-mail is instant. Someone opens his or her e-mail whenever ready, anywhere, anytime, and you're instantly there. You appear, delivering your information directly to the viewer. You needn't wait for the times zones to be complementary. The e-mail is sent conveniently and opened conveniently. This is the unique e-vantage of e-mail.

Let's take a look at the following example: during the process of creating the ideal itinerary for your vacation, you e-mail a hotel in Morocco, many time zones away from you. Before you go to sleep, you send an e-mail inquiring about vacation packages, room rates, property features and other pertinent information. When you awake in the morning, you find the answers. This is a perfect situation to use the e-vantage.

Now, let's look at a second example where the e-vantage is questionable. You need to find a doctor who specializes in a particular field. Location is not an issue; you'll go wherever the best medical help is. You search the Web, locating a doctor whose qualifications and experience seem to match your needs. Do you e-mail the doctor inquiring about an appointment or do you use some other medium for this purpose? You will probably pick up the phone and call the doctor's practice. Why? Because you need to develop a sense of what going to that doctor would mean. You try to gain an immediate impression of the doctor through how the phone is answered and the way you are treated as you ask your questions. Additionally, should you decide to set up an appointment, you would want to discuss (synchronously communicate) schedules and availability to find the best time for the appointment.

Determining when to use e-mail and when to use a more relationship-dependent medium (such as telephone or a face-to-face meeting) is a challenge for people used to relying on the ease of e-mail.

Consider the sensitivity of the situation and the need for a relationship when determining whether e-mail is truly an e-vantage.