In the case of short domain names I would find out what the letters could stand (acronym) for and target that specific industry. For your example of being pronounceable ask yourself what industry would that pronunciation fit. Then do the the same, contact that industry.

Hope that helps.

I like to use Manta.com to search for local/U.S. businesses when searching for potential buyers in specific industries. Lots of times email is not provided so you should cross reference with your search engine to find their website. Or going a step further call the company and ask for the internet marketing director or company owner. They usually aren’t available but I bet you could get someones email address from the secretary then ask to be transferred to their voicemail.

You spoke mostly about domains with a keyword in them, like the “auto” example. But what do you suggest for pronounceable 3-4 letter domains ?