Software helps organize the who, how, when, and where of communications. There are several essential software programs you should consider using. First and most important is your contact manager system. Whether you're using an in-house system or your own software, you need to research the important variables software can manage for you. Various types of contact management software do different things, and differ in price accordingly.

The second must-have program is Adobe Acrobat. You may be aware of Adobe Acrobat Reader, which was developed as a free plug-in allowing people to read documents created with Adobe Acrobat. You can use it to create secure, user-friendly documents, and since the Reader is free and easy to get, you don't have to worry about receivers not having compatible software.

What The Internet Can Do

The Internet provides an efficient and effective way to communicate or distribute your messages. Using the Internet includes having a Web site, sending an e-newsletter or e-cards, and getting referrals through our eReferral Program, which costs significantly less than traditional methods and usually gets better results. Of course, new technology is often met with skepticism, as it should be. There's no sense integrating technology in hope of greater effectiveness and efficiency — you need to know exactly how technology will help you be more effective and efficient. Understanding the differences between e-mail versus print is a good place to start.