Email.

That's right, that thing you check fifty times a day. Its a powerful tool you use every day to communicate with your customers, suppliers and distributors. At the same time, you wade through thousands of solicitations for your money to purchase pharmaceuticals ranging from hair growth to, well... you've already had the misfortune of reading them once. Let's not do it again.

But that is not why its your friend or enemy. We are talking about something different here.

It needs to become your business' best friend. The problem is that you likely are not using it correctly, and it has already become your worst enemy.

Maybe you already have an email newsletter. We hate to break it to you, but it is driving your customers mad.

Maybe you already send out advertisements. But really your customers are just deleting them.

Really, is anyone actually reading the marketing you send? Probably not. Why? Because you're very good at producing highly irrelevant content and spamming your customers with it. You have unwittingly become the very thing you hate - an annoying spammer.

What is the best way to ensure your message gets read? Simply make it the most relevant email in your customer's in box. More than likely, the email addresses you send to belong to individuals who have already expressed interest in your business, product or service. They may have even given you money. Don't repay their charity by sending them junk email. Send them information that will make their lives better, that will help them make informed decisions, or even that entertain them. Make them look forward to emails from you. Position your company as a valuable resource in their lives.

At the same time, make sure not to overload them with information. Try to write concise content, and use as little of their time as possible to communicate powerful, relevant messages.

By accomplishing this, your business will stand out to your customer. They will begin to depend on you for information, and your enterprise will be respected, remembered and favored when it comes time for the customer to spend their money.