First Day of Sale and Special Dedication Event Tips

Before the event

Send a written invitation 2 weeks before the event to the mayor of your community and any other local elected officials you feel would be appropriate. The local postmas­ter or district manager should sign the invitations.

Follow up on the written invitation with a telephone call to the elected official’s scheduler within a week if you have not received a reply. You may need to call more than once.

Keep in touch with all elected officials who respond. If asked, provide updated information to the elected official’s staff as it becomes available (such as who else is partici­pating, where and when to meet, what his or her role will be, etc.). Stress that remarks should be brief and limited to the unveiling of the Flags of Our Nation stamps and recog­nition of the role of the U.S. Postal Service in celebrating our state’s majestic flag, our nation’s natural features, cul­tural diversity, and our mission to bind the nation together through affordable universal service.

If you create a program, include names of all partici­pating elected officials on the program as honored guests, and mention them in all media advisories.

After the event

Send a written thank you letter expressing your appre­ciation to all elected officials who participated in the ceremony.

Provide copies of any newspaper articles about the event to their offices. Even though they might see those articles on their own, you can take the opportunity to remind them of the press coverage the event received.

Provide a small supply of extra cachets or covers with the special cancellation, if applicable, to elected offi­cials, even to those who could not attend. These make great giveaways and serve as a positive reminder of the event.

Obtain and frame a photo of the elected official posing beside the stamp image, and make an appointment to present it in person, if possible. A matted, well-framed pho­tograph stands a good chance of being hung on the wall of the official’s office, again serving as a positive reminder of the event.

Keep in touch with your elected officials. Good relation­ships are built over time.