Phone calls and e-mail are the two main ways we stay in touch with people for both business and personal reasons. Some of us prefer one to the other. But, whichever is your favorite, do you make sure people can reach you?

While recently checking the Constant Contact results for one of my organizations, I was surprised at the number of "bounced" messages due to "full mailbox". And several times I have tried to leave voicemail messages (including when returning a phone call) and not been able to because the person's voicemail box was full.

For e-mail, Gmail is a great alternative as they give you a huge amount of storage. You can get a business Gmail account which uses your website name as part of your e-mail address. I have two business e-mail accounts -- the nancy at write4unj.com (which is a Google business account) and the write4unj at gmail.com. The second one is for subscriptions to e-letters, blogs, and other things that I do want to read but may not immediately have time for. This keeps my main business account free for actual business. I know we're all very busy, but keep an eye (and an ear) on your mailboxes.

I've been saving one of Angie and Courtney's Leadership Moment e-mails (Lead Star/Leadership by Angie & Courtney) to share with you. The title is "Are you doing enough to develop your self awareness?"

They define self awareness as "our ability to know and appreciate our strengths, as well as know and work to improve upon limiting behaviors." When I saw this e-mail, it really made me stop and think "who am I?" Courtney and Angie recommend a variety of activities for understanding who you are. Here are some of my favorites.

Take 30 minutes and identify words that describe you, both positive and negative qualities. Decide which are your top three in both categories. Be careful, sometimes what you consider a positive might be someone else's negative!

Think about how you "show up" in a group. Are you different around different people or in different situations? I really push myself to be engaged when I'm at large networking events, even though I'm much happier not "being out there".

If you work for someone, ask your manager about your strengths and weaknesses. If you have your own business, ask a trusted friend or colleague. You may be surprised at how you are seen by others.

A very big thank you to all of you who reached out to me after my May e-letter and my blog. The hugs (in-person or virtual) are much appreciated!

The financial industry has special concerns and needs when it comes to social media. FINRA has put together various policies and guidelines for using things like LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, etc. Having worked with financial advisers before and remembering the stringent approval process, I know this can be a problem. However, I've been researching and reading all of the resources out there, so I am here to help! If you're in the finance world and haven't ventured into social media yet because you're worried about FINRA, let me help you!

Are you interested in trying e-mail marketing? I am a Certified Constant Contact Expert and a Constant Contact Solution Provider. Which means I can help you with your e-mail marketing -- whether it's helping with set-up, writing the content, or doing something more advanced. I can even set up your contact lists, help you choose a template, and develop your e-mail schedule. To learn more, click here.

E-mail marketing is a way to stay in front of your customers. Whether it's an e-letter (like this one), notice of a special event or sale, or just a holiday greeting, e-mail marketing should be a part of your marketing package. Let me help you get started.