Influencing others in customer success roles is the ability to guide customer decisions, behaviors, and attitudes toward mutually beneficial outcomes without relying on formal authority. This competency blends strategic communication, relationship building, and persuasion skills to drive customer success while maintaining strong partnerships.

Customer success professionals need exceptional influencing abilities to encourage platform adoption, secure renewals, expand accounts, and navigate stakeholder challenges. Unlike sales roles that focus on closing deals, CS roles require ongoing influence throughout the customer lifecycle. The most effective CS professionals can influence both customers and internal teams, balancing customer advocacy with business goals.

Evaluating a candidate's ability to influence others requires understanding several dimensions: their communication approach, relationship-building skills, persuasion techniques, and strategic thinking. Behavioral interview questions help reveal how candidates have successfully influenced others in past situations, providing insights into how they'll perform in your customer success team. When assessing this competency, listen for specific examples, the strategies they employed, and their self-awareness about what works in different situations.

Interview Questions

Tell me about a time when you had to influence a customer to adopt a new feature or best practice that they were initially resistant to.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific situation and why the customer was resistant
• How the candidate assessed the customer's concerns and objections
• Strategies and communication approaches used to influence the customer
• How the candidate built credibility and trust in the process
• The outcome of the situation and lessons learned
• How the candidate has applied this experience to other situations

Follow-Up Questions:

• What information did you gather about the customer before attempting to influence them?
• How did you adapt your approach based on the customer's specific concerns?
• What was the most challenging aspect of influencing this customer, and how did you overcome it?
• How did you measure the success of your influence strategy?

Describe a situation where you had to influence internal teams or departments to better serve a customer's needs.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific customer need that required internal advocacy
• The stakeholders involved and their initial positions
• The candidate's approach to building internal support
• How they balanced customer advocacy with internal constraints
• The specific techniques used to influence colleagues
• The outcome and impact on the customer relationship

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you prepare for these internal conversations?
• What resistance did you encounter, and how did you address it?
• How did you ensure your message resonated with different internal stakeholders?
• What would you do differently if faced with a similar situation in the future?

Share an experience where you had to influence a decision-maker who wasn't your primary contact at a customer account.

Areas to Cover:

• How the candidate identified and gained access to the decision-maker
• The relationship dynamics and potential challenges
• The candidate's understanding of the decision-maker's priorities and concerns
• The specific influence strategies they employed
• How they maintained the relationship with their primary contact during this process
• The outcome and impact on the customer relationship

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you research the decision-maker's priorities before engaging with them?
• What approach did you take to establish credibility quickly?
• How did you navigate the potential politics of going beyond your primary contact?
• What did you learn about influencing higher-level stakeholders from this experience?

Tell me about a time when data or analytics played a key role in how you influenced a customer's decision or behavior.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific situation and decision at stake
• How the candidate identified and gathered relevant data
• How they translated data into compelling insights for the customer
• The way they presented the information to maximize influence
• How they addressed questions or skepticism about the data
• The outcome and impact on the customer relationship

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you determine which data points would be most influential?
• How did you make the data relevant to the specific customer's situation?
• What challenges did you face in using data to influence this customer?
• How has this experience shaped how you use data in customer conversations?

Describe a situation where you had to influence a customer during a challenging period in the relationship (such as after a service issue, when discussing a price increase, or during a difficult renewal conversation).

Areas to Cover:

• The specific challenge in the relationship and its causes
• The candidate's approach to rebuilding trust or maintaining influence
• How they adjusted their communication style for a difficult conversation
• Specific techniques used to reframe the situation
• How they balanced empathy with business objectives
• The outcome and impact on the long-term relationship

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you prepare for this difficult conversation?
• What signals told you that your influence approach was working or not working?
• How did you manage your own emotions during this challenging interaction?
• What would you do differently if faced with a similar situation now?

Tell me about a time when you influenced a customer to expand their usage or adopt additional products/services.

Areas to Cover:

• How the candidate identified the expansion opportunity
• Their understanding of the customer's business needs and goals
• The approach they took to position the additional products/services
• Specific influence techniques they employed
• How they addressed objections or hesitations
• The outcome and value delivered to the customer

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you time this expansion conversation in the customer relationship?
• What research or preparation did you do before proposing the expansion?
• How did you quantify the potential value to the customer?
• What did you learn about effective expansion conversations from this experience?

Share an example of when you had to change your approach to influencing a customer after your initial strategy wasn't working.

Areas to Cover:

• The initial situation and influence approach
• How the candidate recognized their strategy wasn't effective
• Their process for reassessing the situation
• The specific changes they made to their influence approach
• How they implemented the new strategy
• The outcome and lessons learned

Follow-Up Questions:

• What signals indicated your initial approach wasn't working?
• How quickly did you pivot to a new strategy?
• What insights about the customer did you gain through this process?
• How has this experience shaped how you approach influencing different types of customers?

Describe a situation where you had to influence a group of stakeholders with different priorities or perspectives at a customer organization.

Areas to Cover:

• The context and the different stakeholders involved
• How the candidate understood each stakeholder's unique concerns
• Their strategy for addressing multiple perspectives
• Specific techniques used to find common ground
• How they managed competing priorities
• The outcome and maintenance of the relationships

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you prepare differently for each stakeholder?
• What techniques did you use to build consensus among the group?
• What was the most challenging aspect of influencing this diverse group?
• How did you ensure all stakeholders felt their concerns were addressed?

