[rich hand]

Do you always place find a contact name to go with the address when mailing out commercial letters or simply put the address and hope it gets noticed?

[garyj]

If it get's to the right person you stand a bit more of a chance, if you don't know a name mark it for Attention of the General Manager.
It would be a pain in the bum, but a quick look on Google will bring up a lot of the contacts you need, or there is software with the information on it but it's expensive, try Ebay. Business Link MAY have an up to date list.

I've got a CD with every UK company on it I bought off Ebay in 2005, it's OK but a bit out of date now.

[rich hand]

Hi Gary,

in doing that would you think that the secretary etc. would think it is 'junk mail' and open it themselves?

What response have you had from sending without a name?

cheers

[prodry]

Try addressing it to the personnal manager/director. Have the copy along the lines of indoor air quality being harmful to the staff and brightning up the office for spring etc

[garyj]

Never sent to 'a name' before, just the General Manager or if it's a bigger company The Facilities Manager, also have never sent out for carpet cleaning just commercial daily office the response was pretty good, but no doubt would have been better if the letter had been personalised.

Reading this though I have just loaded on the Database I bought a few years ago and I'm looking through it now.

If you email me your email address and let me know which town you're in I can send you a list of all the companies in your area as an XLS file, like I said it is a few years old, but might make your job easier if it is in a spreadsheet.

[davep]

Has anybody got a template for gaining carpet cleaning commercial work please?

[Mike Osbourne]

Ring them up and ask for the name.

It's easy.

[garyj]

Yep and obvious, but a bit more difficult, expensive and time consuming if you are thinking of sending out a thousand or more letters

[garyj]

You got mail Rich

[John Kelly]

in doing that would you think that the secretary etc. would think it is 'junk mail' and open it themselves?

The majority of secretaries will have authority to open mail and, depending on the level of that authority, even Confidential and Strictly Confidential.  The only thing that used to make me hesitate would be if the envelope was marked "Personal".  If a letter was addressed Dear Sir/Madam or Dear "Job Title" (Facilities Manager, Manager, etc) and it was a 'flyer' then I wouldn't bother putting it through to the boss.  However, if it was addressed to him in person then it would go through - just in case he had requested this information and forgot to tell me about it!

So, if you have the time to find out the name then, IMHO, it's got more chance of being seen by the right person.  Also, even if it is intercepted by the secretary, and doesn't get through, it could always be filed away for future reference...at least that's what I used to do! 

Lynn
(Mrs K)

[garyj]

You are right Lynn, the software I have gives a phone number so it would be worth the time and effort of giving them a ring.