Offer Self-Assessments, Not White Papers, in Direct Mail Lead Generation.

Are you a business-to-business direct mail marketer looking for something better to offer than white papers? Consider self-assessment surveys.

But first, let's clarify a few things. I'm assuming you're a B2B direct marketer who uses direct mail to generate sales leads rather than make a sale. You are mailing to prospects that you hope are in the early stage of their buying cycle, the time when they are identifying their need, gathering information on solutions and establishing specifications for any vendors they choose to interview.

This is the stage of the buying cycle where white papers are so effective, because they help prospective customers discover their needs and learn about solutions. But if your offers of white papers are not generating the response rates they once did, try offering a self-assessment survey instead.

A self-assessment survey, as the name implies, is a survey that your prospects take on their own, usually online. It's not administered by a sales person. And it doesn't try to sell anything.

Your prospect simply visits a special page on your website, or your page on a hosted survey vendor, such as www.surveymonkey.com, and answers questions. The system then processes the prospect's answers, assigns a score, and, typically, compares the prospect's results with industry standards or benchmarks, and recommends steps for improvement.

Prospects like online self-assessments because:

1. Self-assessments don't involve a phone call with or visit from a salesperson
2. They help business people discover their needs or challenges in a way that seems free of bias, since the assessment is a test more than a series of qualifying questions coming from a salesperson
3. Prospects can take the assessment any time, day or night, which is convenient
4. Self-assessments appear more objective than white papers, since they ask industry questions rather than deliver answers written by a particular vendor
5. Prospects usually learn something about their needs and possible solutions, for free

Businesses like offering online self-assessments because:

1. Self-assessments don't involve a time-consuming phone call or visit with an unqualified prospect
2. They help a business uncover a prospect's needs or challenges in a way that is free of pressure and manipulation
3. Self-assessments appear more objective than white papers, since they ask industry questions rather than deliver answers written by a particular vendor. This makes them a more attractive offer, since self-assessments appear less self-serving
4. Online self-assessments are a cost-effective way to fill the sales funnel because no printing and mailing costs are involved

If you decide to offer your B2B prospects an online self-assessment, make sure your questions give your prospects value for their time investment while helping you identify and qualify your prospects.