Remember when this business ran on fax machines? (Actually, I bet there are plenty of you who remember a time before that.)

Or when direct mail drove your new business? (Who buys stamps anymore?)

Or how about that pesky gatekeeper, whether it be someone who simply answers the phone or the actual human resources chief? Remember when that was your only channel of communication with employees?

Well, those days are over. At least they can be.

There's no reason you can't speak directly to your clients and their employees. Whether it's to educate them about their current benefits, upcoming changes or maybe enlighten them about a particular voluntary offering, there are a number of resources out there at your disposal.

Just read a great example this morning. United Benefit Advisors, one of the industry's heavyweights, is showing the agility of a smaller shop with the introduction of its online Compliance Solutions Program, which they're making available to all employers through its Web site. According to the press release, this portal is designed "to help owners, C-level management, HR officers and staff, benefits managers, compensation management and corporate health and wellness officers address the increasing challenges posed by more complex compliance regulations and rapidly shifting benefits programs."

Another part of this outreach is the company's monthly webinar series addressing various compliance issues.

So what are you waiting for? You don't have to waste your time wading through Facebook of wrestling with Twitter's limitations (both space and server-related).

Get out there. The guy down the block already is.