The 7 Principles Swipe File: Cialdini's Influence, Ready to Paste
All 7 principles from Robert Cialdini's Influence as a homepage line, an email line and a sales-call line, plus an honesty rule for each, a 10-point site check and a worked rewrite.
All 7 principles from Influence (new and expanded edition), each turned into lines you can paste into your homepage, emails and sales calls. Plus a 10-point check that shows which principles your site is missing, a worked email rewrite, and a table of where each principle works best.
For: Founders, freelancers and small agencies whose site and emails explain the product but don't get people to say yes.
- If you only have 15 minutes · 3
- The 7 principles in one table · 7
- Which principle to use where · 7
- 1. Reciprocity · 4
- 2. Commitment & consistency · 4
- 3. Social proof · 4
- 4. Authority · 4
- 5. Liking · 4
- 6. Scarcity · 4
- 7. Unity · 4
- Worked example: one cold email, before and after · 2
- Which principles is my site missing? (10 checks) · 10
- Common mistakes when using persuasion · 7
- Copy-paste prompt: audit your page with the 7 principles · 1
- Only 15 minutes? Do the quick start: run the 10-point check and add just one missing principle today.
- For the full version, pick the missing principles and copy their lines. Fill in every [bracket] with real facts.
- Read the honesty line before you publish. If you can't fill a bracket honestly, skip that line.
If you only have 15 minutes
Robert Cialdini spent years studying, and working undercover in, sales jobs to learn why people say yes. He found that people lean on mental shortcuts when deciding fast. The story in the reel, a jewellery shop that sold out after prices were doubled by mistake, is his example of one: when buyers can't judge quality, a higher price reads as better. Use these shortcuts honestly and buyers decide faster.
- Minute 0–5: Run the 10-point check at the bottom
Tick what your homepage already does. Most small sites miss social proof near the button and a free useful thing.
- Minute 5–10: Add one review next to your main button
A real review from a customer like your target buyer, with name and business (with permission). This is social proof at the moment of decision.
- Minute 10–15: Add one free useful thing
A checklist, a free audit, a calculator. Give it with no catch. That's reciprocity.
The 7 principles in one table
One line each, so you know what you're working with.
| Principle | What it means |
|---|---|
| Reciprocity | People want to give back when you give first. |
| Commitment & consistency | Once people say a small yes, they like to stay consistent with it. |
| Social proof | People copy what people like them are doing. |
| Authority | People follow credible experts. |
| Liking | People say yes to people they like and feel similar to. |
| Scarcity | People want things more when they are rare or about to go away. |
| Unity | People say yes to people who share their identity: 'one of us'. |
Which principle to use where
Not every principle fits every place. Start with the ones marked strong for the page you're fixing.
| Principle | Homepage | Sales call | Watch out | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reciprocity | Strong: free tool or guide | Strong: send something useful first | Medium: one free fix | A gift with a hook is a bribe |
| Commitment & consistency | Medium: small first step (quiz, free check) | Medium: yes/no reply asks | Strong: repeat their stated goal | Never twist their words |
| Social proof | Strong: reviews near button | Medium: one similar-customer story | Strong: what peers usually choose | Only real, permitted reviews |
| Authority | Strong: real credentials | Medium: one line of relevant work | Strong: specific experience | No inflated titles |
| Liking | Medium: real face and name | Strong: a genuine personal note | Strong: real interest in them | Fake flattery backfires |
| Scarcity | Weak unless truly limited | Medium: real capacity | Medium: real start dates | Fake limits are dark patterns |
| Unity | Medium: 'built by X for X' | Strong: shared group | Medium: shared background | Only groups you belong to |
1. Reciprocity
People want to give back when you give first.
Free: [the useful thing] for [who]. No signup needed.
I made you a [checklist/teardown] for [their site]. It's attached, no strings.
Before we talk price, here's one thing you can fix on [their site] this week: [specific fix].
Give something truly useful with no catch. If the gift is a trick to trap them, it's a bribe, not a gift.
2. Commitment & consistency
Once people say a small yes, they like to stay consistent with it.
Start with one question: [simple yes/no question about their goal].
Quick one: is [goal] still a priority for you this quarter? A yes or no is enough.
Earlier you said [their exact words]. Does this plan match that?
Only ask for small yeses they actually mean. Never twist their words back on them.
4. Authority
People follow credible experts.
[Years] years doing [skill]. Featured in [real publication].
I've done [specific relevant work] since [year]. Here's what I'd check first.
In my experience with [type of project], the first thing that breaks is [problem].
