First of all getting a permission from a friend or relative is much easier than trying to get one from somebody that you do not know, so always start by asking friends and relatives even if they only own a little paddock or orchard.
But assuming you have to ask "strangers", how should you contact them?. Try looking at it from their angle.
1) phone. Your either busy doing something or sat down relaxing ..... the phone rings and you do not recognise the number or voice ..... how many cold callers either trying to sell you something you do not want or worse still scams in the last week? Too many!!!. So you are automatically on the defensive. So it does not take much before the "NO" answer is given and you return to what you were doing before being interupted.
2) letter. No SAE - Straight in the bin !!!. SAE provided, if in with a lot of other mail that needs responding to probably straight in the bin, if I do not like the tone straight in the bin. If not in a rush and letter is OK it might get a reply - but if I already have a detectorist or am not keen on the idea it will be "NO". IF lucky it might be a "lets talk"
3) e-mail. Basically same as with a letter. If busy and I have a lot of e-mails to respond to it will get deleted, likewise if I do not like the tone. Otherwise if I already have a detectorist or am not keen on the idea it will get a quick "NO" reply. IF lucky it might be a "lets talk".
4) Face to face in person. Well its harder to ignore a person that is stood in front of you than a random phone call, letter, e-mail. So the detectorist has already slightly improved his / her chances.
So assuming you go for the face to face option.
Think about when you turn up. Sunday lunchtime, or when he is trying to get a quick break between sunday lunch and evening feed (assuming livestock farm) is a good way to upset him. Likewise if an arable farm in the middle of the rush to get the harvest in before it rains.
What do you wear?. Turning up looking like a right scrote that looks more likely to nick anything in sight is going to get a very quick "NO", even more so if driving a transit van!. Obviously no need for "Sunday best" but look "respectable".
What should you say?. "Let me detect your land, mister" is very quick and to the point. So is the reply "NO".
My golden rule for the first opening sentence is always the same - firstly appologise for interupting them and secondly say who I am. Then politely explain you have an interest in history and would like to dectect on their land. Also ensure that you say you are a responsible detectorist and always fill the holes and remove rubbish and follow the metal detecting code of practice, and countryside code, and are fully insured - IF you are not insured you should be! (join the NCMD or if you prefer another organisation or get your own insurance!!) .... if you are not insured most sensible landowners will not want to know.
But above all be polite.
If they say "No" then fair enough - its their land and why should they let a stranger on it?. Respect that and thank them for their time, do not try to argue your point, you never know you might see them again at somepoint and they might recognise you and have changed their mind.
I actually know a person that always gives them a card and says "If you change your mind, or if you ever lose any equipment give me a call", we strongly suspect that in many cases it goes in the bin but he gained a permission when out of the blue he had a call from a farmer who he had given a card to the previous year asking if he could try and find a bit of farm equipment that they had lost .... he went over and managed to find it for the farmer and as a "thank you" was given permission for the large farm.
The first permission is always the hardest to get, so once you get it do what you said - always fill the holes and remove rubbish and follow the metal detecting code of practice, and countryside code. Initially the landowner will be keeping a close eye on you and unfilled holes, rubbish left lying around, gates open, fences broken will all result in a "Good bye, do not come again".
If your resposible and always show them what you have found it might well be that they have only initially given you permission to a small amount of the land that they own, and then when they know that you are trust worthy they will let you on to the rest. The farming world is also very close knit, if you mess things up word will spread and other local farmers will know!!.
If anybody stops you to check you have permission be polite, explain that you have and who from. Also be open about your finds and offer to show them anything "nice" that you have found. You never know, by challenging you they might be an adjacent farmer that has been nighthawked and is looking out for his neighbour! - they might even say "Oh, would you like to detect my land?".
Keep the landowner fully informed, and if you find anything unusual or "nice" do some research on it and write it up and let him have. With luck he might let somebody else see it or tell them about it and that result in a new permission.
Importantly remember them at Christmas. A bottle and Christmas card as a "Thank you" is a very small price to pay for a years detecting.
Some might wonder what suddenly brought on this post ... well there is a reason. Many of you might have read some of my posts about a largely unproductive (assuming you ignore the ton of scrap in my car boot!!) site that I have been on recently -
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Well as a result of talking to the owner of the old school when taking the photo of the bell he mentioned another local church and farmer in the village. Yesterday I went over to the church as suggested and while there 3 ladies and a gentleman were doing the flowers and tidying up, I had a brief word with a couple of the ladies and then the man said "Do I recognise you?". Not always a good sign!, but I had a vague feeling that I recognised him as well. So I introduced myself. His immediate response was "Oh you are the detectorist that found the medal" (to my surprise the write up I had done on the medal had been circulated on the village news group!!!). So we got chatting about the medal, and the person who it had been awarded to (who the gentleman said "Used to live directly opposite me"), and I then mentioned the bell and a bit more about my detecting and how nice the owners of the site were and my interest in local history.
But the gentlemans comment about where he lived was just what I wanted to know ... as it meant he was the person I thought he might be .... the very same farmer whose name I had been given a few days before. Well it was too good a chance to miss "Might it be possible to detect on your land ?" ..... "Yes that is fine, I will show you some interesting bits where there used to be some old houses"
I am going over next week to see him and establish what land he owns. I do not know the acreage but I know it is substantial and all around the village, and to the best of my knowledge has not been detected before. The big advantage I had here is that he already knew my name and that I was reliable due to what I had provided to the first landowner about the medal. Then I had been polite and respectful when talking to him.
Although we had met a good 30 years ago I am not sure that made a difference and if I had called on him without him knowing about me due to the write up about the medal the outcome of requesting the permission might well have been a "No" (as I said to the best of my knowledge he has never allowed detectorists previously and I would have thought that he would have been asked before).
Evan
I do inform my main farmer of all of my finds, even ones of a few hundred pounds value, but still get no response. I would like to give him something back though so I am going to scrap some gold from his land and give him half - he gets a three figure sum.