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Communicating Persuasively, Email or Face-to-Face?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the just-another-boring-sunday dept.

Jeremy Dean writes "Our intuitive understanding is that face-to-face communication is the most persuasive. In reality, of course, it's not always possible to meet in person, so email wins out. How, then, do people react to persuasion attempts over email? Persuasion research has uncovered fascinating effects: that men seem more responsive to email because it bypasses their competitive tendencies (Guadagno & Cialdini, 2002). Women, however, may respond better in face-to-face encounters because they are more 'relationship-minded'. But is this finding just a gender stereotype?"

4 of 165 comments (clear)

  1. Ya well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Try not to overthink this. Of course people can be persuaded via email, you just need to get to know them first before-hand. Legit (non-spam) email marketing is a huge business.

  2. hmmm... another analysis of email... by 3seas · · Score: 2, Informative

    Many years ago the game industry did some research on internet based communications. For online gaming purposes.
    Overall they found that communication can more easily degenerate into flames over the internet than into being productive as opposed to face to face communication.

    Ultimately each mode of communication has its upside and down side and side effects.

  3. Er, phone? by thewils · · Score: 2, Informative

    I know it's old fashioned tech, but it seems to work OK. As a slashpoll this article has remarkably few options.

    --
    Once I was a four stone apology. Now I am two separate gorillas.
  4. Face to Face by rwwyatt · · Score: 2, Informative

    Since I am an avid Slashdot reader, I haven't ventured out of the basement for many years.

    I have learned how to write a persuasive email, and I usually follow it up with a phone call as well.