Tell me about a time when you used storytelling or case studies to influence a customer's decision or behavior.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific situation and influence objective
• How the candidate selected or developed the story/case study
• How they tailored it to the customer's situation
• The delivery approach and key messages emphasized
• How the story connected to the customer's goals or challenges
• The outcome and impact on the customer's decision

Follow-Up Questions:

• Where did you source the story or case study example from?
• How did you make the story relevant to this specific customer?
• What elements of the story seemed to resonate most with the customer?
• How do you determine when storytelling is the right approach for influence?

Share an experience where you had to influence a customer to change their behavior or processes to achieve better outcomes with your product/service.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific situation and the change needed
• The customer's initial resistance or hesitation
• How the candidate built a case for change
• Specific techniques used to overcome inertia
• How they supported the customer through the change
• The outcome and impact on the customer's success

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you establish the need for change with the customer?
• What resistance did you encounter and how did you address it?
• How did you make the change process easier for the customer?
• What did you learn about influencing behavioral change from this experience?

Describe a situation where you influenced a customer by helping them see a problem or opportunity they weren't previously aware of.

Areas to Cover:

• How the candidate identified the hidden problem or opportunity
• Their approach to introducing this new perspective
• How they built credibility for their insights
• The specific techniques used to help the customer see the situation differently
• How they connected the insight to customer value
• The outcome and impact on the relationship

Follow-Up Questions:

• What research or analysis led you to identify this hidden issue?
• How did you present your insights without making the customer feel criticized?
• What was the customer's initial reaction, and how did you respond?
• How has this approach of revealing new insights become part of your influence toolkit?

Tell me about a time when you had to influence a key customer stakeholder who was skeptical of the value your solution provided.

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the stakeholder's skepticism
• How the candidate sought to understand the root causes of doubt
• Their strategy for building credibility with this stakeholder
• Specific evidence or approaches used to change perception
• How they measured and demonstrated value
• The outcome and evolution of the relationship

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you discover what was driving the stakeholder's skepticism?
• What was your most effective piece of evidence or argument?
• How did you adapt your communication style for this skeptical stakeholder?
• What have you incorporated into your approach with skeptical stakeholders based on this experience?

Share an example of when you had to influence a customer without having all the information or resources you would have ideally wanted.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific situation and constraints
• How the candidate worked with limited information
• Their approach to maintaining credibility despite limitations
• Specific techniques used to influence effectively anyway
• How they managed customer expectations
• The outcome and lessons learned

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you decide what information was essential versus nice-to-have?
• How transparent were you with the customer about your limitations?
• What creative approaches did you use to overcome information gaps?
• How has this experience shaped how you prepare for influence conversations?

Describe a situation where you had to maintain influence with a customer over an extended period rather than in a single conversation.

Areas to Cover:

• The context and long-term influence objective
• The candidate's strategy for sustained influence
• Key relationship touchpoints and their approach to each
• How they maintained momentum and interest
• How they measured progress over time
• The outcome and evolution of the relationship

Follow-Up Questions:

• What was your strategy for maintaining consistent influence over time?
• How did you keep track of your influence progress?
• How did your approach evolve as the relationship developed?
• What were the most effective touchpoints in this long-term influence process?

Tell me about a time when you successfully influenced a customer despite not having formal authority or decision-making power in the situation.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific situation and power dynamics
• How the candidate assessed the informal influence paths
• Their approach to building influence without authority
• Specific techniques used to gain support and buy-in
• How they managed potential resistance
• The outcome and lessons about influence without authority

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you identify who had the real decision-making power?
• What sources of informal influence did you leverage?
• What was most challenging about influencing without authority?
• How has this experience shaped your approach to similar situations?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why focus on behavioral questions rather than hypothetical scenarios when assessing influence skills?

Behavioral questions reveal how candidates have actually used influence skills in real situations, which is a much stronger predictor of future performance than hypothetical responses. Past behavior shows not just what candidates think they should do, but what they've actually done when facing real constraints, emotions, and consequences. Hypothetical scenarios often elicit idealized answers that may not reflect real-world performance.

How can I tell if a candidate is truly skilled at influence versus just being naturally charismatic?

Look for evidence of strategic thinking in their answers. Skilled influencers can articulate why they chose specific approaches for different situations, how they prepared, and how they adjusted their strategy based on feedback. They should demonstrate awareness of various influence techniques beyond charm or persuasive speaking. Pay attention to examples where they influenced through thoughtful approaches like using data effectively, understanding stakeholder needs, or building coalitions—not just through personality.

What's the difference between assessing influence skills for CS roles versus sales roles?

While both require influence abilities, customer success influence typically focuses on long-term relationship building, adoption, and value realization rather than closing deals. When assessing CS candidates, look for examples of sustained influence over time, influencing existing customers (not just prospects), and driving behavior change that leads to customer success. CS influence often requires more collaboration, education, and internal advocacy than the more transaction-focused influence in sales roles.

How many influence-related questions should I include in an interview?

Rather than trying to ask all 15 questions provided, select 3-4 that best align with your specific CS role requirements. Then use the follow-up questions to probe deeper into candidates' responses. This approach gives you more meaningful insights than covering many questions superficially. For senior roles, you might choose more complex influence scenarios, while for junior roles, you might focus on foundational influence skills first.

How can I use these questions to assess a candidate's potential to grow their influence skills?

Listen for self-awareness and learning in their responses. Strong candidates will articulate what they learned from both successful and unsuccessful influence attempts. They should demonstrate how they've evolved their approach over time and how they've applied lessons from one situation to another. Look for candidates who seek feedback on their influence effectiveness and who can adjust their approach for different stakeholders—these are indicators of someone who can continue developing their influence capabilities.

Interested in a full interview guide with Assessing Influencing Others in Customer Success Roles as a key trait? Sign up for Yardstick and build it for free.