Robert Cialdini opens by presenting 'pre-suasion' — the strategic use of moments immediately preceding a persuasive message to shape its subsequent reception — as significantly affecting persuasive effectiveness beyond the persuasive message's actual content alone.

Why this pre-suasion concept extends Cialdini's established influence research:

• This concept extends Cialdini's earlier established influence research by examining how strategically preparing the audience's psychological state before message delivery significantly affects that message's subsequent reception and effectiveness
• This distinctive focus on the moments preceding persuasion, rather than purely the persuasive content itself, provides an important additional dimension to understanding effective persuasion
• This opening establishes the book's foundational premise, motivating its subsequent detailed examination of specific pre-suasion techniques

This opening establishes the book's foundational pre-suasion concept, extending Cialdini's established influence research into this distinctive examination of moments preceding persuasive message delivery.