Direct Mail: Phone Number or Website?

[Ryan Ahlgrim]

I always enjoy hearing the different ways investors structure their direct mail campaigns. I'm planning on starting one in a few months but have some questions. 

Would it be better to put a phone number on the mailer for the seller to call me directly? Or should I give them a website address that would take the seller to a questionnaire where they can fill out information about the property they'd like to sell?

I assume the phone number would give me a better chance of getting my foot in the door and negotiating. But the questionnaire would help me quickly sift through deals and only focus on ones with potential.  

Thoughts?

[Dev Horn]

I guess I don't understand why people think it's an either/or.  You include the ways that people can reach you and let them contact you as they wish.

That said, we include WEBSITE, TOLL-FREE # and LOCAL #.

PEOPLE CALL FROM DIRECT MAIL & THEY CALL THE LOCAL # about 98% of the time.  You don't lose anything by offering the alternatives, it makes you look more professional, but make no mistake - SELLERS WANT TO CALL YOU ON A LOCAL NUMBER.

Why? The psychology is - they think a website may just be a black hole or worse, their contact info will just be SOLD to a bunch of people (some pay per lead sites actually do exactly that).  And they think a toll-free number is likely to go to a call center.  They call the LOCAL number 98% of the time because they assume it is direct to you with no B.S.