Encourage your feminine side
Gender differences show up in those virtual conversations we hold via e-mail, according to some recent research.
If the subject is technical, the tradition is male.
Men come online to give information or give an answer, and in essence, stop the conversation.
--David Silver, Resource Center for Cyber Culture StudiesMen tend to make strong assertions.
--Susan Herring, Indiana University at Bloomington, Information Sciences and Linguistics
Male-pattern e-mail seems to be abrupt, informational, and aggressive. Men tend to start or contribute eagerly to flame wars, but otherwise aim to limit the amount of interaction.
Useful, practical, to the point--that's the masculine style.
But it's a bit off-putting in an e-mail to a puzzled, upset, angry, or anxious consumer.
Resource:
E-mail responses to customers, chapter from Hot Text, Web Writing that Works (PDF, 995K, or about 18 minutes at 56K)
