A new whitepaper from ExactTarget—cheekily titled No Executive Left Behind—argues in its subtitle that there are 10 things your C-Suite must know about email. "You cannot assume that your C-Suite understands the critical role played by email in facilitating sales and maintaining strong customer relationships," ExactTarget's Jeffrey Rohrs says. "You must take it upon yourself to educate your executives about email's strengths." Here are a few facts your leadership team might not know:

Email is everywhere. "You would think that 15+ years into the Internet revolution, the ubiquity of email would be widely acknowledged as an asset—even in the C-Suite," says ExactTarget. "However, you make this assumption at your own risk." They suggest you offer executives persuasive data like this: 99 percent of Internet users have email accounts, 96 percent check their inboxes weekly, and 60 percent check them daily.

Email is profitable. According to a DMA survey, email campaigns return $45.06 for each dollar spent. But be sure to clarify that the personal nature of an email inbox demands a different approach from direct mail. "Higher ROI comes from developing and executing a long-term email marketing strategy that builds relationships," notes ExactTarget.

Email is measurable. "Thanks to the magic of the Internet and tracking pixels," they say, "you can gain an immediate sense of who is receiving, opening, and responding to your email messages."

The Po!nt: Take the good news into the C-suite. To get the email marketing budget you crave, make your case with some great data.

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