My wife typically comes to me when she has "business politics questions" (despite that she's been working longer and more successfully than me.)
Most of things we talk about involve how to get something (usually work or money) from a client without seeming like they're bothering them.
I'm definitely in the "just matter-of-factly send them an email." She's more in the "I don't want them to get irritated by me contacting them" camp.
This isn't universal though. I've had two experiences where it's been reversed. One male I recently hired accepted a position when he knew money would be a problem and didn't bring it up even though it's a bit of a hardship for him right now. A female I'm in discussions to hire has told me flat out what her salary requirements are. I actually appreciate this kind of discussion.