Good ideas still get a no.
I teach the science of persuasion the Cialdini way, so your good ideas get a yes. Ethically, and in ways you can use tomorrow.
- Founding Member and Master Trainer, Cialdini Institute
- Seven principles, each backed by decades of published research
- Six of the seven used on this page, so you can watch them work. The seventh is left out on purpose.
20 minutes. One idea you can use. No obligation.
Not ready for a call? Take the two-minute check
“I want to introduce you to Mark Brown. Mark is one of my Cialdini Certified Professionals. He completed all the necessary course requirements to help you and your team understand and apply the scientifically proven principles of Influence.”
31 July 2023
Companies that have boosted results with the Cialdini training programmes
Dr. Cialdini's method, taught by his Institute's own trainers. I am one of them.
You persuade all day. Were you ever trained for it?
The budget went to the louder voice.
Your case was better. Theirs was made better.
The team nodded, then nothing changed.
Agreement in the room isn't commitment outside it.
The proposal that was “just a bit pricey”.
Nobody questioned the value until the price arrived first.
The training that faded.
A good day out, a page of notes, and the same habits by Thursday.
Most of a working week is spent moving people: securing a budget, landing a decision, winning a hire, keeping a client. Non-sales professionals spend 41 percent of their working time persuading, influencing and convincing others. Almost nobody is taught how. (Daniel Pink, To Sell Is Human)
What changes
What you get
- 1Science, not tips. Seven principles with decades of research behind them, explained in plain English.
- 2Your situation, not a case study. We work on the yes you actually need, this quarter.
- 3Small changes you can make tomorrow. Most of the method is in how you ask, not what you ask for.
- 4Ethical by design. Every principle works because it is true. Use it on something false and it stops working, and so does your reputation.
- 5The Cialdini route, direct. Taught by a Founding Member and Master Trainer of the Cialdini Institute, not from a summary of the book.
- 6It sticks. You apply each principle to a real request between sessions, so it is a habit before the course ends.
In their words
Mark helped me apply the course learning to my specific situation; the sessions with him were very effective and enjoyable.
Fascinating, rewarding, interactive, applicable, valuable and enjoyable.
A great course that was challenging, thought-provoking and insightful, all backed by genuine support and enthusiasm from my coach.
Three ways in. Most people start with the training.
Workshops
- For a team, half a day to two days
- Everyone brings one real business challenge and leaves with a plan for it
- In person or virtual
Training
- For you, or a small group, over a few weeks
- The seven principles, applied to your own live requests between sessions
- Online or in person
Speaking
- For a conference, an offsite or a leadership day
- 45, 60 or 90 minutes, tailored to your theme
- In person or virtual
Not sure which fits? Book your 20-minute call and we'll work it out together.
Seven principles. Six of them used on this page.
You've just been persuaded by six of them. Here's where, and why the seventh is missing.
| Principle | In one line | Where it worked on you |
|---|---|---|
| Reciprocity | People say yes to you if they feel they owe you. | The two-minute check and the one-page guide, free, before I ask for anything. |
| Liking | People say yes to you, and want to do business with you, if they like you. | The photo at the top. Two people enjoying themselves at the same event. |
| Social proof | People say yes to your request if you show them that others like them already have. | Hugh's quote above the menu, the logo wall, the four people in their own words. |
| Authority | People say yes to you if you show them you are an authority, or that established authorities agree with you. | Dr. Cialdini's letter, in his words, with his signature. My title in the first three lines. |
| Scarcity | People say yes if what you offer is rare or dwindling. | Not used. Nothing on this page is scarce, so the page doesn't say it is. That's the rule: a principle only works when what it points at is true. |
| Consistency | People say yes if it is consistent with what they have already said or done. | The two-minute check asks you to name your own weak spot. The call starts from your answer. |
| Unity | People say yes to you if they see you as sharing their goals, values or identity. | “You persuade all day.” So do I. Same job, same frustrations, different toolkit. |
And if you spotted them as you went, good. The principles work whether or not you notice. The missing one is the point: the ethics are in what you leave out.
