Have you ever tried to convince someone to see things your way? Maybe you wanted your friend to choose your favorite game or agree with your idea in a group project. Being able to persuade others is a super important skill, especially in jobs like sales or law. When interviewers ask, “How would you persuade someone?”, they’re trying to see if you can share your ideas clearly and get others on board.
Sometimes, they might ask this question in different ways:
- How would you persuade someone to see your point of view?
- Tell me about a time when you influenced someone.
- Have you ever had to convince someone to do things your way?
In this guide, we’ll explore why interviewers care about your persuasion skills and help you craft the perfect answer to show you’re a strong candidate.
What hiring managers look for when you talk about persuading someone
When interviewers ask about how you persuade others, they’re curious about how you share your ideas and make a strong case. Do you use facts and logic? Do you find things you both agree on? Do you try to negotiate? There are many ways to convince someone, and explaining your approach helps them see if you can do the job well.
They also want to understand your judgment. Persuading people means picking the right way to talk to different folks and knowing how hard to push your ideas. Your answer shows if you can choose the best way to persuade someone in each situation.
How to answer “How would you persuade someone?”
Understand what they’re looking for
Before you answer, it’s important to know why they’re asking. Think about how persuasion fits into the job you want.
Tips to help you understand:
- Read the job description carefully: Look for clues like “teamwork,” “sales,” or “presenting ideas.” This shows how you’ll need to persuade others.
- Visit the company’s website: Learn about what the company values. Do they care about helping customers, being creative, or working well together?
- Check out employees on LinkedIn: Find people who have the job you want. See what they talk about in their profiles. Do they mention leading projects or convincing others?
When you know how persuasion is used in the job, you can give an answer that fits. For example, convincing a customer to buy something is different from getting your team to try a new idea.
Give an example
The best way to show you can persuade someone is to share a real story.
Ideas for examples:
- Making a sale: Maybe you sold the most raffle tickets for a school fundraiser by explaining the prizes well.
- Giving a presentation: Perhaps you presented a project idea in class, and everyone agreed it was the best.
- Getting approval for an idea: Did you convince your teacher to let the class have a fun activity by showing how it relates to the lesson?
- Asking for a favor: Maybe you got a friend to help you with a project by promising to help them next time.
- Resolving a conflict: Did you help friends make up after an argument by listening to both sides?
- Campaigning for change: Perhaps you started a petition to get healthier food in the cafeteria.
- Altering a team’s habits: Did you get your sports team to try a new practice routine that improved performance?
How to tell your story:
- Set the scene: Explain where you were and what was happening.
- “In my marketing class, we had to create a campaign for a new product.”
- Identify the challenge: What was the problem or goal?
- “My team couldn’t agree on the best idea to present.”
- Describe your actions: How did you persuade others?
- “I listened to everyone’s ideas and found common points. Then, I suggested combining them into one strong plan.”
- Share the result: What happened after?
- “Everyone agreed, and we got an A on the project!”
Sharing a real story shows you can use persuasion in real life. It helps the interviewer see your skills in action.
How not to answer
Don’t use a negative experience
Don’t talk about times when you used tricks or made someone feel bad to get your way. Telling a negative story might make the interviewer think you’re not nice to work with and it can seem like you don’t care about others’ feelings or teamwork. Instead, pick an example where everyone benefited, and the outcome was good.
Don’t be unprepared
Don’t tell the interviewer you can’t think of any examples or pause for too long while you think. If you can’t share how you’ve persuaded someone before, the interviewer might worry you can’t do it on the job. Before the interview, think of one to three stories where you persuaded someone and rehearse telling them so you feel comfortable during the interview.
Sample answers to “How would you persuade someone?”
Example #1
“Just the other day at my part-time job in a store, I helped a customer who was upset about a gadget that wasn’t working. I could tell they were frustrated, so I listened carefully as they told me what happened. I didn’t interrupt and let them share everything.
After they finished, I asked some questions to understand better. I found out they were using the gadget in a way that wasn’t recommended. Instead of just telling them they were wrong, I gently showed them the right way to use it. I also suggested an accessory that could make it work even better for their needs. They appreciated my help, bought the accessory, and left the store happy. It felt good to turn their frustration into satisfaction.”
Why this works:
- Listening first: By letting the customer speak, you showed respect and care.
- Asking questions: You gathered important information to find the real problem.
- Helpful solution: Offering a fix and an extra product solved their issue and boosted sales.
- Positive experience: The customer left happy, showing great customer service skills.
Example #2
“During my senior year of college, we had a group project where we couldn’t agree on a topic. Everyone had different ideas, and we were stuck. I decided to bring everyone together by finding something we all liked.
I suggested a topic that combined parts of each person’s idea. I was really excited about it and explained why it would work well. I showed how it covered what we needed and how everyone’s contribution was important. My teammates started to see the benefits and got excited too. We chose that topic, worked well together, and ended up getting a great grade!”
Why this works:
- Positive energy: Your enthusiasm made others interested.
- Team inclusion: You valued everyone’s ideas, promoting teamwork.
- Clear communication: Explaining the benefits helped others understand.
- Successful outcome: The group succeeded, showing leadership and collaboration.
Example #3
“During my internship at a small company, we were trying to come up with ideas to promote a new app. Some team members wanted to use traditional ads, but I thought we could try something different to reach more young people.
I suggested creating fun videos for social media since many people my age spend time there. I showed examples of popular videos and explained how they could attract attention. I even offered to help make a sample video to show how it could work.
After seeing the sample, my team agreed to give it a try. The videos ended up being a big hit online, getting lots of views and downloads for the app. It was exciting to see my idea help the company grow.”
Why this works:
- Understanding the audience: You knew where to find and how to engage young users.
- Using examples: Showing real-life successes helped convince others.
- Taking initiative: Making a sample video showed you’re proactive.
- Achieving results: The successful campaign demonstrated effective persuasion and creativity.
By preparing thoughtful answers like these, you’re showing the interviewer how you can positively persuade others. This not only helps you answer their question but also shows them that you’re ready to bring your skills to their team!