Which is Better – Direct Mail, Teleseminars or Webinars?

With every new technology, comes groups of users who
immediately want to dispense with the old. Now that webinars are
becoming mainstream, I’ve had a few clients ask which is better to use
in their business: old-fashioned direct mail, teleseminars or webinars?

Before I answer the question, let’s first discuss the definition of each:

Direct Mail consist of postcards, flyers, mailings done to your prospects — anything they receive in their mailbox.

Teleseminars
are conference calls where you can have as few as two or as many as
2,000 (and more) people on a call at the same time. There’s a moderator
who runs the call and keeps things on track.

Teleseminars are
great for solo-presentations as well as interviews where one person
interviews another and a live audience listens in and asks questions.

Webinars
are what I like to think of as "visual teleseminars". You are listening
in on the telephone (just like a teleseminar) AND you are watching your
computer screen (just like television).

The moderator in this
case is taking you through a presentation — similar to a live event
slide show only you’re participating from the comfort of your own home.
Webinars can also be online videos or a hybrid presentation/video
format.

So which is best?  The teleseminar or the webinar?

The answer, as you may suspect is "it depends".

Marketing is about building a relationship
with your prospects through your unique message (or Unique Selling
Proposition). Tools which set you apart and make you more *real* to
your prospects must be included in your business — this is especially
true for those who market themselves online or virtually.

Which builds a better connection with your audience:

1. A flyer sent in the mail?

2. A teleseminar where prospects can hear your voice?

3. A webinar where prospects can hear your voice and see you moving things around the screen?

While
you may be tempted to answer "number 3" as webinars allow you to create
a connection and bring your prospects into your world, the true answer
is "all three".

A webinar REQUIRES more of a commitment from your
prospect as they are agreeing to be at their computer at a certain date
and time while a teleseminar REQUESTS propsects to be at a telephone
knowing that most business owners send out recordings after the fact.

Given
the increased commitment requirement AND the fact that people learn
best through different media (reading, watching, listening), the ideal
mix, regardless of your business, is to include all three methods in
your marketing: direct mail, teleseminars and webinars.

Teleseminars
and webinars are not only for online businesses. Brick and
mortar/retail businesses who use them define themselves as being FAR
AHEAD of their competition.

Knowing this, how can you incorporate teleseminars and webinars into your business?

Your Coaching Challenge

Review
your marketing action plan and ensure you’ve included direct mail,
teleseminars AND webinars in your lead generation activities.

My challenge is that you schedule and promote either a teleseminar or webinar for your business within the next 30 days.