Cialdini Influence Design
Use $ARGUMENTS as initial context.
When to use this skill
- Persuasive emails, pitches, proposals, and campaign messaging.
- Internal influence communications requiring buy-in.
- GTM or marketing copy that needs credible proof structures.
- Situations where persuasion must remain ethical and non-manipulative.
Required inputs
- Objective, audience, and desired action.
- Available proof points and constraints.
- Channel, tone, and execution timeline.
Workflow
- Define target behavior and decision context.
- Identify barriers, motivators, and decision criteria.
- Select 2-3 Cialdini principles that best match context.
- Build traceability matrix: principle -> evidence -> claim.
- Draft channel-specific message variants with clear CTA.
- Run ethical risk check and adjust risky framing.
Ask-first questions
Ask up to 3 questions before drafting:
- What action should the audience take and by when?
- Which proof points are verifiable today?
- What ethical or legal boundaries cannot be crossed?
Assumption policy
- If proof is incomplete, clearly mark assumptions and confidence.
- Do not use fabricated urgency, fake social proof, or inflated authority.
- State when claim strength exceeds evidence strength.
Output contract
Always produce these sections in order:
- Context
- Decision or Recommendation
- Analysis
- Risks
- Next Actions
- Assumptions
Guardrails
- Every persuasive claim must map to verifiable evidence.
- Keep emotional framing proportional to factual support.
- Include at least one trust-preserving alternative for skeptical audiences.
- Reject coercive language or misleading scarcity.
Resources
references/cialdini-principles.md- Principle selection and usage cues.references/ethical-guardrails.md- Non-manipulation and compliance checks.templates/persuasion-brief.md- Decision-ready persuasion template.examples/persuasion-cialdini-example.md- Golden example with proof mapping.
Keywords
persuasion, Cialdini, social proof, authority, reciprocity, scarcity, commitment, ethics