In the 1960s, business executives marveled at their new organization tool – the Rolodex. This clever contraption made it easy to find an associate’s or customer’s phone number and add or delete contacts in just a few minutes, spinning cards around on its wheel alphabetically. The Rolodex became an essential tool for communication, taking us through the next two decades and into the computer era.

Once personal computers began to populate office desks, electronic mail ensued and business professionals discovered an even smarter way to connect with their customers and foster long-term relationships – email.

Today, electronic communication has become far more prevalent in customer relationship management than the old fashioned phone call or direct mailer due to several key benefits:

• the freedom to review and respond at one’s leisure
• the ability to include supportive documents and hyperlinks
• the ability to carefully plan and fine-tune a message prior to delivery
• the ability to communicate with a larger audience faster and more cost-effectively
• the ability to easily document and archive correspondence

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