific template' and configure the rule accordingly. However, just a heads-up, this would only work on that specific machine and profile, so it could be hit or miss depending on access.

You might want to just make the old person's email address an alias for the new salesperson. Give the new person access to the old mailbox for a while, so they can move or archive messages as needed. Ultimately, it’s up to them how they want to handle replies.

Another straightforward approach is just to set up an out-of-office message on the old mailbox saying the rep is no longer with the company and to contact the new person instead. It’s simple and gets the point across without any fuss.

The request isn’t unreasonable, it’s pretty normal for sales roles. Instead of trying to automate the intro, it might work better to inform people that the old email is no longer monitored and simply provide the new rep’s details. Setting up a standard out-of-office response can effectively communicate this.

I think it makes sense to remove the Exchange license from the old salesperson and convert their mailbox to a shared mailbox. You could then set up an out-of-office reply from that mailbox directing people to the new salesperson. Just make sure HR or whoever is in charge is on board with this change.