How to persuade someone to your point of view

Tell me about how you persuade people to accept your point of view.

Similar interview questions: What do you do to influence others? Do you consider yourself to be a leader or a follower? How do you get others to do what you want?

Do you consider yourself to be an influencer?

Why the interviewer is asking this question:
The interviewer is asking about your persuasion skills and how they are used. A good interviewer will drill down into specific times when you influenced others, including the circumstances of the situation, what you did specifically and the eventual outcome.

The best approach to answering this question:
You need to choose a time you influenced others on a decision which was clearly the right decision. Make it data driven, not opinion driven. If data is not available, use testing to gather the data. And recognize that you should not make it appear that you are inflexible in considering the views of others. Avoid any times where you attempted to influence others unsuccessfully or where you were attempting to influence others in questionable situations.

An example of how to best answer this question for experienced candidates:
"In my current position, my department had been continuing to work with a specific vendor for many years simply due to inertia. It was easiest to simply renew the vendor’s contract each year, rather than consider other alternatives. While my manager initially objected to considering alternatives, I explained that I would like to take time to evaluate the top vendors in the field and present the alternatives. It would still be her final decision on who to work with over the long term. We considered a total of five vendors, including the incumbent. The end result was the selection of a new vendor with better features and functionality for our department at a cost savings of more than $30,000 per year…"

An example of how to best answer this question for entry level candidates:
"While working on my recent internship, I needed access to data from a different department to complete one segment of my project. The head of that department initially refused my request for access to the data on the basis of my being an intern. I went to my manager requesting assistance and she said it was a learning opportunity for me to work it out on my own. So I asked the department manager to meet in person. At that meeting, I walked him through the scope of my project, how the data would be used and how it would be kept secure. Once he understood the actual use of the data and its security, he authorized my access later that day…"

An example of how you should not answer this question:
"Wow, great question! Because that happens to me all the time! I spend a lot of time trying to get others to see my point of view, especially on political issues. It’s amazing how many ignorant people there are in this world. So I spend a lot of time posting to Internet sites where some of these ignorant people hang out. It takes time, but I am hoping that over time my comments will finally ring true with just one or two people. If I can convert even one or two people over to my point of view, well, then it’s all worth it…"

Remember to answer each interview question behaviorally, whether it is a behavioral question or not. The easiest way to do this is to use an example from your background and experience. Then use the S-T-A-R approach to make the answer a STAR: talk about a Situation or Task (S-T), the Action you took (A) and the Results achieved (R). This is what makes your interview answer uniquely yours and will make your answer a star!

Further review: know the answers to these Common Interview Questions to be fully prepared for your interview!

1. Career development
2. 11 Effective Ways To Persuade Others in the Workplace

By Indeed Editorial Team

Updated February 8, 2022 | Published June 8, 2021

Updated February 8, 2022

Published June 8, 2021

Any time you make a suggestion, you can use persuasion to get external support for your plan. The ability to convince people to agree with you and influence their behaviors is a useful tool for achieving personal and professional goals. Learning about how to be more persuasive in the workplace promotes confidence, innovation and growth.

In this article, we explain why persuasion is important and 11 strategies to use to persuade others in the workplace.

Why is persuasion useful?

Persuasion is an important tool for implementing your ideas, building a supportive network and achieving goals. It provides others with reasons to agree with you and advocate for your suggestions. In the workplace, you use persuasion to promote your ideas with coworkers, gain promotions and convince clients to purchase your products and services. You can use persuasion in meetings, contract negotiations and even casual conversations. Some of the main benefits of persuasion include:

• Finishing projects faster

• Updating new best practices

• Creating career advancement opportunities

• Aligning team goals

• Decreasing unproductive disagreements

• Gaining social capital among colleagues

• Improving self-esteem

Related: Persuasion Skills: Definition and Examples

How to persuade people

The persuasion process involves several basic steps that you can then personalize to your situation:

1. Establish your goal. Have a clear vision of your ideal outcome to stay focused when persuading others.

2. Think of compelling points. Make a list of the reasons people could have to support your idea and the benefits of changing their mind.

3. Consider the opposition. Imagine why people would disagree with you to prepare counter-arguments to common points from the opposing viewpoint.

4. Choose an ideal time. Approach the people you want to persuade when they're in a good mood and have plenty of time for an extensive conversation.

5. Initiate a conversation. Involve others in your idea by initiating a dialogue with the other people and building a rapport instead of simply presenting your thoughts.

6. Ask for support. Close the conversation by including a call-to-action asking for them to consider your idea or confirm their support.

11 ways to persuade people

Here are several techniques to try when persuading others:

1. Do favors

Complete favors and do nice things for the people you want to persuade. By going out of your way to help someone, you may start building an interpersonal connection and improve their attitude toward your ideas. If someone sees you as an accommodating person, they may feel more inclined to listen to your point of view. Additionally, many people feel the need to return favors as part of a social agreement, so your favor could inspire them to support your stance as a way to thank you.

