The Cialdini Institute
Everything you desire depends on your ability to influence.
The Cialdini Institute helps you activate your influence and amplify it, ethically, with programs trusted by more than 500 organizations.
Start with the free Influence Assessment
These companies have boosted their results with our programs
Start here
What brings you here today?
Find out how you influence
A free assessment that shows how you influence people and where you lose them.
Take the assessmentLearn influence with us
Online with Dr. Cialdini, in person at a two-day workshop, or with AI Cialdini on call.
See programsBring it to your team
Training, workshops and keynotes for teams and whole organizations.
Train my team
Who we are
The home of four decades of research on ethical influence.
Psychologist Dr. Robert Cialdini spent more than 40 years studying why people agree. His books, including Influence and Pre-Suasion, have sold more than 12 million copies in 52 languages.
The Cialdini Institute turns that research into programs, workshops and tools you can use with clients, colleagues and the people at home. It is led by Samir Patel, Chairman.
The reach
Join the more than 12 million people who have learned from Dr. Cialdini.
- 40+
- years of research on why people agree
- 12M+
- copies of his books sold
- 52
- languages his books are published in
- 500+
- organizations trained, including Fortune 500 companies
From people who learned
“What I found most valuable about this course is that we can all learn to be persuasive.”
Shelley D.Patient Care/Financial Coordinator
“I feel changed and ready to return to work. My new skills, listening and acting, will give me more confidence to use influence in my personal and professional world.”
Brenda ArtemanBenefits, American Trust Insurance
“Excellent workshop and an outstanding leader! Wished I’d have learned about this material many years ago – it would have saved me a lot of headaches!”
Mariel PereyraDirector of Compliance, American Express
What leaders say
Trusted by Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger and other leaders.
Investors, founders and negotiators on how the research shaped the way they do business.
Photo: Mark Hirschey · CC BY-SA 2.0Warren Buffett
CEO, Berkshire Hathaway
“'Influence' is one of the best business books of all time.”
Photo: Dinoch1 · CC BY-SA 4.0Charlie Munger
Vice Chairman, Berkshire Hathaway
“Robert Cialdini has had a greater impact on my thinking than any other scientist.”
Photo: Chatham House · CC BY 2.0Richard Thaler
Nobel Laureate, Behavioral Economics
“If the President had to have one advisor with him at all times, my nomination would be Bob Cialdini, the world's most practical social psychologist, and the master of 'Influence'.”
Photo: Union Eleven · CC BY-SA 3.0Tobias Lütke
Founder, Shopify
“'Influence' is a book that made me a billionaire.”
Chris Voss
Author, Never Split the Difference
“Anyone who wants their abilities in communication or negotiation to be at their highest level has to read Robert Cialdini's book. Your knowledge base is simply incomplete without it.”
Alex Hormozi
Entrepreneur, Investor
“'Influence' is a must-read for entrepreneurship, sales, and marketing.”
Photo: VGrigas (WMF) · CC BY-SA 3.0Guy Kawasaki
Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist
“Cialdini is the 'Godfather of Influence.' His book is the guiding light for how I conduct business — and in many ways how I live my life.”
Photo: kris krüg · CC BY-SA 2.0Naval Ravikant
Entrepreneur & Angel Investor
“'Influence': classic, classic book. Everybody should read it, memorize it, and understand the way people influence other people.”
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The research
Seven principles shape almost every decision people make.
Everything the Institute teaches is built on them. Learn what each one is, and how to use it ethically.
- 01ReciprocityPeople give back to those who gave to them first.
- 02LikingPeople agree more easily with people they like.
- 03Social proofWhen unsure, people do what people like them do.
- 04AuthorityPeople follow advice from someone who clearly knows.
- 05ScarcityPeople want more of what they could lose.
- 06Commitment and consistencyPeople keep to what they've already said and done.
- 07UnityPeople back the ones they see as their own.
- Which ones do you use?The free Influence Assessment shows you.Find out
How we help
Learn influence the way that fits you.
Online, in person or with an AI expert on call. For yourself, your team or your whole organization.
The Influence Assessment
Free
$49 full report
Start here: see how you influence people and where you lose them.
The Cialdini Method
$1,497
once · 7-day full refund
21 hours with Dr. Cialdini, online and at your own pace.
Two days in Atlanta
$2,997
Early bird · per seat
The Principles of Persuasion Workshop, March 11 and 12, 2027.
AI Cialdini
$29
a month · 7 days free
Ask an AI influence expert what to say next.
Where to start
Not sure where to start? See how you influence people today.
Step 1
Take the Influence Assessment
Answer everyday work situations and pick what you would actually do.
Step 2
See your free result
How you influence people today. The full report, $49, also shows where you lose people and how others influence you.
Step 3
Choose your next step
Your result points you to the program that fits what you want to get better at.
Who it's for
I'm interested in influence for:
Myself
Get people to listen to you, trust you and act on your ideas.
See programsMy team
Help your managers get buy-in without pulling rank.
For leadersMy organization
Give everyone one shared, ethical way to influence.
For organizationsMy students
Teach influence, and how to recognize manipulation.
For educators
Questions
Questions people ask.
Influence is your ability to get people to agree with you, act on your idea or choose you over someone else. Dr. Robert Cialdini spent more than 40 years researching what leads people to agree, and found seven principles that shape that decision.
Ethics. Influence gives people true reasons to agree to something that is good for them too. Manipulation uses the same principles with fake deadlines, false popularity or borrowed authority to get an agreement the person will regret.
From Dr. Cialdini's experiments and field studies over more than 40 years, written up in his book Influence and later in Pre-Suasion. His books have sold more than 12 million copies in 52 languages.
A free online assessment that shows how you naturally influence people: which of the seven principles you lean on, and where you lose people.
Our online course, taken at your own pace. It gives each of the seven principles its own module, and you apply every one to your own work. It costs $1,497.
POP stands for Principles of Persuasion. It is two days in person, practicing the seven principles on your own work, led by a CMCT.
An AI built by the Institute on Dr. Cialdini's work. Ask it about a real pitch, negotiation or conversation and get advice grounded in the seven principles. It costs $29 a month.
Yes. Tell us about your team and what you want them to get better at, and we will come back to you with the options.
Not sure what fits? Tell us what you're working on.
We'll point you to the right program. Or email team@cialdini.com.
