Addressing The Unknown......

To many ads? Support ODJT and see no ads!
J

JoeChartreuse

New DJ
Dec 12, 2006
3,934
1
70
Bergen County, NJ
.... Contact.


I could really use some help here folks. I've been at this a lot of years, but I just can't get a handle on this:


When doing mailings to an unknown corporate contact, what is your preference routing the mailing to it's proper place? When mailing to bar venues I send to the attention of the owner ( keeps the bartender/manager from opening and tossing.). Catering halls and service clubs go to the attention of the Event Manager- But what about corporate mailings? For the purposes of input I'm won't mention mine, suffice to say I've never been satisfied with it. Any decent assistant will screen anything addressed to the president. Human Resources/Corporate Moral?

I'm not doing postcards, these are first class mailings and I hate wasting money. The Holidays are a'comin' and I'm sincerely asking for help..


SO.....HELP!!!!!!!
 
Joe,

I think the best thing to do is pick up the phone and call the companies you are sending these information too and ask who the person in charge of the holiday parties is. Many times, it is a committee who does these events, and having the persons name in charge of the committee on the address will insure it gets in the hands of the right person.
 
Calling and finding out who handles these type of events is a good idea. Some companies will respond to letters but; by far the majority toss them.....The best approach is to call and ask who handles your companies social events/outings, and talk to them.

I find that if they haven't re-booked the party right after last years, then contacting August/September is good timing. If you are late ask when and who would be good to contact for next years party......
 
patrickrlewis said:
Joe,

I think the best thing to do is pick up the phone and call the companies you are sending these information too and ask who the person in charge of the holiday parties is.
Click to expand...


Patrick, I'm in full agreement and do just that. However, though most are cooperative, there are some that are a bit tougher. These are the ones I'm asking about. So assuming I can't get a name.....


And I've changed my mind. At this point I address to Human Resources Manager/Event Coordinator. I feel that it's too weighty and I don't like it. Please help me improve it.....Please?
 
If you really wanna talk to them and you think that the secratary will not be helpful,,, I would call and lie,,, I wopuld call and say something like....

Them:Hello thanks for calling XYZ company, how may I direct your call?

Me: Aloha, I know this may sound silly, my name is Chuck from Maui Mobile Music and I recieved a phone call from someone there who was interested in hiring my services for a company party. But they left it on my cell phone and I'm sorry but I couldn't make out their name, just this number. Would you happen to know who that would be, and if they are available, or I can even leave them a message if they are out.......
 
Believe me Chuck, I'm not above a bit of subterfuge. I've been selling one thing or another for my whole life. I do as you suggestes as well. Again, I can't get a name EVERY time, but still want to contact ALL the companies on my list.

Please, I'm beggin' ya: PRETEND that all avenues have been tried. Now, what would be your best suggestions for addressing an anonymous contact?
 
Well...

If you call, ask for the person who handles these things. If he or she is busy, ask for an email address and email them later. Be sure to jot down names and other info you can gather. Once you've got the names, you know to whom your intro letter should be addressed.

The HR manager is a good place to start. HR knows everything that goes on in the company. They have the poop (information) you need. Remember, special events are but a tiny slice of their workload so be professional and accommodating. This is more than a sales call. It's business. :)

If it's any help, Playtex does this through their special events committee. The committee is a group of employees who volunteer to be part of it. They put on a company Christmas party at the Sheraton every year. I dunno who does the music ~ didn't think to ask. They did have a DJ last year.
 
I know what you are trying to do by wanting to contact as many firms as you can to obtain dates. Having been a business owner, and having scheduled parties, we only used people we knew or who were referred by someone we knew.

The key is not Quantity of leads it's quality.......What will work the best is contacting companies where someone you know is employed and get the contact info for the person handling the social calendar for the firm, from them. Companies are very reluctant to hire any type of performer without knowing something about who they are and the quality of their performance.

This is not what you probably wanted to hear but the reason blanket mailings don't work is as I have said above. Companies when they hire performers are putting their "stamp of approval" on the individual and considering any party is a celebration, and if it bombs, instead of it being a positive "Human Resources" move........... it goes negative if it's the wrong person. Companies will not risk this outcome.
 
Though I appreciate the time taken by those who have responded, the answers given ( and I've done them all to get contact names, an am usually successful, as previously stated.) were not to the question asked.

To make a point: My mailings to anonymous contacts, when the've HAD TO be down that way have been very successful with bar and hall venues. They CAN bring in business. I booked 2 of my long standing bar venues this way. Last year I booked 6 holiday hall events this way, and 2 corporate holiday paties. I would like to improve on those that I would have missed due to being unable to procure a contact name. Thus:


Would ANYONE out there be kind enough to share ideas regarding addressing an anonymous corporate contact? I would greatly appreciate any suggestions regarding this particular subject. Thanks in advance.
 
Joe,,, maybe the problem here is I don't know what you mean by "addressing an anonymous corporate contact?"

Do you mean that you are doing a mailing to a company and not having a name and you want to make sure that your package gets to them?

You may know what you mean, but maybe you better spell it out for those like me.

A large company event is going to be much harder to land than a bar or a store at the mall. It's best if you have an "in" and sometimes, that is just a lucky twist of fate that you really cannot plan on.
 
Chuck The DJ said:
Do you mean that you are doing a mailing to a company and not having a name and you want to make sure that your package gets to them?
Click to expand...


Chuck, I'd try the gay route just to marry you....well. maybe not...BINGO!, per my first post. That's the ONLY thing I'm asking for.
 
Gay huh? Well I used to live by San Francisco and this one time, at DJ Camp.....

Okay, so that's makes it easier to understand, then what it comes down to, I think, is what your envelope looks like. To flashy and they will think it is junk mail.

I used to put on the outside of my Envelope 's "Requested Party Information Enclosed"

You would still need to decide "who" you were going to address it to...

C/o Human Resorces
C/o Holiday Party Planning Committee
C/o ???????????

I'd write it on, because if it was printed on, it would look like junk. I used to do mailings, and I always hand addressed each one. Some people say it looks less professional, but I think it looks more personal.

It's the outside that will get your package to the right person, it's the inside that will make them call you, and that's another post.
 
Joe - I think Fred had a great head start for you. If you have no names, no contact to go by, address the letter to the attention of the HR department.

Like Fred said, they tend to have their finger on the pulse of what's happening within a company, and are often involved in the planning of these things. If nothing else, they can direct the letter to the proper person...
 
Ahhh.....much better.


OK, so: Human Resource Manager
and/or
Event Director / Party Planner


Any other thoughts?
 
Joe,

This may sound a little off the wall, but I've worked for a number of medium to large corporations, so hear it out...


The guys (gals) in the mailroom, know everybody, what they do, who they sleep with, etc. That is their job!


Send a copy to them (addressed specifically to the mailroom staff). Put a yellow sticky note on the letter you want delivered to the party person, with the instructions to please deliver to the person who handles these things. Put something in it to make it worth their while, such as a nice magnet backed flashy business card, or a couple tickets to a local event. Anything to get their attention.

I worked for a large bank in Manhattan, and had the "opportunity" to hang out for a couple weeks in the mailroom, while they were finding me office space. Those folks were very cool, and decided who got what.

Sometimes, the people at the bottom of the ladder, know the quickest way to the top... ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back