We are doing some work in a high end neighborhood and I am going to do a mailng to the 50 or so neighbors in the area. Fancy letter, high end business card, custom pen. Typical.
Question is do you send the letters to the folks generically as in just to Resident and their address or do you personalize each one (Mr. and Mrs Jones)? I can get all the names from the local property appraiser records but would some folks feel that as too intrusive if they got a letter from us with their name and such on it.
I want to be personable yet not too “stalker-like”.
So….in a nutshel should the mailers be generic or name specific?
Replies
"Resident" gets tossed in 5 seconds. Something addressed Mr & Mrs lasts 10 or 15.
True...hence why I would include something in the envelope to at leats get them to open it (pen, etc...something with massweight to stir curiousity)....but do you think some residents of a gated, private community would feel the personal name part too intrusive?
Just thinking out loud.
You could address them "Hey you". ;)
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
Address them to Mr-Mrs Jones, and mention that you are working at The Jones' house. If the Jones' agree, include their phone number and invite them to call for a reference. Ask first.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Mike- that info I sent you?-- I think I found a better deal.
At& T does the same thing.-- they have a software package you can use-----
lets say you are working at 1480 brown street---- it will pull up a map- sort of like map quest--- which you can then shrink,expand-manipulate however you want---want to send a mailer to the 50 closest houses- easy- want to send a mailer to the 50 closest HOMEOWNERS? easy---only want to send a mailer to households with an income level above a certain point-- done, want to send a mailer to houses with a certain type of roof covering- simple
pretty amazing what you can do---for 80 cents an address- wants you are set up- that 80 cents covers printing, postage everything.- the whole thing might take you 5 minutes
stephen
Very cool stephen!
Thnx
It would be nice if you could share with us how to access this info.
Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever." -Lance Armstrong
I was talking to my yellow pages rep-----as he was setting up our line listings for next year---- told him what I was interested in--- and with him on the phone- I logged onto their site and he walked me through a trial run of their program. so- if anybody is interested- I would contact their local AT&T rep. I think it cost about $200 annually to have access to the service--and then based on how many mailers you used it was about 80 cents each----on down. I MAY use the service in 2010-- it's not exactly what I want--- what I WANT-- is a data/base/ mailing list that gives me names and adresses of EVERY house with a slate or Ceramic tile roof in my particular county-and if possible the surrounding counties as well.- I haven't been able to locate that YET- but I suspect somebody is minig property tax data.- AT&T could tell me who had tile roofs-- but they couldn't tell me specifically who had slate roofs--- slate was lumped in with "other"- while Tile was one of about 10 specific categories Best wishes,
stephen
Always name specific if you can. I throw all resident mail into the circullar file without opening!
Mike,
Perhaps you could address them to "The Jones Residence" instead of "Resident" or "Mr. and Mrs. Jones.
I think it shows some familiarity but doesn't seem as much like you were mining data from the appraisers office.
Just my thought.
Yeah, I like that idea! I guess ones with different male and female last names I would go with 'Resident' so as not to offend anyone.
Well, I am in the process of sending the mailer out. Custom letter on fancy letterhead, promo pen and high end biz card. Lets see if it generates any work.
I am doing a mix of addressing styles depending on the folks that live there. If its a straightforward hubby and wife, they get the personal addressing or The ___ Family. If its some hodgepodge of names I cannot figure out, they get "Resident".
I am plotting them on a map from the Prop Appr. office and going to see if any do call is there a pattern to how it was addressed, when it arrived or the proximity of the job I am working.
Positive results (HOPEFULLY!) to be posted in a short time to come.
Thanks for all the input guys.
Mike
Mike ,
I would try and hand deliver a card and speak to the owners directly .
I find it very productive when a home changes hands in my area and the new owner may not of heard about me .
Walter
I have done that too!
Handed out a few in person when I saw folks in the neighborhood and have mailed out 50 others so far. Takes a bit of time to put them together but did it while watching the World Series...
Now I guess I just wait for the phone to ring.....still waiting...
...still waiting.
Do not put your return address on it, and mail it in a window envelope.
That way they may think it is a rebate or dividend check and at least open it.
EVERYTHING I get goes in the trash if it says 'resident', or even name plus 'or current resident'
Well, I thought of that so I hand addressed the envelopes and put one of my pens inside it. Sure, the pen is not a big ticket item but it will hopefully get folks' curiousity to at least open the envelope.
Plus if they hold onto it, it is future advertising. ...and I may be biased but its a nice pen.
And thats why you never got the free tickets I sent out...you threw the envelope out without opening it! :)