2. Mirror their behavior

When interacting with the person you want to persuade, use physical and verbal mirroring to build an unspoken connection. Copying small aspects of a person's behavior, such as their hand gestures, pose, tone or vocabulary, often helps them feel more relaxed and see you as a relatable, trustworthy person. By repeating small phrases and echoing their mannerisms, you reflect their energy and subconsciously show that your goals align with their own. This may cause people to feel more receptive and agreeable when listening to your ideas.

Related: How To Practice Reflective Listening (With Tips and Examples)

3. Identify dissatisfaction

To convince someone to change their opinion or choice, consider why they might be dissatisfied with their current decision. Empathizing with someone's struggles can help you connect with them and give you a starting point for changing their mind. Some people make decisions because they feel they only have one option, so knowing what they don't like about their current alignment may help you expose them to better choices that don't include those same difficulties.

4. Prime them for conversation

Use priming techniques like repetition to subconsciously prepare someone to hear your argument. Repetition is a useful persuasion tool because it helps people feel more familiar with an idea before they make a decision. Find subtle methods to mention the benefits of your ideas in a casual context without asking someone to agree with you directly.

For example, if you wanted to persuade your boss to implement a flexible work from home policy, start by casually chatting in a group setting about how much happier your sister is after working from home one day a week. You may then mention how a competitor increased sales by 15% after allowing staff to work remotely. After hearing multiple casual, subtle mentions of working from home, your boss may be more comfortable hearing an official pitch.

5. Imply exclusivity

Make the person you want to persuade feel special by developing a sense of urgency and exclusivity around your point of view. Many people feel the need to seek out things that are challenging to acquire, such as membership to exclusive groups or limited-edition items. When persuading people to agree with you, emphasize the importance of supporting your idea before it becomes a massive success. This allows people to feel special and proud of themselves for making a smart choice with the potential for a large payoff.

6. Use reliable sources

Successful persuasion often involves sharing evidence to support your claims, so it's important to consider your sources carefully. Research the opinion of the person you want to persuade and determine which types of sources they would find most convincing. Including evidence from an influential, well-respected colleague may be more effective than citing the new intern you hired yesterday. Using the right sources shows that anyone who agrees with you can align themselves with important and acclaimed individuals.

7. Ask guiding questions

Allow people to change their minds independently and believe they initiated the idea by asking targeted questions. Letting people talk about themselves and feel involved in making a decision is a great way to subtly persuade them to advocate for your ideas without asking directly. Listen to their perspective and ask questions that guide them to your ideal conclusion.

For example, if you wanted to persuade the office manager to start stocking energy drinks in the office, initiate a conversation by asking them about their day and what they brought for lunch. Inquire if they drink coffee, and if they've noticed how many people take long lunches to buy energy drinks from the corner store. Listen to their opinions and use casual conversation to have them identify the benefits of stocking energy drinks on their own.

8. Leverage silence

As you persuade someone in conversation, show your confidence and control over the situation by using thoughtful pauses. Being uncomfortable with silence is a common trait, and people may be overly talkative to fill any pauses. When you make a pause and simply wait, the other person may instinctively reveal additional information about themselves or try to eliminate discomfort by being more agreeable to your ideas. Silence also helps you listen, process information and consider your next response to connect with the other person strategically.

Related: 10 Ways To Improve Verbal Communication Skills

9. Provide options

Instead of providing someone with a yes or no scenario, offer them multiple options that both benefit you. Start with an idea or request that you suspect they'll reject, then follow up with a more practical suggestion. By initiating the conversation with a bold, extravagant idea, you can make your true goal seem reasonable in comparison. This method also gives the other party a sense of agency by offering them multiple options and turning your request into a mutually beneficial compromise.

A typical example of this technique is negotiating your pay rate. Start with a salary request much higher than you actually want to help employers feel like they're getting a deal when you lower that number to your true target wage.

10. Combine strategies

Use multiple persuasion tactics and pay attention to how others respond to customize your argument to the listener. Some people may respond best to an emotional appeal, while others appreciate logical perspectives. By implementing several methods, you can target different aspects of their decision-making process in one conversation. Notice their engagement level with each method and emphasize the tactics that generate the most positive response.

Related: 10 Commonly Used Rhetorical Strategies (With Examples)

11. Illustrate outcomes

After making your suggestion, activate their imagination by envisioning the positive outcomes of the choice. Use positive imagery and vocabulary as you describe how their life could improve by supporting your ideas. Storytelling is a powerful persuasion technique and developing a narrative that involves the other person may flatter them and introduce them to a future they hadn't considered while also providing a convincing argument.