"RENEW NOW!...OR THE TREE GETS IT."

[BEUCS]

Just got a renewal letter from the AMC that states, "Your current membership will soon be due for renewal. And we're hoping you will take this opportunity to renew your membership thereby saving untold trees and acres of landfill that additional reminders will require."
Am I to believe that I'm responsible for all the mailings the AMC sends out and the associated destruction of the environment that these mailings produce. I imagine someone from the AMC holding a chainsaw up to a helpless tree and demanding " Sign up now and no one gets hurt!"

 

[amstony]

Just got a renewal letter from the AMC that states, "Your current membership will soon be due for renewal. And we're hoping you will take this opportunity to renew your membership thereby saving untold trees and acres of landfill that additional reminders will require."
Am I to believe that I'm responsible for all the mailings the AMC sends out and the associated destruction of the environment that these mailings produce. I imagine someone from the AMC holding a chainsaw up to a helpless tree and demanding " Sign up now and no one gets hurt!"

I don't think that was there intention, just not the best marketing plan ...........but the imagined sight of an AMC rep with a chainsaw threatening a tree "or else" is funny!

 

[David Metsky]

<moderator hat on>
Please, you can comment on fundraising issues, but if this turns into an AMC or any other organization bashing thread, it will be closed. This is not a forum for that.
<moderator hat off>
You can contact the AMC and ask to be removed from their paper mailings. I believe that has worked for folks in the past.

-dave-

 

[dug]

Yeah, I've always found it funny that a self-described conservation organization would send me a half-dozen mailers a year asking me to join, when I cancelled my membership 10 years ago with a letter explaining why....

 

[bruno]

Yeah, I've always found it funny that a self-described conservation organization would send me a half-dozen mailers a year asking me to join, when I cancelled my membership 10 years ago with a letter explaining why....

word up.

 

[Jay H]

The sierra club keeps sending me letters, but at least it includes a post card, usually with a polar bear or black bear on it.

On a lower frequency, I get letters from the ADK group too.

Jay

 

[Puck]

Mass mailings is an important topic. The market for pulp products from the Canadian Boreal woods is the mail order catalog business. I think I read the rate of return on this is less then 10%.

This forest is vital to bind atmospheric carbon as well as bing an important breeding areas for a large percentage of birds. http://magazine.audubon.org/features0509/forests.html

To make matters worse BC is experiencing an investation that will force them to harvest a large area of forest. http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=9677

 

[giggy]

You just need to call them - and tell them why your not renewing and they should stop.

 

[pilgrim]

You can contact the AMC and ask to be removed from their paper mailings. I believe that has worked for folks in the past.

Yes, it does work, and it also works with other organizations. I have used form letters that I obtained from StopJunk.com for years with close to 100% success. The one that I used for AMC states:

"Please send me a renewal one month before my membership runs out. Send me only one solicitation for money during my annual membership"

 

[dug]

Sooo, I have to ask to not be bothered? Interesting take on things.

I'm going to poke my neighbor twice a year for the next 10 years with a sharp stick in the eye. Only when they ask will I stop.


When I did not renew my membership, I explained why. That apparently wasn't enough. I guess I didn't say "please".

 

[spider solo]

sales and guilt

Guilt is a powerful motivater. It is often used in sales ...selling ideas, memberships, philosophies or whatever.
Of course it's up to the individuals if they what to belong to various organizations who use guilt as a motivating factor.

Years ago ...National Lampoon had a great front page cover.... I believe it read.. "BUY THIS ISSUE OR WE WILL SHOOT THIS DOG !"

I like Pilgrims way of cutting down on the notices . I'll give it a try on some of the groups I belong to.

No need to feel like you need to explain your reasons for not wanting to activate your membership in a group ... any more than you need to give a hooker on the street a reason for not wanting their services at that particular time.
Sure they might both offer services that may or may not be of interest..but you certainly don't need to explain why !


(...yes some humor was attempted at this time....)

 

[JohnL]

Magazine cover #7.

#7

National Lampoon CD set

CD set

JohnL

 

[Quietman]

I work in marketing for a large non-profit and these types of ideas get tossed around sometimes but are generally not the best approach. I'm pretty sure that the results from this mailing will verify that. It may have been a test mailing to verify that such an approach wouldn't work.

 

[jbrown]

I just tear them up and toss them. Let them feel guilty for wasting all that paper.

My tactics for the phone guys are varied, but my favorite is:
*ring*
Hello?
[in heavy east aisian accent] Hello, may I speak with Josha Broon?
[while opening nearest door] Hold on a sec, I'm working on this here pipe bomb.
[SLAM the door very loudly] WOAH! GOTTA GO!
*click*

 

[amstony]

I had to several things over the phone with AMC on Joy street and they were VERY cooperative, including resending some missing "Outdoor" issues that the USPS had sent somewhere else........ I am sure if you call them they'll remove you off the list.

 

[funkyfreddy]

Fun with phone soliciters!

My tactics for the phone guys are varied, but my favorite is:
*ring*
Hello?
[in heavy east aisian accent] Hello, may I speak with Josha Broon?
[while opening nearest door] Hold on a sec, I'm working on this here pipe bomb.
[SLAM the door very loudly] WOAH! GOTTA GO!
*click*

When I have the time and I'm in the mood I LOVE to play with phone soliciters. I know, I have a politically incorrect and downright funky sense of humor.....

One of my favorite tricks is to pretend to be interested and let them go through their speal. Then when they ask you for your credit card # start reading from Shakespeare, the Bible, or a computer manual at random One time while reading King Lear one of them got their supervisor on the phone to help ply my credit card # out of me. Needless to say they weren't successful and that organization hasn't bothered to call me back since........Hey, I figure if they don't care about wasting my time why not waste some of their's as well?

There are some mp3's floating around of this kind of stuff. A comedian I know used to pretend to be mentally challenged and sing songs to the phone soliciters about lollipops and diapers Fun stuff..... yeah I know, I have a twisted sense of humor, utterly warped!

 

[dug]

I once spent a half-hour with a representative of the Nashua (NH) Telegram semi-arguing with her that since Nashua was in Massachusetts, why would I want a Massachusetts paper if I lived in New Hampshire. The conversation turned to geographical and social-political overtones which she finally gave up on.

As for calling the AMC to stop bothering me, what makes you think that would work any better than formally typed letter? It was on recycled paper....

 

[Ridgewalker]

The AMC could have a clubwide database and send email, insted of wasting time making phone calls. When it comes to telemarketers I just tell them not to call me again or turn the phone off.

 

[BEUCS]

Bush League

I guess when I started this thread I was'nt really looking to trash the AMC but to express my dismay and disapointment that they would stoop to guilt tripping there members into renewing their memberships. Seemed kinda like a cheap manipulative tool in which to motivate folks.
The renewal reply form that I received includes membership catergories like "individual" and "family" but no "cancel my membership" or "not renewing at this time" type designations.
I'll give Joy street a call and let them know how I feel about this mailing.

 

[David Metsky]

<moderator hat back on>
I think all that can be said about this specific issue has been said. We're venturing away from a question about fundraising tactics of outdoors organizations into areas that no longer are on topic, such as dealing with telemarketers. Dealing with telemarkers is a whole 'nother issue.

There's been good advice here about getting the AMC and other organizations to stop sending paper solicitations. I think we'll leave it at that.
<moderator hat flung to the floor>

-dave-