State only real credentials. Admit what you don't know. Send them to better help if you're not the right fit.
5. Liking
People say yes to people they like and feel similar to.
Hi, I'm [name]. I [relatable fact] too, so I built [product] for people like you.
Saw your post about [specific thing]. I [honest shared experience].
Before we start: how did [thing they mentioned] go?
Be genuinely interested and honest. Fake flattery and made-up common ground are manipulation.
6. Scarcity
People want things more when they are rare or about to go away.
Only [number] spots per month. [Number] left for [month].
I'm taking [number] new clients in [month]. Want one of the spots?
I can start on [date]. After that, the next opening is [date].
Only use real limits and real deadlines. Fake timers and fake 'only 2 left' are lies.
7. Unity
People say yes to people who share their identity: 'one of us'.
Built by a [shared identity], for [shared identity].
As a fellow [shared identity], I thought you'd want this first.
We're both [shared identity], so I'll tell you what I'd do in your place: [advice].
Only claim a group you truly belong to. Never use 'we' to pressure someone.
Worked example: one cold email, before and after
Illustrative. A made-up freelance SEO writing to a bakery owner.
Subject: SEO services Hi, I am an SEO expert with many years of experience. I offer on-page SEO, off-page SEO, link building and content. Please let me know if you are interested. Regards.
Subject: 3 fixes for [Bakery] on Google Maps Hi [Name], I looked up 'cake shop [area]' and noticed [Bakery] doesn't show in the top 3. I made you a 1-page list of 3 fixes (attached, free, no strings). [Reciprocity] I've done local SEO since [real year]. Last year I helped [real bakery, with permission] get into the top 3 for their area. [Authority + social proof] Want me to walk you through the list in 10 minutes this week? A yes or no reply is fine. [Small commitment] [Your name]
Which principles is my site missing? (10 checks)
- There's a free, useful thing on the site that needs no payment.
Reciprocity.
- The first ask is small (a quiz, a free audit, a short form), not 'book a 1-hour call'.
Commitment & consistency.
- Real customer reviews or logos sit near the main button.
Social proof at the moment of decision.
- At least one review is from a customer just like your target buyer.
Social proof works best from similar people.
- Your real credentials, years or results are on the homepage.
Authority.
- There's a real face and a real name, not just 'we'.
Liking: people buy from people.
- Your About section shares something human your buyers relate to.
Liking through similarity.
- If capacity or time is truly limited, the page says so.
Scarcity, only when true.
- The copy names the group you serve and that you belong to it (if you do).
Unity.
- Nothing on the site is fake: no fake timers, counts, reviews or badges.
One fake claim undoes every honest principle.
Common mistakes when using persuasion
- You stacked all 7 principles into one page.
It reads as pushy. Two or three, done well, beat seven done badly.
- Your reviews are vague or made up.
Fake reviews and testimonials are banned under the FTC's 2024 rule in the US, and misleading ads break the ASCI Code in India.
- Your 'only 2 left' or countdown timer is fake.
India's 2023 dark-pattern guidelines name false urgency as a dark pattern.
- Your free gift needs a credit card.
Then it isn't a gift, and people feel tricked.
- You claimed authority you don't have.
One checked lie undoes every other honest line.
- Your social proof is from the wrong people.
A big-company logo won't move a small shop owner. Show people like the buyer.
- You used 'we' and 'family' to pressure.
Unity only works when the shared identity is real.
Copy-paste prompt: audit your page with the 7 principles
Use Robert Cialdini's 7 principles of influence (reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking, scarcity, unity). Here is my homepage copy: [paste] My real proof: [reviews, numbers, credentials, limits] 1. For each principle, say if the page uses it (yes/partly/no) and quote the line. 2. Suggest one line per missing principle, using only my real proof. 3. Flag anything that could be read as fake urgency, fake reviews or pressure. Do not invent facts.
Unlock the full template
Everything above, plus the branded PDF to keep.
Frequently asked questions
What are Cialdini's 7 principles of persuasion?
What is the unity principle?
Is using persuasion principles manipulative?
Which principle should I add to my site first?
What is the turquoise story in Influence?
Sources
- Robert B. Cialdini, Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion (Harper Business, 2021), Influence at Work
- Influence at Work, the principles of persuasion explained
- Robert Cialdini, official site
- Influence: Science and Practice, book overview (Wikipedia)
- FTC Trade Regulation Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (Federal Register, 2024)
- Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023 (India CCPA), summary on Vikaspedia
- Advertising Standards Council of India, the ASCI Code
3. Social proof
People copy what people like them are doing.