How to Answer Behavioral Questions About Influencing Others

When answering behavioral questions about influencing others, the goal is to demonstrate your ability to navigate challenging situations, convince others, and drive positive outcomes. These types of questions assess your interpersonal and communication skills, as well as your strategic thinking. Here’s how you can approach answering them effectively:

1. Use the STAR Method

Behavioral questions often require specific examples. The STAR method is an excellent way to structure your response:

• Situation: Describe the context of the situation where you had to influence others.

• Task: Explain the specific task or challenge you were facing.

• Action: Detail the actions you took to influence others.

• Result: Share the outcome of your actions, including how your influence led to a positive result.

2. Focus on Key Aspects of Influence

When answering, think about the key components of influencing others, such as:

• Building rapport: How did you establish trust or build relationships with the people you were influencing?

• Persuasion techniques: Did you use data, logic, emotion, or storytelling to make your point?

• Active listening: Were you able to listen to others’ concerns or perspectives before influencing them?

• Adaptability: Did you adjust your approach based on the person or situation?

3. Highlight Specific Examples

Rather than speaking in generalities, give concrete examples of times when you successfully influenced others. For instance, if you persuaded a colleague or a team to adopt a new process or idea, describe the steps you took and the challenges you overcame.

Example:

Q: Tell me about a time you had to influence someone to accept your point of view. How did you approach it?

• Situation: In my previous role as a marketing manager, we were launching a new product, and I needed to convince the sales team to focus on a specific target audience, which was different from their usual demographic.

• Task: The sales team was hesitant, as they were more comfortable with the traditional audience. I had to help them understand the benefits of targeting this new demographic and get them on board with the new strategy.

• Action: I first gathered data and market research that highlighted the potential of this target audience. I then organized a meeting where I presented the data, listened to their concerns, and addressed each one. I also shared success stories from similar product launches in our industry. To make them feel more comfortable, I worked with a few team members one-on-one to help them implement the new approach.

• Result: As a result, the sales team adopted the new strategy, and within three months, we saw a 15% increase in sales from the targeted demographic. The success of the campaign helped build trust between me and the sales team, and they became more open to new ideas in the future.

4. Demonstrate Emotional Intelligence

Influencing others isn’t just about logic or facts—it’s also about connecting with people on an emotional level. In your examples, show how you were able to read the room, understand people’s motivations, and adjust your approach to resonate with them.

For instance, if you were trying to influence a team member who was resistant to change, you might explain how you empathized with their concerns and offered support. Highlighting your emotional intelligence will make your response stand out.

5. Show Flexibility and Persuasion Styles

Recognize that there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” way to influence people. Different people respond to different tactics. Acknowledge this in your response by showcasing how you modified your approach to suit the person or situation.

Example:

Q: How do you handle situations when your initial attempt to influence someone doesn’t work?

• Situation: In a previous project, I was leading a team tasked with developing a new product feature. One team member was particularly resistant to a new approach I proposed for the development process.

• Task: My goal was to get the team member on board without alienating him or creating tension within the group.

• Action: When my initial efforts didn’t resonate, I took a step back and asked for his feedback on the process. I discovered that his concerns were related to time constraints, and he felt the new approach would slow down development. To address his concerns, I restructured the plan, incorporating some of his ideas for efficiency, while still maintaining the core elements of the new process.

• Result: By showing that I valued his input and was willing to adjust the plan, I was able to gain his support. He ended up becoming one of the strongest advocates for the new approach, and the entire team benefited from a more efficient process.

6. Be Honest About Failures

Not every attempt at influencing others will be successful. If you have a story where your efforts didn’t work out as planned, don’t be afraid to share it. What’s more important is that you show how you learned from the experience and adapted your approach for future situations.

Example:

Q: Tell me about a time when you tried to influence someone, but it didn’t work. How did you handle it?

• Situation: I was trying to convince my manager to allocate additional resources to a project that I believed had high potential, but she was focused on other priorities.

• Task: My task was to persuade her to reconsider and provide the necessary resources.

• Action: I presented detailed projections and aligned my argument with the company’s broader strategic goals. However, despite my efforts, she didn’t change her mind.

• Result: I realized that I hadn’t fully understood her priorities, and my approach was too narrow. I asked for a follow-up meeting to better understand her perspective. During this meeting, I focused on listening more than presenting my own arguments. This helped me build rapport and better understand her concerns. While I didn’t get the resources I wanted for that project, the conversation led to a more productive working relationship and an opportunity to revisit the issue at a later time.

7. Show the Impact of Your Influence

Always highlight how your influence led to a tangible result. Whether it was improving team morale, increasing sales, or achieving a project goal, showing the direct impact of your actions reinforces your effectiveness as an influencer.

Example:

Q: Can you describe a time when your influence helped the team achieve a goal?

• Situation: Our team was behind schedule on a key project due to a lack of communication between departments.

• Task: I needed to influence the team to collaborate more effectively and communicate openly to get the project back on track.

• Action: I facilitated cross-departmental meetings, set clear communication guidelines, and worked with team members to address their individual concerns. I also emphasized the importance of the project’s success for the company’s overall goals.

• Result: Through these efforts, the team became more aligned and communication improved. We were able to meet the project deadline, and the company recognized our team’s effort, which led to a promotion for one of the members.

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By using the STAR method, emphasizing your emotional intelligence, and showing adaptability, you’ll be able to answer behavioral questions about influencing others in a way that highlights both your interpersonal skills and your ability to get results.