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If you don't want to eat genetically engineered food, tell the food companies. If you don't want to buy ancient forest timber, tell the furniture companies. Boycott fuel companies that support greenhouse polluting government policies. And tell them you are doing it.
You can contact companies by letter, email or phone. Find their contact details on their website or in the phone book. Always address your concerns to the company head, the chief executive officer (CEO). The easiest way to find a company CEO's contact details, including their email address, is to ring the company and ask.
In all your communications with companies, be firm but respectful. You will be taken more seriously if you are polite and have a good understanding of your subject.
Write a letter
Follow these tips for effective letter writing to company CEOs.
- Put the date and the company's address at the top left hand side of the page
- Do your homework. You don't want to be caught out with the wrong information. The company's own website, including annual reports, can be a great source of information.
- Keep it short and simple (200 words maximum)
- Use short sentences and dot points
- Write about only one issue per letter
- Define the problem, offer solutions and call for them to take action.
- Ask questions that require specific answers
- Check your spelling and grammar before posting the letter
- Always sign the letter and print your name and address below your signature
- Keep all your letters and responses for reference
- If you do not receive a response, follow up with a phone call
- If their response does not address the issue or answer your question, write again and ask for clarification of their response. Don't let them try to ignore the problem.
Send an email
Email is a quick and easy way to get your point across. However, it is also easily deleted. A personal letter, sent by snail mail, is always more effective.
To get the CEO's email address, simply call the company.
To write an effective email, follow the tips above for letter writing as well as the following tips.- Avoid email symbols, shorthand or email-speak
- Write in complete sentences
- The recipient probably gets hundreds of emails every day. Think carefully about the email subject line and use it to get their attention
- Always provide your postal address in the body of your email. This gives the company the option of mailing you a response.
Make a phone call
A phone call shows that you mean business and that you are not intimidated by the company you are calling. Get the company's phone number from their website or the phone book and ask to be put through to a decision maker, such as the CEO, rather than a complaints department.
Read these tips before you call:- Prepare what you are going to say beforehand. You may want to have some notes handy to refer to during the conversation.
- Keep to one issue per call
- Do your homework. You don't want to be caught out with the wrong information.
- Define the problem, offer solutions and call for action.
- Ask questions that require specific answers.
- Be polite and remember that the person you are talking to may not be able to give you an answer immediately. If so, ask when you may call them back for further information.
- If the person can't answer your questions, ask to speak to someone who can.
- During the phone call, takes notes about the details and their responses to your questions, including the name and position of the person you speak to.
- Follow up the phone call with a letter, outlining the conversation and asking for clarification if necessary.
