Where to Start with Robert Cialdini
Robert Cialdini is Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University and one of the most cited social psychologists in the world. His research on the science of influence has shaped how businesses, governments, and individuals think about persuasion. To write his landmark book “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” (1984), Cialdini spent three years going undercover in sales training programs, fundraising operations, car dealerships, and telemarketing firms to study how compliance professionals get people to say yes. The book has sold over five million copies and been translated into more than thirty languages. He followed it with “Pre-Suasion” (2016), which examines how to set the stage for influence before the actual request is made.
Start here
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
Robert Cialdini · 320 pages · 1984 · Moderate
Themes: persuasion psychology, reciprocity, social proof, commitment and consistency, scarcity
The definitive guide to the psychology of why people say yes. Cialdini identifies six principles of persuasion (reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity) through a combination of rigorous academic research and undercover fieldwork among sales professionals, fundraisers, and con artists.
Why Start Here
This is Cialdini’s foundational work and the book that established him as the world’s leading authority on influence. Every other book he has written builds on the framework laid out here. The six principles are so well supported by research and so clearly explained that they have become the standard vocabulary for anyone working in marketing, sales, or negotiation.
Understanding these principles serves a dual purpose. You can use them to make your own communication more persuasive, and you can recognize when they are being used on you. Cialdini includes vivid real-world examples of each principle, from how waiters increase tips to how car salespeople manufacture urgency.
What to Expect
A 320-page book that blends academic research with engaging storytelling. Cialdini writes as both a scientist and a storyteller, making dense psychological research accessible and memorable. Each chapter covers one principle with both research findings and practical examples. The revised edition (2006) is widely recommended, though a New and Expanded edition (2021, 592 pages) adds a seventh principle called Unity.