For business communicators today, the menu of choices to reach and personally interact with recipients is extensive. Compounding these and other process challenges is the difficulty in isolating and leveraging the best and preferred way each of our messages should reach their desired audiences. As a result, many of us suffer from the inability to achieve the success so critical in, as Woody Allen defined it, "simply showing up."

Following a series of conversations with some vendors that are looking at addressing this confusing and frustrating task, I have become more hopeful that our choices translate into greater opportunity. Each vendor shared a perspective that addresses this multi-channel communications problem.

One, Engenus LLC (Engenus.com), seems to have the most comprehensive view of those to whom I talked. Greg Gannon describes this as the ability "to facilitate the delivery of the right message, to the right person, at the right time, regardless of carrier or device used to receive the communication." Let's examine his service offering to learn the key elements in making us better communicators.

• Self-selective. Each of us has multiple means of being available. We prioritize and adjust those availabilities to specific purveyors of information or types of information. There cannot be one channel to reach us all for the same message, just like there is not one soft drink that we will all drink at every type of event.
  
  
• Rules-driven. Build in rules to that communication to enhance and align our interests with the message being conveyed. This mass customization is not simply creating a better mail merge (or email merge); instead, we demand that our valuable time be spent in valuable ways and not to be wasted by maybes. We value the message so much more when it is precisely relevant to us and dynamic to our needs, presented with the appropriate urgency to its criticality.
  
  
• Bi-directional. Aside from its disruptiveness, the element of most telephone solicitations that annoys many of us is that the caller follows the script religiously. They do not listen to our responses, they do not at least feign thoughtfulness about our remarks, and they do not allow us to participate. Increasingly, the new platforms of communication foster dialogue and two-way thought. Electronic campaigns can become community-building experiences where the sender of the message learns and adjusts to the pulse of the recipient's response.
  
  
• Velocity and accuracy. Leveraging the individuality of our tastes, needs, and expectations leads to more meaningful outcomes of a communicator's campaign. Inaccuracy means that we are not reacting, or at least not in the desired fashion. Alternatively, if the sender is collaborating with us and listening to us, the persuasiveness of each plea -- with its appropriate channel for each of us -- will be more effective.

Modes of communication. The plethora of modes is amazing. They are:

• Direct mail
• Fax
• Text email messaging. This mode includes deciding which mailbox, since many of us have at least two.
• Text SMS (short messaging service)  More on this below.
• MMS (multi-media messaging service)
• Pagers
• Phone (home, work, and cell)
• Instant messaging
• Push-to-the-Web. This mode may start with the ultimate self-selection, a person motivated to follow the advice of an advertisement to see a message on the Web.
• IVR (interactive voice response)
• RSS (rich site summary) or syndicated Web content
• Blogging

SMS: Today's compelling mode of communications. Possibly because of its novelty, SMS is demonstrating success that demands consideration in any complete communications strategy. Research shows that "94 percent of the messages sent to the consumer are read by the recipient." In addition, "23 percent of the recipients will show or forward a marketing message to a friend."

There are rules. Rules, legislation, and regulation further impose rigidity that complicates our decisions. We must comply with the National Do-Not-Call Registry. Our email messages are frequently intercepted and discarded by spam blocking techniques. Our email messages, especially those sent out in droves, must also comply with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. Faxes must address how to be removed from a mass faxing list.

In addition, email messages to mobile devices present a special challenge. Because there is usually a cost to the recipient, while they can be more effective than other forms of email, they are subject to FCC regulation. Since many of our recipients are forwarding email from the desktop to the mobile device, the distinction can be vague. However, these regulations apply only to email sent to specific domains on the Internet. For more information, visit http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/canspam.html.

As more of our small and mid-size businesses adopt solutions to their broad communications needs, we must focus on choice and effectiveness to be meaningful. Otherwise, the choice becomes more channels through which to throw slop at our customers, constituents, and prospects.

CHAIM YUDKOWSKY, CPA, CITP, is Director of IT for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) based in Washington, DC. He is also president of Byte of Success Inc., a technology consulting company specializing in helping small and mid-size business grow using technology. He is available for both consultation and speaking. He may be reached at cyudkowsky@byteofsuccess.com.