From a call to a yes
Book your 20-minute call.
Free. Bring one thing you want a yes to.
We pick the principle.
You leave the call with one change to make to that request. Use it or not, it's yours.
We agree the route.
Training, a workshop or a keynote, with dates and a price, in writing. No pressure on the call.
You start hearing yes.
Each session ends with a real request to apply it to before the next.
What waiting costs
The next no is already in your diary.
A budget round, a hire, a client renewal. It will go the way the last one did.
Instinct doesn't improve with repetition.
You've been persuading for years. If practice alone worked, you'd be done by now.
Not ready for a call? Find your weak spot in two minutes.
Seven quick questions, one per principle. No email needed to see your result.
Three ways to learn this
| Working with me | Reading Influence | A general communication course | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you learn | Seven principles, applied to your own live requests | Seven principles, in general | Techniques, often without the science behind them |
| Who teaches it | A Cialdini Institute Founding Member and Master Trainer | Dr. Cialdini, on the page | Varies |
| What you practise on | The budget, hire or decision you need this quarter | Nothing, unless you set it up yourself | Role plays |
| What sticks | A habit, because every session ends with a real request | What you remember a month later | Notes |
If you've read Influence, you already know this works. The call is where it starts working for your next request.
Book your 20-minute callWhat companies say about the programme I teach
This Principles of Persuasion course was excellent for our Senior Managers, customer service directors, and salespeople. We saw a measurable difference right away.
Our colleagues here at Schering Health Care became much more personally effective whether they are new to their role or very experienced.
I have participated in many high-quality programs, but this one was immediately useful. Additionally, I found that these principles have important relevance across many facets of our business.
Very insightful and definitely challenged my thinking! I'm looking forward to putting it into action. Thank you!
Founding Member and Master Trainer, Cialdini Institute · Cialdini Certified Coach · 25+ years in financial services and technology
Why I do this
I'm Mark Brown, a Founding Member and Master Trainer of the Cialdini Institute, and a Cialdini Certified Coach. I spent more than 25 years in financial services, risk and technology, designing new initiatives and getting them agreed, which is where I learned that the quality of an idea has surprisingly little to do with whether it gets a yes.
I'm fascinated by the way we behave, so I studied psychology and worked with the behavioural scientists at University College London's Centre for Behaviour Change. I built a cyber security training programme on what we learned, because the biggest security risk in any company is a person making a decision. Persuasion is the same science pointed the other way.
I make it clear, simple and, where I can, fun. It helps the learning process.
More about meQuestions people ask before they book
Is the call really free, and is there a catch?
Yes, and no. Twenty minutes, one request of yours, one principle to apply to it. If we go further, we agree that afterwards, in writing.
Is this a sales call?
It's a working call. You'll leave with something to use whether or not we work together.
What should I bring?
One thing you want a yes to: a budget, a decision, a hire, a client. The more specific, the more useful the 20 minutes.
What does the training cost?
It depends on whether it's you alone or a group, and over how long. You'll have a price in writing after the call, and never on it.
Is it ethical?
Only if what you're asking for is true. The principles work by pointing at real reasons; used on false ones, they fail, and so does your reputation. That's the first thing we cover.
I've read Influence. Will I learn anything new?
You'll learn to use it. Most readers can name the principles and still make the ask the same way they always did.
Online or in person?
Both. Training and workshops run either way; keynotes too.
Who are you, and what's the Cialdini Institute?
It's Dr. Robert Cialdini's own organisation for teaching his work, and I am one of its Founding Members and Master Trainers. His introduction is at the top of this page.
Can you train my whole team?
Yes. That's usually a workshop, half a day to two days, where everyone works on a real challenge of their own.
Something else?
Email hello@influenceinaction.co.uk, or book the call and ask me there.
