> with these people, that's what worked And this is a very important point - there isn't a magical cure-all solution to these things. You have to consider what

> with these people, that's what worked And this is a very important point - there isn't a magical cure-all solution to these things. You have to consider what approach works not only for you, but also what works on the people you need to reach. People really are diverse enough that the approach you took, while one that some could consider ill-advised, was the actual right way to communicate with the other party in your situation.