Pre-suasion
Setting the stage before the pitch decides whether it lands.
What it means
The practice of arranging for recipients to be receptive to a message before they encounter it, by channeling their attention to a concept that aligns with what is about to be proposed. Cialdini's argument is that the moment just before a request is a 'privileged' window: directing attention to, say, adventure or safety primes associated ideas and shifts subsequent judgments without the audience noticing. It is essentially strategic priming applied to persuasion, distinct from the message's own merits. It matters because what an audience is thinking about an instant before a request can determine the answer.
Examples
Asking people about being adventurous just before a pitch raises uptake of a novel product.
In a classic online study, shoppers browsing sofas against a cloud-patterned background weighed comfort more heavily, while a coin background pushed them toward price — the wallpaper set the criterion.
A manager who asks the team about their proudest wins just before proposing an ambitious plan gets more buy-in than one who opens by reviewing last quarter's problems.
First described in Robert Cialdini, 'Pre-Suasion' (2016).