This article explores the subtle and pervasive influence of culture on persuasion. Based on comparison across ethnographic case studies, I propose that cultural premises and norms delineate a range of what may and what must be persuaded. Outside that range lie actions requiring no persuasive appeal because the cultural premises and norms are so strongly influential that the persuasive work is already done, and actions so contrary to cultural norms and premises that no persuasive appeal in the usual sense could work. A proposed cultural model of persuasion incorporates social components as well, specifically relational codes, face wants, and interactional sequence.